FLOODED RIVERS

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10604, 10 April 1912, Page 5

FLOODED RIVERS

IN TH4 WAIRARAPA. The heavy downpour of rain, which occurred" in tlie vV.airarapa district on Tuegday morning, following upo-n u protracted spell of dry weather whicih had caused tlie earth to be parclied, resulted in the flooding of the whole of the rivers. About nine o'clock in the morning J the Ruam;ahanga, Waingawa, and •Waiohine rivers became raging torrents, and overflowed their banks in various directions. Tho water was across/the road oh the westefii' fikle of : the 'Ruamahanga river, near Masterton, and , bicycle and pedestrian traffic was suspended. The road was al„o covered with water at itOie, northern end of the Waingnwa bridge, and traffic was 'temporarily .suspended. It looked? for a time, as though tho bridge was ill danger. '' ' Much" low-lying couutrv -' in the neighbourhjood ,of the ./RuamalTa.ugii and Waingawa; rivers was submerged, and- it-is imported that some stock hiis been lost. The Waiohine river brwke ;over the stop banks at Abikouka, and caused the bi«ge«b flood known ,for i five years. - Tlie road wa.s covered for a depth, of several feet for a distance of some miles. Fences were knocked dfcrwn, and a considerable area of country was inundated. Reports from, the Forty-Mil-c Bilsli '-how that heavy rain fell there, and tlie rivers were in , high flood. The rain ea?'ly in the day in the Wrairu.rapa, and the flood watersmilisitfed aimttst as quickly as they had come down.