FLOODS IN THE SOUTH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 29 March 1913, Page 5

FLOODS IN THE SOUTH.

COUNTRY INUNDATED. {By Telegraph.—Fress Association.) GORE, Last Night. It has been raining heavily in this district for the last 24 hours, H inches having fallen. The rivers are all in high flood. At Lumsden tho Oreti river overflowed, and entered the town. 'Hie flood is the highest since the big Hood in 1878. All tourist traffic to the Cold Lakes is cut off. Three washouts occurred on thejrailwayy between Lumsden and Kingston, and stopped all trains. All tho sluicing companies have had to stop work and are compelled to turn the water out of the races. Much crop is still in the paddock, and the outlook is very serious.

LUMSDEN UNDER WATER. GREAT LOSSES OF STOCK. RAILWAY TRAINS HELD UP. GORE, Last Night. The Lumsden cm-respondent of the Mataura Ensign wire* that the iriyer is still rising, and is now flowing through the lower part of the town. There is no sign of the rain abating. Several horsemen managed to get through from Mossburn, and report several washouts on Mossburn line. Great losses of stock are likely in the low-lying country, and already sheep are coming down the river. A number of residences are partly submerged, the occupants, flitting to drier ground. Telegraphic communication with. Te Anau is suspended, wire* being down. The Waikako train, leaving Gore at 3.50 p.m., had to return, arriving at 6.45 p.m., it being impossible to get past Maitland owing to floods. There is some doubt as to the express from jDunedin getting through to-night, owing to washouts en thp line between Gore and Pukerau. It is still raining, and the Maitland river is rising.

FLOODS ON MT. COOK. ROADS IMPASSABLE. TTMARU, Last Night. Reports from the Mt. Cook Hermitage state that t ! he flood is bigger than that cf January, 10 inches of rain falling in 22 hours, the gauge then becoming submerged. The hosjtel is invaded, and tourists are preparing to take to tents on the higher ground. One Car bridge has gone, and the round is impassable. Generally the flood comes from the Mueller Glacier, through a gap in the old :''cle moraine, and this t'ime chunks of ice are coming away with the boulders.

Steady vain has fallen at Timaru since 3 p.m. Fairlie and McKenzie country report heavy and steady rains.

THE FLOODS GENERAL. A YOUNG MAX DROWNED. RAILWAY WASHOUTS. IXVEROAJR.GILL, La&t Night. Heavy rain commenced falling on Thursday, and has continued without intc:rmi.ssiou since, resulting in severe floods all over Southland. A young man named J. Walsh, who was driving with two brothers niamed Dickson at Hokonui, -new Win-ton, was drowned through his trap falling into tlie Otapiri river. The brothers managed to ranch a small island, where they wore marooned for some hours. The railway services are disorganised. The- express train from.' Diinedin to-night could not get through, owing to a- washout at Pukerau, and the train stopped at Clinton. Washouts, some, of a serious nature, occurred on the Otaut-au, Lumsden, Kingston, and Mossburni lines. Heavy losses of stock are feared, and reports f/how that dead -sheep are being washed down by the rivers in hundreds.