DISASTROUS FLOODS.

Waikato Argus, Volume II, Issue 122, 20 April 1897, Page 2

DISASTROUS FLOODS.

NAPIER UNDER WATER. SERIOUS LOSS OF LIFE. GREAT LOSS OF FROPEMf. RAILWAY WASHED AWAY. Naiikk, Sunday. Tin; most disastrous floods ever experienced in Haw ke's Hay, both as regards loss of life and ]"r.prly, occurred on Friday. On Thursday and Friday morning eleven inches of rain fell, and as a consequence low lying lands subject to floods were under water, and at the request of the settlers boats were sent out to their assistance. The ra : n cleared off in the afternoon, and everybody thought the worst was over, but just after daik the great embankment at Rcelc'iffe burst, and the Tutaekuri poured its waters over Tamil, le to Napier. Almost simultaneously the Ngaruroro, backed up by a heavy sea, broke through the railway embankment at Waitangi and poured into the lu.oon, jo'ning the \vat< rs of the Tiilaekauri. The result was that in a few minutes the Hood rose live to six feet, covering ground never (Loded before. There was quite a panic in the lower parts of Napier, where neaily all the houses were flooded to a depth of six feet.

The roads were impassable, the crown being covered with three to four feet of water running like a mill race. All available boats which had not gore to Olive were requisitioned to save people, and though there were many nirrow cseipes, there was no loss of life. There wis a similar expeiience at Clive and Taracl -,lc, where boats saved all the sett'e-s —as far as is known.

Two of the rescuing bruits with their crews are, however, missing, and there is now no hope of them. They must have been capsized in the whirling currents, or swept out to sea. The names of tho?o missing arc : Sergeant O'Donovan, Constable Stephenton, Arthur McCartney (iicensee of the A'biou Hotel), Hose, (commerciil traveller), Fred Cas.in, John Prebbe, O'Brien, O'Rielly, Ansell, Chambers. Nearly all leave large fam lies. As yet communication cannot le had beyond Clive, the railway bridges, telegraph, and telephone wires all being down, but as far as could be seen from the Napier hills, the whole of the Ahuriri Plains are under water. All stock must have perished over a Urge area, and many settlers have been comple'ely ruined. One house, with its contents, was swept to sea, tic inmates just escaping with their lives. Communication with the country beyond CI ve has been partially restored, and leports show that the disaster is much greater than was at first believed. Two settlers at were drowned. One Mas named Cunirngham, a shepherd, at Chcstcrhope, who was lost in trying to muster stock. Another, named James Broadbent, was washed out to sea at Clive. It is also repoi ted that some Maoris were lost at Papaktira. The losses of s'ock a e enormous. At Chciterhopc alone SOW) sheep and a herd of pedig ce polled Angus cattle were lost. D( /.ens of settlers hive lost every head of stock. Fenccsand plantations havcdisippearcd, and the land is covered several feet deep in silt. The railway is so badly damaged that it will cost L'30,000 to repair it, and it will be a month at least before communication is fully restored.

LATER DETAILS

With such rapidity did the flood wa'crs con.e that the people were taken pertect'y by surprise. It seemed but a moment, and the whole of the flit of the town was submerged. Articles of furniture we-c floating about the looms of residents, and in many cases chldrcn and women mounted chairs placed on the tables while the male mcinbtrs of the family sought n cans to rescue them from their perilous position.

Roats were brought into requisition with as little delay as possible, and soon all the sufferers wcrs conveyed to places of safety. The remarkable sight wasseenof boats being rowed down many of the steets.

Mutiroc-street was a sea of water, and the Rotunda in Clive Sipnre stood like some grim stnti'el alone surrounded by water on all sides. In Tennyson-street, Mr Cohen's house was in a similar condition.

There is no necessity to give every incident (f personal discomfiture experienced by the people in town, even if that were possible ; but outsiders, who know the situation of Napier, will understand the position when it is said that a boat was rowed from T« nnyson-stree*, right through Clive Square and the little beach, and into Carlyle-street. Here a glance at the recreation ground showed the unpleasant fact that the cycling track was standing under seven feet of water, and there was sufficient dtpth to permit of a regatta being held in a place usually devoted to athletic sports, but the residents had only time to consider their own position. The people at Clive were in a very grave situation. In the afternoon wires had been received Iy the chief traffic clerk at Napier that the river was rising very rapidly, and had overflowed in places, though it was hoped that anything like a serious flood, necessitating help from outside, would be averted. The traffic clerk communicated with the Mayor and police, sngec sting that boats should be held in readiness, in case the worst came to the worst. The Mayor, who up to this time had been rendering yeoman's service in seeing to the safety of the distressed people in town, sent down immediately to the harbour master, asking him to bring his crew with the lifeboat to town, to proceed to Clive should they be wanted. Then came the message. " For Cod's sake send us some help !" and tint was the last telegraphic news received from Clive.

At tlii.s stage must be now recounted the position of a (Fairs at Waitangi. A tremendous breach had 1 een made in a spot a quarter of a mile south of the Shamrock Hotel. For miles around, as far as the eye could see in all directions, there Mas a huge expanse of water.

Through this breach, extending over a distance of about seven chains, the waters had swept away in their maddened course the railway embankment, taking with them at the same time n large number of telegraph poles The liver water.- met the sea at the beach, aud the thunderous roar of the breakers as they dashed through this opening Mas a scene not easily forgotten. Thus communication was entire!} cut oil both hy rail and \v : .re, and the only means of learning anything about the position of the (.'live people was by despatching a beat.

With the railway embankment Hashed away, as previously recorded, and with two spans of the Waitangi bridge gone, a train could only get as far as the beach with the pilot crew, whose boat was brought up on a trolly round the Hyderabad Road The crew, which was in charge of Mr E. Forne, assistant pilot, eon.prised W. Lucas, J. Kd.ly, •' Diilr' Menitt. J. Kuowles, .1. '■• Petersen, l\ Franklin, ga± and Captain Tonkin. The sight presented was pitiable ill the extreme. The llu.d waters lnuld_uiie their wuut.