ANOTHER FLOOD.

West Coast Times, Issue 137, 26 February 1866, Page 2

ANOTHER FLOOD.

of Revell-street, although supposed to be amphibious, had been fairly driven by tho piti« less storm to seek a movo congenial atmosphere inside tho different publio houses bordering tho Quay, the landlords of whioh realised how much truth is contained in that trito old adage respecting the properties -of an "illwind." Some of them, however, wero disagreeably reminded the following morn* ing that every question has two sides and thai; their turn to suffer had arrived. As the day closed in tho rain increasod, and tho river commenced rising rapidly, soon overflowing tho low Bundflate on its southern side, and rushing past the shipping, an angry, muddy torrent covered with snags and heaps of sorub. , On board tho different vessels every precaution was adopted by running out extra moorings to ensure their safely riding out tho flood which, at eight o'olook,* was only two feet lower than tho ono which overflowed the Wharf last Christmas. Tho tugs Lioness and Yarra — whioh had outsido berths in the tierwere, through tho heavy strain upon their warps, compelled to got steam up, and keep their engines going — a wise precaution, and ono that should always be adopted under the circumstances. Up to midnight tho rain came down heavily ; but between that witching hour and three on Sunday morning, it poured down in suoh torrents as threatened to beat in the cast-iron roofs and windows of tho house but as day broke, gradually lessened, and ceased entirely by six o'clock. But tho flood did not culminato for somo hours later, quite stopping all communication with the roadstead, where tho s.s. Egmont was lyingrcady for sea, waiting for tho Yarra to bring out her passengers. In the mean time the flood continued to make sad inroads upon Gibson's Quay, whioh during the night had ■ been lessened in width from ten to thirty feet. r . No preceding flood has committed such havoo in bo short a timo whioh may be oc- ■ counted for from' the faot that the dam aorossthesouthernchanneloftheriver, through " whioh tho surplus flood-water, found its way to tho sea, being, nearly finished has. ' confined the great bulk of tho stream ■ to the one running past the town, tho result being that the unprotected parts of the Quay — unable to resist its foree — have* been washed ' away wholesale, and thero is every probability that in a few days, should tho river keep high, a new channel through the north spit will be cut. This, by allowing tho surf a direct roll inside, will render tho present posi-' tion of shipping at tho wharf quite untenable. But prospective evils aro as nothing compared to those immediately affeoting us 3 and although thero is a probability that tho spit will bo washed away, and the harbor thus jeopardised, all our sympathies are just now with those unfortunates who occupy the different housos at the lower end of Revell street and Gribson's Quay. The Albion Hotel is doomed, tho bank having slipped away from under a largo corner of the building, whilst the London Pie House, at the opposite corner 1 is almost as badly situated, thero being barely room for a pedestrian to pass between it and the river. Lower down, the ironmongery store of Haworth and Co. is in imminent jeopardy, the bank having washed away close up to the front, and from under ono corner of it, learing'Sot a vestige of that which on Saturday morning was a broad footpath ; and although thero is a bit of sand yet remaining between tho intermediate housos and the river, their fate iqay be considered as settled, and their removal be at once commenced . Such wholesale destruction of valuable property is lamentable to contemplate, especially when it is considered that by tho judicious expenditure of a email portion of tho large revenue Westland has returned, it might have been saved. The flat has, however, gone forth whioh compels us to stand helplessly by and witness a disaster which will bring ruin into many a household. But the Government can't spare the money ; The Provincial exchequor is empty. The wharf is not to be extended, as a loan would have to be negotiated for the purpose, whioh is out of the question at present j Such wero the answers returned by Mr Sale to Mossra Hudson, Lowrio and Sheehan, who waited upon him on his return from Christchuroh for the purpose oi ascertaining whether any steps would bo taken to preserve this portion of the town. How much it is to be regretted that 1' contract*" for the extension of the wharf at least past \ Kevoll street were not issued before Mr Johu Hall pronounced his veto on all publio works notcontraotodforj But it seoma fated that the \ North Spit is doomed to annihilation ; in fact, we considor that to save it now would be impossible. The other day our Ohrißt« ohiirch friends were in dread that an irruption of tho river Waimakariri was about to happen, and immediate steps were at once taken to prevent such a catastrophe A pro* liminary survey was made, the report of whioh being of a tendency to quiet apprehension on their part, a great publio work that would, hare cost many thousands of pounds sterling in its construction, was not commenced. But had the repprt advised to the contrafy, we wo»der whether any hesitation would havo been felt iv raising a loan. Wo trow not.