INUNDATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1782, 8 September 1884, Page 2

INUNDATION.

4 Udok and influential meeting of settlers was held in the Masterton Institute on Saturday even ng last, His Worship the Mayor occupied the chair and stated the object of the meeting was one in which not only tha residents of the town were interested, but a great number of property owners. outside. The question they had met to talk, over that night was the overflow of the Waipoua river, the waters of which during the flood of September 2nd poured through the centre of thetown and did serious hayoo to life and property. It was the common wi-h of all to prevent a recurrence of such a devastation if possible. Fiee discussion was invited to. bring about this result and he invited anyone present to open the business by moving' a resolution thereon,. .

Mr Gfipper said a numetoasly ' signed petition had been presented to his Worship I asking him to call that • meeting and he ' seeing the importance of the matter, had kindly done so. Tne question about to discussed that night required the careful and dispassionate consideration, Ak was a question that concerned all those H wished to preserve their home comforts and heir town's prosperity. For eight yeais the rpeaker had been <n favor of a river conservatory that would watch the /river strengthen any weak embankments, remove*" any obstacles in the shape of, large trees, that, brought down by large freshes, lodged in> .the bed _or. banks of the nver on the subsidence of the water and tend to divert the nver from its natural ohapnel. \Thisnvor wanted, as all New Zealand ones did." watohmg, nursing, and guiding. He Had"

had 40 years experience, and in the Nolson district bad knowj some large rivers that a low years before Were bat small creeks thit CMild'be easily jumped otar, Rivers, if guided with proper appliances and watched carefully could be managed successfully. He had seen rivers quite aa cbstropnloua as the Waipona turned and kepi in the course it chould flow. Action Bhould at once be taken to avoid a similar occurrence as the jM«t inundation. He w.uld unhesitatingly isy that the railway works were the prime Cause of the desolation, (Hear, hear). • The bridge' was five feet below flood line, and there was no outlet even for a flax bush, and the station master had told him that during the storm it was like a sea of foam at that part.' Iu the 1880 flood the bank broke through on the south sideoftho river, but Ihe injury was comparatively nothing. 1 The banks wero so low and there was comparativeiy;no impediment to the flow that the water very quickly got away without doing any serious damage. : On Adams' land, where , the water used to get away, the Government had now built a dam which, in consequence of the small opemngs left for tho escape of water, had acted as a barrier, forming an immense resevoir, which sudA denly buisting its bounds took everything A befoie it—carried away acres of bush land, and made a new channel for itself at the back of Bacon's mill. It was a perfect avalanche I Ho considered that the Council or _ town peoplo should Uiko immediate action in the matter, and ho begged to move r-" That the Goi'ornment be memorialised to take action to prevent the recurrence of a similar inundation to that of September 2, an it is the opinion of this meeting that the ( railway works on tho Waipoua were the cause of the river's encroachments. and consequent • inundation of the town." II the memorial were drawn up the necessary details would bo included. The question was of such importance to tho town that all personal feelings should bo set on ono side,' and the best menus to adopt for future protection cousidcicd (hear, hear), He was willing to assist a lliver Conservative Board or subscribe his mite if tin inhabitants prefeired dealing with it privately. In his opinion in which he was backed up by a competent engineering authority if the Government we. e allowed to reconstruct the bridge as it was the water would cut an "is" - shaped passage for itself through Eenall's land, Fannin's, and so onto tho Post Office, Church acre, and the Club promises to the destruction of the town. He hoped the best method of combatting the evil would be laid belore them that evening (cheers), . Mr Easthope seconded tho proposition. It Jtat was a matter that touched him personally, as the river had encroached quite 101) yards nearer to him than ic was before, but he had the consolation—if snch it could be called—- . of knowing that he would not be the only • sufferer if his dwelling were washed away, The canse was decidedly in his opinion the construction of tho approach on the other Bide of the river which with the one on their side had so naiiowed the stream as to impede the flow of wateruntil the works had given way and the town suddenly do'uged. ' Mr Ktnall said they might cut off that pait of the resolution asking the Government . to protect the town. 'J lie l''<>ver..meut would only protect their own wo.b. .\,r Luull wont fully into the history of the Wtlhiuiun and WaiiarapaDistrict sincehisieH.ltne - in it, and more particularly described the nwis aid danger of igDorautly interfciint! ivi.h their course. He had warned the Government Engineer of the danger of building the railway station on its present site, and told him it would be a costly luxury for them. But he was very glad now that they had not listened to him as by that means the town must be protected' by the railway works, and if it had not bten for the Government railj way embankment, the town would have been flooded worse this time. (No Ino I) No doubt if the bridge had been large enough to allow of a free passage, the water would # net have come in. (Cheers.) Mr J as, Macara said anyono who saw the river at tho railway bridge during the sturm, . would have no hesitation in asserting that jtf the the embankment dammed up the water, and bursting, caused the town to be Hooded, Mr R, Brown pointed out that all they wanted to do was to get the Government to protect themselves in tho future by enlarging the bridge or other meaus, and in doing that they must protect the town, as the Government works lay between the source of danger and the town.—(Hear I hear !) Mr llenall agreed with this, and suggested this would also he the time to get the Government to remove the cattle baulks from off the road, The resolution wa« put aud carried unanimously.' Mr C'aselberg moved that the memorial bo placed in the hands of the Works Committee of the Borough Council, and Mr Vile seconded the motion, which wan carried, and a vote of thanks to the chair concluded the business.