THE RECENT FLOODS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 3055, 16 November 1888, Page 2

THE RECENT FLOODS.

Masterton. to Woodville.

[By Our Travelling.Reporter],

The Wairarapa seoins'ld have suffered very little damage from the recent heavy ..rains, compared with the disastrous effects, experienced in the i.bush districts, between Dryertown and Woodville. The rain at tho former place came down in a perfectdeluge on Saturday and continued with almost unabated vigor .until early the following morning, which resulted in flooding the Kopuaranga to an unusual extent. On Saturday evening, ; ';•' '■ , ,7 : A NARROW ESCAPE from drowning occurrednear.the Camp Hotel to a well-known Mauriceville identity who rejoices in the soubriquet of True Blue, but not so'named on account of his teetotal'principles. /Trite ' Blue liad been on a Visit to Masterton, and having fortified the inner man with more than enough, whiskey to' battle with the contending elements,: started for Mauriceville early in tb afternoon. What his experiences were before he readied the Camp we are not told; but shortly after seven in the evening a neighbor came rushing into Mr Osborne's and intimated that a man was lying in one of the .watercourses on the road-side near the hotel, Mr Osborne lost no time in going to the rescue, whore, sure enough, he found our -fforthy Blue, snoring like a porkei-, in the middle of a small rivulet, the water from which was malting a Sutherland fall over the greater portion of his body. Mine Host soon soon brought True Blue to his senses and in reply to the former's query "as to whether he did not feel uncomfortable." replied, "No,but I'm dry inside and thundering wet out." Nothing further could be elicited as to what prompted him to lie in audi a dangerous position, with tho exception that he was trying to do what the present Mayor of Masterton had failed in, to make water run uphill. Within, three, hundred yards of the Oainp Hotel the iirst ; TRACES OF THE OVEKFJ.OW of the Kopuaranga is - onlv too plainly visible. Here, on " both sides of the main road can bo seou huge trees and logs piled up in profusion on the tops of fences and along the railway line, In this district the settlers who have sustained the greatest .amount of privation, so far as we could ascertain, with the exception of Mr Clark, are those located on the eastern sideof the main road.whioh inoludesamongstothers,the homesteads of Messrs A, Stewart and Evan McKeuzic. Theformev, in stock alone,lost a whole flock of 217 sheep, in the wool, and the latter fully forty head. The sheep running on the opposite side of the road took advantago of the hills, and thus escaped, otherwise the loss, to settlers would have been much more serious, :

CAVED'IX, A heavy lund-siip. on the branch road leading to Messrs H. Jackson, B. E. Blade, and Joseph aud Wright's properties prevented us from gaining particulars as to the casualties among stock, fo„ in that neighborhood, but since our visit wo are pleased to hear the losses are light, although sottlers are likely to be deprived of outer communication so far as vohiclc Iraflic is concerned for a few days. Tlie RAILWAY MJPAHTJIJiNT, are undoubtedly to blame for'theiauudatioii of the land on the western portion of the railway Hue botween the Camp and the old Kopuarauga bridge, Wjth tho railway embankment raised to within four or five feet of the level of the land and only two or three small viaducts to carry a large body of wateiv a', flood out or partial washing away of the. railway line is a moral certainty at any timo. Being backed up'tho water Hooded thewholo of tho low-lying country until it' ran. above the level of the railway line, The water then found an outlet for -itself by ( washing away a ppi'tioii of ! tbe ii'aihvay i embanlanetit.Between Oshornpis.' "boundm' aud the old Kopiiavangi ■ bridge tho !,•;..-• MOST SKIIIOUS DAJIAOE ~ seems to have taken place, judg;hjg from.'.what,. : on> s see irom; Jho ;^rbad,.','jfences • were dpw4'ineta.twash«l'from'"the|flßj|i road, aud layera'of thjek Wl doposii W PJlfetßp'of the previous green pastures, Biding along to thoreßidduco of Mr G, Clark, adjohnug the bid

Kopu'arangiv^ nature■ of the^fldb(l^as r 'eyerywfierj:; garden which only ; a; few days'. viousrlpbkedi the; picture of thrift ail| industry now appeared'converted iii'to a place of ;:;Rfuit trees,vegetablesj;feii.cos, : - ( &b., ;were: completely tornv up and i scattered; in all directions.: -Almost'inimediately hahind'the homestead could be ,seeri,a mountain of timber which had' been broughtdownand deposited against the banks of the river. This; acted as a breakwater arid turned the mainforce off tlie building, y Even this protection created ati:uneasy feeling, as the'logs andtrees'wero>seen. \to j rise and fall'with ; the "aotibivibf .th'ei current, higher than the roof; of tho dwelling,' threatening every moment, to break loose and engulf all before it, but this fortunately did not .eventuate; Mr Olark iievertMksg;experienceda ; : ' ''.:■..■s}.VERY ROUGH TIME, At half-past twelve on Saturday night the river rose so rapidly that' he yfc. compelled.notwithßtandihg the downpour, to remove his wife 'and family to the hills adjoining. This he safely accomplished after two or three narrow escapes from'being car- j ried down by the current,.' which at this time was beginning to: ruu through the house. By day-break the water could be seen running levelwith the window sills, but. after this the river rose very, little. - When the ■,' water fell low>no«gh Mr Clark foundhe was minus his poultry andseye'ral pigs. '■;■ Oneiofibe';latter, curious'.to": relate was'found'quite dead with-a portion of the bed-olotheV wrapped around liim,: on its owner's feather bed., The :whole : of : Mr Clark's' excellent .production,.;of. early potatoes, '.• broad heaiis and gooseberries, which ho had been ;cultivatmg for the' Masterton Show were totally destroyed. jfj^ The damage from floods between' Mr Clark's and Pahiatua were comparatively trifling.

the sura which occurred along the main road line caused, considerable .inconvenience to horse and vehicle traffic '• ! At - Dorset's hill two or three minor Blips have occurred, but not of 'sufficient magnitude; to'stop traffic; Several ;i large slips have taken place on tLio road /which leads through the Mauriceville township, but these had been got rid of by Thursday. Two of the •' heaviest falls of earth, besides liuine-'. ! rous smaller ones,, took'place on the : Mauriceville'to Mangainahoe seotion of the road. .The first slip, which is ' but a sliort'distance this side of the Mauriceville railway station, is an ■■'■■■. exceptionally heavy one, and is' not-' 1 likely to be cleared away for wheel ~' traffic until tb-day (Friday). At tbia ' spot about fifty yards of the hillside lias slipped away, completely blocking traffic, with logs, small trees, fa. Fortunajtelywe inet'Mauriceville'spremier meat purveyer, Mr BaunistiWi whbkihdly directed usi overßeethiinif: hill. .And- ,a : rough' passage -itjiyaiij' \ but this was better ;thaii; hayiugfto! •, retrace one's steps.; back home, again,' « after riding.thirteen miles'. ?; Haying \ our-jourfey I with one' the slip-opposite! Mr/liimmerlssbttagej wasnninteri f rup^edA;^bpeMd.sectioh;of : the:!;!; ''' * ;;-■; LINE ; .'■;;.;-' >]' Between : -Mauriceville and' Kopuar- ,: anga suffered a good deal in places, through the line being washed away, which caused suspension of traffic between those places for three days; >. MrDanaher caineoiit .lighter "than - was at firet expected ou the Manga-: mahoe• Eketahuua'contract; , The•' .damage was at first reported to' bo '■"■ £I2OO, but it turns out. nOt.to exceed ; more than about £M Thismeaiiß, ■' a further delay hi opening this'' section of fully six weeks. . ..

, ;: EKETAHUNA Was-not in the least, affected;but W?' low-lying districts at tho-.baok wore submerged. The new township of Newton, adioiningEketaliuna, also, experienced a good time. Both : townships being built on vory high.; terraces, only ; a repitition of the Great Deluge would bo, likely t0,.. force the water into their habitations, Iu several places the Makakaki overflowed its banks, but the land not being settled, tlie only dainage noticeable was the carrying away of metal on the road. .'■■'■