THE WEATHER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5001, 16 April 1895, Page 2

THE WEATHER.

FLOODS IN MASTERTON.

The northerly rain which nammenced in Masterton on Satfflay morning, continued until afteiSHon, when the wind changed to thesonth, and a regular howling storm set in. r A very large quantity of rain fell j during the night andall day Sunday, the storm becoming even more violent towards evoning, Such a rough Sunday has not been experienced for a long time, and being Easter Sunday it appeared more unfortunate. \ The streets in the lower-lying portions of the town were flooded, and several times the Borough workmen were called upon to clear culverts, which had become choked, On Monday the weathercontinued the same, and in some quarters matters began to look rather alarming as the Waipouaand Ruamahunga Rivers wero soen to be steadily rising. Mr William Welch who resides just over the Waipoua BridgA as obliged to romove his faniilyjKl later in the day Messrs W R, Btjle and J. L. Murray, who reside at the v lower end of Church Street, and Mr Moore whose house is situated near the Cemeterj gates had to leave their houses as tho water was flowing right through and rising very rapidly. All of them are considerable losers by the flood. For miles round the country be- , tween the Waipoua and Ruamahunga rivers was one sheet of water. Great damago has been done to the roads through the scour, and the new path between the Waipoua bridges has been badly cut up. In several instances, gardens have been washed away, and many trees and t fences have been blown down by the high wind. It is impossible yet to in the loss of stock, but it isASed many sheep have been drowned The Waipoua River has cut further into the bank at the end of Hope Street, and yesterday morning, „ Mr Compton's milk cart, while attempting to round the bend to reach Hope Street, was washed down the river, but fortunately tho horse and driver escaped, the cart being swept down to the foot of Dixon Street, when, with some difficulty, it was recovered, / The Masterton Park and Cemetery were completely covered, and the timber for tho grand stand was floating about in all directions. Messrs Williams and Beetham's dam at Lansdowne, overflowed yesterday and washed a quantity of metal off the road in front of the t Masterton Hospital, and also flooded the paddocks in tho neighbourhood, Mr Christie, tho well-known horse trainer yestei day went over one of the unrailcd bridges, near Mr Summer's property on tho Opaki, and was with difficulty rescued. At the Lower Maimia the cajntvy L was one sheet of water, Mr Aes McGregor had ton acres of potatoes under water, and it is reported that he lias lost several sheep. Tho damage at tho Waingawa is slight and traffic is not intorfored with.

The Rainfall. The rainfall registered at the Mas- ( terton Railway Station from Saturday morning up till 9.30 thi3 morning was eight inches. This means about 800 tons to the acre, The official record of the rainfall at Wellington, from Friday night up till 0 a.m. yesterday, msß'7s inches. Up till 9 a.m. on Saturday, the fall for the provious 24 hours was 1.5 inches. Between 9 a.m. on Saturday, aud 9 on Sunday morning, the fall was '2.30 inches, hut tlio real deluge was between 9 a.m. on Sunday pH < yesterday morning, the reconfejt iig '1.95 inches. Tlio greater \wr of this fell during tlio small hours of yesterday, says the N.Z. Times. The fall up till 9 yesterday, is equiyalenfc to nearly 900 tons on orery aero in the city. A 6 a large quantity of rain fell yesterday, it is expootod , that another 2 inches will be recorded for the period up till 9 this morning, making over 10 inches for the four days, which is equal to over 1000 tons to each acre.

Te Ore Ore. At Te Ore Ore tho Ruamahunga overflowed its banks on both sides, inundating the surrounding country to a depth of several feet. Mr Juno's fences are almost completely swept away, and the section is covered with debris. On tho opposite side of the road tho families of Messrs P. Carr and Frank had to be removed to a ']lni of safety at the Maori Pali. Tho road is not so badly injured as at first supposed, and altogether settlers in this direction haye escaped better than was anticipated. The fences between Messrs Gordon and P, Carr are badly damaged, but at tho now Te Ore Ore settlement, as far as we can learn, there is comparatively little damage. The Railway Line,. So far the lino South is all right, but north of Masterton, from Kopuaranga to Eketahuna, there are sevoral "washouts" and slips, and it is not likely that the service will be restored for fully a week, and at present all train services, between Mastorton and Eketahuna, are can-' celled until further notice. Somo idea of tho damage done to tho line may be gathered from the. fact that one "washout" near Kopuaranga is over eighty feet long. Mvo heavy slips aro reported V. have occurred between Mangafi|;oe and Eketahuna, besides a large mmber of minor Blips, Near Eketahuna \ thero is a block i threo chains. No trains ran beyond Masterton yesterday. Tho Railway Departmentreceived telegrams yesterday stating that the railway line is blocked at Bunny-thoi-pe, Halcombe, Kakaviki and Okoia, between Palmoiston and Wan- 1 ganui, and that there are blocks between Brunswick and Kai Iwi on theNewPlymouth-Wanganuisection. The approach to the bridge at Kakariki, over tho Bangitikei River, is washed away, A large quantity of earth fell on - the line at Ladle Bend, on the Eimu- ' tab, bnt the debris was soon cleared away, and the traffic was not interrupted for long.