WAIRARAPA NORTH COUNTY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5022, 10 May 1895, Page 3

WAIRARAPA NORTH COUNTY.

DAMAGE TO ROADS,

Mr 0. E, Bremner, Engineer to (lie Wairarapa North County Council, alluding to the storm of last month in his report says: -" Tho storm which passed over this district in tho middle of last month was of more than ordinary sevority, and as might bo expected, the roads throughout tho Country have suffered much barm, and in several instances new works have been greatly spoiled and others entirely lost. Coming as it did, when newly formed lengths of road wore in an open and unset condition, freshly formed embankments and loose gravel have been swept away where any heavy current of water passed over them, and in sidling ground heavy land slips, which will cost several hundred 1 pounds to remove, have lodged on the roads, and entirely closed many of them for traffic. i In the Castlopoint district the injuries have not been so severe as might reasonably have been expected, considering the treacherous nature of the country, and greater bavoc has frequently been done by a much lighter rain-fall than that recently experienced.

The chief casualties have taken place in the Bush districts, raoro especially in the Alfredton and Eketahuna ridings of the County, where the damagesnrcof exceptional severity. On the Saunders' line, 0| miles in length, parts of the newly formed road are much wrecked, and one of the small truss bridges connecting it and the Fori road with the Alfredton Settlement, has been washed away,and entirely destroyed. The loss of this bridge, erected only a year ago at a cost of £203, is a most serious calamity to the settlers in these districts, as it cuts them oil from all vehicular communication with Eketahuna andtherailway lino. Several foot traffic bridges have also been lost, which will entail much inconvenience to many settlers. According to the experience of the oldest settlers in the Tiraumea, this is the highest Hood recorded during their 30 years' residence in the District. The slips on the main line, between Eketahuna and Tiraumea, have also been unusually heavy, and ft large sum of money will be required to repair the damage done. On Cosgrili's bill, between Eketahuna and Alfredton, a piece of road, five chains long, has been completely demolished in one slip, which will cost at least £SO to repair. On the Opaki-Munawatu Road, the slips have been very large about Mangamahoe, and a heavy loss has been sustained by the washing out of one of the largest embankments on the line, by which a gap one chain wide and 35 feet deep has been made in theioad. This was caused by the choking of one of the railway culverts at Eketahuna with drift timber, which diverted the storm water from itsproper channel. The effect of this was to Hood the station yards until the excess accumulated debris, which blocked the road culvert, when the impounded waters topped the embankment and scoured it away. Tho damage to the Council by this misfortune is estimated at £OO. An estimate of the total damages to the County roads is attached to this report.which I regret aggregates to a very considerable snm of money, and cannot fnil to evoke much sympathy for the settlers in the bush districts upon whom the brunt of the misfortunes have fallen.