DESTRUCTIVE FLOODS AT. WESTPORT.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 925, 10 February 1872, Page 2

DESTRUCTIVE FLOODS AT. WESTPORT.

Tfio heaviest flood that has taken place in the Buller river since ita exiatenco as a European settlement has been experienced during the past fortyei<;ht hours. The heavy rainfall of Wednesday and Thursday caused the river to rise rapidly, and towards nightfall on Thursday it began to overflow its banks wherever the latter were slightly depressed. The steamer Kennedy, the schooner Threo Friends, and the ketch Standard were the only shipping moored in the river; The Kennedy lay alongside the Kennedy street wharf, and the remaining craft were moored in a small bight westward of the Stanley wharf. Towards evening the river continued to rise rapidly, and the concentrated torrent surged and boiled in a manner truly appalling. The Upper Groin, a protective work constructed about twelve month", rendered important service. At that point, the force of the current, deflected by Garden Island, struck the bank with irresistible force, raid bat for the protection afforded by the substantial stone work, it is certain that Wharf street, the Government, Bright street, and Kennedy street Wharves, and all the properties fronting the river must have been uadermined and carried out to sea. As it is Stanley Wharf has been swept away, also the National Hotel, a large two-story building at the corner of Gladstone street, and Mr Munro's store, in which an unusually large quantity of produce was stored. These properties were destroyed yesterday morning. The previous evening a quantity of coal lying on the Stanley Wharf was removed, and that had barely been effected ere a portion of the wharf was swept away. Fortunately as the waters rose a portion found a discharge through the Orawaiti river, at a point a few miles up the Buller. The effect of this addition to the already swollen state of the Orawaiti was its forcing for itself a new channel to the south, through which the main body of the river now discharges. The mouth of the channel is about fifty yards distant from Mr Fleming's residence on the Orawaiti Jtioad. Towards high water on Thursday night the lauds iu the direction of the Orawaiti were flooded. Suiated and liowlands's paddocks were under water, and a flock of sheep were swimming about in the flood, but we believe none was drowned. Mr Atkinson, landlord of the Tramway Inn, happened to be in town, leaving the house in charge of his wife ; and it was only with difficulty he succeeded in reaching home, having had to wade to his arm pits. Several re sidents in the vicinity were flooded out, and had to he removed to Gibson's Miners' Eest Hotel, situated half-way between the Orawaiti liver and Westport. The Government Bridge, crossing a small creek discharging into the Orawaiti river, has been destroyed, and considerable damage has been done to the roadway of the Westport and Orawaiti Tramway. The gardens belonging to private residents were flooded by the rising of the water in the Lagoon, and considerable damage effected. But the injury to property in that direction is but temporary and trifling compared with the havoc on the river bank west of Gladstone street. Early yesterday morning the river commenced to scour out the bank at the rear of the protective work at the foot of Gladstone street, and with alarming velocity the nanow strip of roadway and the ground occupied by the National Hotel commenced to give way. This was about five o'clock yesterday morning, and as early as possible efforts were made to save the furniture, and to dismantle the building. Nearly all the furniture was moved, and a number of doors and windows. At seven o'clock the gronnd having sufficiently given way the building slipped down and was hurried away by the stream, which a tew hours earlier had opened for itself a new deep channel intersecting the north spit about one hundred yards beyond Tibby's premises, more recently occupied by Atkinson, hide and skin dealer. As the building dropped below Stanley wharf it fouled the schooner Three Friends, causing her to drag anchor, and very nearly dragging the vessel from her moorings. Thanks to the steady courage of two men on board, who had charge of the vessel during her owner's absence in Nelson, the vessel was eased off, and the doomed building was swept down the new channel. Owing to the substantial manner in which it was built the structure remained entire until reaching the bar, when the fabric was dashed to pieces by the surf. A large saloon adjoining, occupied in the earlier days by a publican named Blair, was the next building carried away, and shortly after Mr Munro's store, erected on piles, gave way, and its entire contents, or very nearly all of them were swept away piecemeal. Some of the flour and grain has been cast up on the beach, but so damaged as to bo nearly valueless. The store is a perfect wreck, the

depth of the fall and the weight of the goods stored having smashed it to atoms.

Oh what was the North Spit, but which is now an island dividing the two channels, property belonging to Messrs Suisted Bros, and Mr Michael Organ, was destroyed, the loss amounting to fully £4OO. Messrs Suisted's property consisting of a slaughter yard and outbuildings, piggeries, &c, was entirely swept away, together with tools, a considerable quantity of tallow, boilers for rendering fat, &c. A valuable horse, and a favorite sheep dog were also secured within one of the buildings washed away, and it is a perfect miracle how they got loose and escaped not only drowning but injury' from the falling roof and timbers of the structure in which they were confined. The horse and dog, together with a large herd of swine, are at present on the island, but in no immediate danger, and will bo recovered when the flood moderates. The skin yards belonging to Mr Michael Organ are also completely destroyed aud swept away, together with two waggons and a large quantity of hide 3, skins, salt, and utensils.

Towards midnight on Thursday the weather moderated, and yesterday opened with magnificent weather, but it was not until mid-day that the flood visibly abated. Immense masses of the bank, facing the premises of Messrs Powell aud Co., the Criterion Hotel, Bentloy's saddlery, and the Harp of Erin Hotel were detached, and the thoroughfare is now no longer passable for dray traffic. Messrs Powell and Co. commenced moving their merchandise to premises in Kennedy street, and it will possibly be advisable to remove the building. During the flood one or two boats and canoes passed down the river, evidently having broken away from "their moorings. Communication having been entirely suspended with the interior, we have yet to lenrn the effect of the floods at the various inland settlements. We greatly fear that in some instances the consequences have been disastrous. In the Charleston district, we understand, the effects have not been serious.