Floods at Poverty Bay. Loss of Life and Property. Poverty Bay, January 24th.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 574, 25 January 1876, Page 2

Floods at Poverty Bay. Loss of Life and Property. Poverty Bay, January 24th.

The "Standard " has a full account of the floods and loss of life and property at Poverty Bay. The estimated loss to settlers in crops and livestock is set down at £26,000 or £30,000, creating stagnation in the district, and general trade depression. Pears are entertained that great privation will be experienced in the coming winter. Tho oldest settlers say this is the heaviest flood for the last twenty-three years. It has been raining seven days continuously. This morning tho weather bioke and the sun. shone till towardanoonwhenrainagain set in. The carcases of cattle, horses and sheep are strewn over the plains presenting a pitiable sight. The settlers had to be removed to town in boats. The whole town turned out to lend assistance. Up country accounts aro not to hand yet and farther disasters are feared. The grass seed and grain crops are all lost. Alter the waters subsided the flats were covered with a mud deposit two or three teet deep, causing apprehension on account of scarcity of feed for the stock saved. A man named Ross, manager for J. Wren, was drowned while attempting to save stock and the body has uot yet been recovered. At Ormond township great damage has been occasioned through the river encroaching, and several houses have had to be removed. Telegraphic communication has been stopped, the posts having been washed a«ray North and South. The ship Lockivar with eighteen hundred bales rode out the gale with two hundred fathoms of cable.