THE LATE FLOODS.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1491, 24 January 1882, Page 2

THE LATE FLOODS.

Although the heavy rainfall of Friday was not of long duration — so long, at all events, as it seemed at one time likely to be — a considerable amount of damage, as was anticipated, has been occasioned. The wheat crop appears to have sustained by far the largest share of the damage, aud this is the more to be regretted as the crop, up to the time the break in the weather arrived, was all that could have been desired. Our Cambridge correspondent writes: — "The farmers about this place, especially those residing at Pukekura and Pukerimu, have been heavy losers by the late rains. Their wheat crops, more especially the portions cut, are all but completely destroyed, sprouting having in many cases set in. Lower down the valley harvesting does not seem have been quite so general, and, in that way, the crop will not have suffered quite so badly as it would otherwise have done. There was nevertheless a goodly quantity of it in the stook; consequently it has not by any means escaped the devastating effects of the late rains." We have also heard of some promising oat crops that were beaten down, but the very decided improvement in the weather that has since taken place has had a marked effect in restoring them again to their previous condition. More or less damage has been occasioned to the district roads, the most serious, 80 far as we have yet learned, being the damage sustained by the Hamilton-Cambridge road. It may be interesting to know that, about 9 p.m. on Friday evening, the glass stood lower in Hamilton than it has ever been known to do on any previous occasion. Shortly after that hour it began to rise, aud the rate at which it went up during the succeeding twelve or fourteen hours was quite as remarkable as was its descent. We notice from interprovincial telegrams that the rain was succeeded by a stiff wind, reported from many places to have blown a gale. In Waikato we had no such wind. There was a breeze blowing on Saturday afternoon and Sunday, but it was nothing more than a breeze. Annexed we give particulars of the storm and its effects throughout this neighborhood :—: — Hamilton-Cambridge Road. — It is, perhaps, not to be wondered that the damage done on this road should have been confined to one portion, namely, the embankment at Ewen's Hill. Indeed, the weather appears not to have been of anything like so severe a character in the vicinity of Cambridge as in "other parts of the district. At Ewen's Hill, however, the damage done is serious, and a considerable sum of money will be required to repair it. When this work was in course of construction it was predicted by many people that the pipes used would be found to be inadequate for the purpose for which they were intended. The embankment, as is well known, completely dams up a creek, the only outlet for which was through the pipes refeiTed to. It is supposed that on Friday night the pipes got choked up with weeds and rubbish, and the water, rising to the level of the bank, washed over it, and so carried it away. Or it may be that the action of the water loosened the pipes, and so undermined the earthwork. However caused, there is now a gully fully some 25 or 30 feet in width across the main road, and the private road leading to Mr Barugh's residence, through which the creek flows. Mr Graham, the Chairman of the Cambridge Board, took prompt steps on Saturday to close the road, and to put the old cutting on the road through the Tamahere estate, in good order for the traffic. Raglan Road. — A heavy landslip has occurred at the top of the Hakaramata range, just where the road begins to descend on the Waitetima side. The 1 cutting at this place is of considerable depth, with a correspondingly deep descent down into the gully on the outside of the road. The water appears to have got a lodgment in fissures behind the cutting, which, as it accumulated and became more powerful, forced out the face of the embankment, sending down a great mass of debris which almost completely blocks up the roadway. There is just sufficient room for a man on horseback to get over, and even then ib is necessary he should pick his way with some degree of care. For wheeled traffic the load is literally blocked up, and Avill remain impassable until about Thursday, by which time, if the weather continues to be at all favorable, the stuff will have been got cleared away. There are also a number of minor slips along this part of the road, but so far as the traffic is> concerned, they are wholly immaterial. The Waipa, getting into flood on Saturday, back up the water in some of the adjoining creeks, the result being that they overflowed ; the lowlands being under water. On the Raglan side of the range the road has been reduced to a very spongy state, but no real damage has been sustained. Wiiatawhata to Hamilton road was practically impassable during Saturday. That was owing to the portion situated about a quarter of a mile from the railway station at this end where the surface men have lately been engaged filling in, getting flooded. The water about this place is reported to have been between four and five feet deep. One hapless individual who essayed to walk the distance between Whatawhata and the station on Saturday got into it rather deep and had to flounder through up to about the shoulders it is said, in some places. Along the whole of the road the drains were brimfnll which meant a great deal of surface water and sloppiness along the road-way itself. To avoid the trouble and inconvenience occasioned thereby the most of the traffic on Saturday and Sunday was taken by the old road. Te Aroha. — The Waihou river, on Friday afternoon, rose at the rate of about two feet per hour, until the conterminous country situated on the Waitoa side was under water. The punt was rendered wholly unserviceable. On Saturday, the Waikato coach had to return with the mails to Waitoa, the crossing continuing all that day utterly impracticable. Afurtherinconvenienceoccasioned by this interruption was that the numerons swampers and settlers located at the Waitoa had to submit to " short commons," being unable to procure their weekly 'supply of stores from Te Aroha, which are got, as a rule, on the Saturdays. One result of this was that, only the fewest number of " Sunday dinners " partaken of the day following could boast of butchers meat. A mishap like this, writes our correspondent, ought to stimulate the County Council either to proceed with the erection of the long-talked of bridge, or else remove the punt to a situation where the terrace banks are high enough for enabling the traffic to be gone on with, despite an encroachment of this kind. Waitoa. — The road leading to the deferred payment and Grant and Foster special settlements was under water during Friday and Saturday, continuing impassable up to the time our despatch left yesterday (Monday). It is also reported that one of the bridges on this line of road has been carried away. The full extent of the damage has not yet been ascertained definitely.. Te Aroha-Morrinsville road was very heavy, although no considerable damage has been done. The embankments and bridge'dver the Piranui, in the vicinity of Mr Larkworthy's^ property, 'was at least a foot tinder water during

Piako. — All the creeks along the road from this place to Hamilton were in flood. At the "rocks," the railway culvert was wholly inadequate for carrying off the heavy pressure of water, and the result was, that it became completely choked up, and the water rose half way up the parapet wall built for protection of the railway embankment. Had the rain continued much longer, the water must have reached the earth embankment, in which case serious damage might have been occasioned. At Hinton's Gully, the road was barely passable, and, as some damage has been occasioned, that portion of the road will require immediate attention.