ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 289, 6 December 1893, Page 5

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

SOME PATHETIC SCENES,

MANY MARVELLOUS ESCAPES

Napikk, this day. The scene at the Napier Railway Station laet night, when some of the women and children who hod been rescued from flooded homes afcClive were brought to town by a special train, was a moat pathetic one. They were driven to the local hotels, where their pressing necessities were roiieved. MANY NARROW ESCAPES. Some of the people had miraculous escapes of losing their live 3. One woman who, with six children, feat on top of the roof of a house ail night, relates that between twelve and one o'clock on Monday night she heard A MIGHTY ROAR, when the river Tukituki burst its banks, sweeping everything before it. Ho euddun was the rush that there was no time even to save stock and no possible means of escape except to climb the roofs ol houses. The youngur children climbed up first; and then drew up their mother. A dreary night followed, as the rain fell heavily, and there was nothing in sight; but WATER FOR WILES. The family was only scantily clad. They eac on the roof till half-past seven on the following morning, when they were rescued by a boat's crew. ANOTHER DISTRESSING CASE. Another woman, a widow, living alone in a cottage, suddenly found her beet floating about the room, and the water rising' higher and higher. She climbed on the drea?er shoif, suspending a pucket hankerchief from a ring in the roof, on which she clung all night. Previously she had clutched an empty box, which she hold in readiness, and if the worst came to the worst, could jump in it and float about till rescued, having placed a jug in the box as a baler. In this smpended position she was found at 7 yesterday morning, and conveyed to a place of safety. MARVELLOUS ESCAPES. It is marvellous how all managed to escape, and that there was not serious loss of life amongst families at Clive, as the boats' crews in some instances had to prize weatherboards from cottages to open them and let the people out at the pable end. The loss of sheep is enormous. Donald Macfarlano, brother-in-law of the manager of the Maraekakaho station, and four othere were endeavouring to secure the Suspension Bridge, when all were washed away. Two made their way to shore, two got on an island, where they wero rescued by, Maoris but Macfarlane was drowned.