FLOOD AT PORT ADELAIDE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 154, 1 July 1901, Page 5

FLOOD AT PORT ADELAIDE.

GREAT DAMAGE TO WARE-

HOUSES.

TIMBER CARRIED SEAWARD.

ADELAIDE, June 25.

The weather continues very wet and stormy, and the embankments in the low-lying portions around the Port Adelaide district have suffered. Ihe block of buildings occupied by ?? s, sr«- Wood, Son & Co., at Port Adelaide, has been severely affected by the inroads of tidal waters. In the bond store there is a depth of inches in some parts, and cases of bonded goods, such as cheese, starch paper bags and groceries of every description, arc standing in water. At the rear of the building the waters stretch in every direction. "Tin Town," as the place is called, is surrounded by water, and the occupants of the houses are shut off in many instances from their surroundings. In the vicinity there is a bulk store belonging to Messrs. Wood, Son & Co., which is under water for a depth of two feet, and adjoining are stables and a driver's cottage. Fortunately, the horses were removed on Monday night, and only then by wading knee deep, but the driver had to remove his wife and family in the dark from the house to safer shelter, as the water was in the house. About 6 o'clock the goods in the shed were beginning to move about, and the operation of shifting them to an adjoining shed was at once commenced. Owing, however, to the inrush of the water, even this work was difficult, for as soon as the door was opened to admit a trolly the cases were washed outside, and the door had thus to be opened and shut at every ingress or exit. Throughout last evening and to-day trollies' . and a gang of men "have been busily engaged in removing the contents to a safe place. The shed contains bags of salt, whiting, saltpetre, matches, carbonate of soda, potatoes and a host of staple products, and a large portion will be spoiled. The firm estimate the damage at at least £1000.

A large store belonging1 to Messrs. D. & W. Murray, at the rear of Messrs. Wood, Son & Co.'s, is also under water to a depth of one foot. Originally it was two feet deep, but a subsidence occurred with the" ebb of the tide. Casks of spirits and cases of drapery, with which the shed is principally stocked, are floating in the water, and the entire extent of the shed was water-logged. Early on Tuesday morning a number of men were engaged to remove everything accessible by wading up to their knees. Pumping gear was fixed, and the work of emptying the shed of the overflow was begun. The damage to the goods is estimated by the manager as having already reached four figures. The tide last night in the Port Adelaide River was 34 feet 6 inches, or 11 feet 6 inches above the normal.

The premises of the Globe Timber Mills, at the north-eastern corner of the new dock, are surrounded by a mass of floating and stranded timber, owing to the bursting of the embankment at a spot about three miles to the northeast. The water reached to within a few feet of the shed, but fortunately did not gain ingress. However, the members of the firm were faced on Tuesday morning with a sorry picture. The stacks of Oregon, which were. 5 or 6 feet in the water, have been levelled to the ground. Some of the timbers have been strewed about the vicinity, while others have been carried by the fide, probably out to sea. A large quantity has been already found deposited among the mangroves a mile away, and still further afield. Oregon is floating all around the company's sheds. Men are knee deep in water among . the saltbush lashing stray pieces of timber to fences to prevent them being carried out by the next tide, and one man is out in a boat. Wherever possible the Oregon is being lashed together, and on the next flood tide an attempt will be made by means of boats to tow the rafts back to the yard. The scene presented is one of complete wreck. Spars are leaning on a fence a few hundred yards away, just as if they had been washed up from a sunken vessel. The heavier wood, such a kauri, has not been influenced by the tide, and has remained where it was stacked. It is thought that the greater portion of the floating timber will be recovered.