FLOODS IN FIJI.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 52, 2 March 1909, Page 3

FLOODS IN FIJI.

c MUCH DAMAGE DOSE. Details of the floods in Fiji recently reported by cable were received by mail yesterday. At B_wa fine banana crops were swept down stream by thousands and thou- " sands. The cane on the Rewa in some £ parts has had 18ft of water over. it * for at least 48 hours and if much is not I' killed the crop will likely be seriously ' retarded" in health. - The Hon. A. H. Witherow, I * of Nakadi, Rewa, stated that on Sunday afternoon and Monday the ' river had risen at his place 22ft, and \ that at 2 p.m. on Wednesday there was ' still 14ft of water on portions of his estate. Mr. Witherow estimates that ! j great damage has been wrought and £40.000 will be near the loss. .' I Bauleyu was completely under water, while "Vitiwas half so. JTaivalevale was I also much flooded. ' 1 At b e avier than at other districts. All the cane fields were a chain of lakes; srx feet of-water in some of the coolie lines, and so far three fatalities (Indians).. Stock belonging toI the different planters has suffered somewhat, if not swept away—missing. I Bridges and lines have suffered considerable damage. Some 30 to 40 Europeanowned horses were killed and the tiri trees were the receptacles for many dead carcases of cattle and goats. The permanent tramline from Ba to *Lautoka received serious injury as many culverts and much ballast have been destroyed. It is estimated the repairs will cost the C.S.R. Company a large sum. At Ba crops were inundated and stock drowned. _antoka seems to have suffered the least, though the cane fields were lakes of water during the downpour. The "Tavna crops -which were most promising are considered to be practi- J cally destroyed, as the water on the I low flats of the river was still inundat- | ing the cane at latest advices.