EAST COAST FLOODS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 143, 16 June 1917, Page 9

EAST COAST FLOODS.

LARGE AREA SUBMERGED. ROADS AND RAILWAYS FLOODED. RESCUE OF SETTLERS. The Napier "Telegraph" of Tuesday and Wednesday furnishes full details of the disastrous floods experienced there early in the week. Tuesday's "Telegraph" contains the following: The torrent ia,l downpour of rain that commenced on Sunday evening continued throughout yesterday and to-day, and the whole countryside is now in a flooded condition. The conditions in Napier this morning were very bad, the whole region between Colenso Hill and Napier South, including Sale Street, Munro Street, Edwards Street, Station Street, Clive Square, Miller Street, at its junction with Wellesley Road, were all more or less under water, while Macdonald Street had up to a foot of water over it, and the residents were viewing the continued downpour with grave alarm. The railway lines from the station nearly down to Sale Street were also under water. The adventurous spirits who attended the performance given by tho Maori entertainers in the Municipal Theatre last night had a distinctly unpleasant experience on leaving the theatre about; 10.20. The downpour had been so heavy and incessant during the eevning that the water channels were unable to cope with the huge quantity of surface water, which backed up across the road on the town side of the theatre and extended in an unbroken sheet of water from the theatre across Dalton Street and half-way down Tennyson Street to Church Lane. ON" THE RAILWAY. The railway gang attending to the line between Napier and Hastings reported at nifte o'clock that the line was submerged for a considerable distance between Farndon and Whakatu. The water commenced at the 104 mile 30 chain peg, one and a-half miles on the Hastings side of Farndon. and extended for threequarters iif a mile down the line. It was reported that the depth of the water flowing across the railway was at least two feet. This was the report at nine o'clock and it was stated that the water was still rising. Reports received later in the morning stated that two or three washouts had occurred on the line on the Napier side of Whakatu and the water was still rising.

PETANE DISTRICT. The conditions at Petane were reported to bn pretty bad this morning, all the roads being impassable beyond I'etane. The Kek River was reported to he very high and running over the road beyond the bis bridge on the Eskdale side. The Tangoio Road was also under water this morning, especially between the two bridges, where it was flowing across the road. The sea was reported to be going down, but was then fairly heavy. It was feared that with a high tide, and the big sea running, that Pctaue might be put completely under water. The Marshall's croseing bridge over a branch of the Ksk River, which Buffered in the last flood, hoe been severely handled by the. flood waters again. The Ksk River was in great flood this morning. The water was over the hi idgo on the Taupo Road, completely stopping traffic. THE TUTAEKUKI.

At RedclyfTe the Tutaelcnri was an inch higher than in 1597, and the flood was travelling at a greater rate, and bringing more timber, than at any previous time in the memory of the oldest settlers. The bridge was safe at noon, but an increase in the waters would have a very eerious effect on it. The river commenced flowing over the bank at 8 a.m., at a place beaten down by traffic going on to the river bed. Mr. 0. P. Donnelly at once sent his men to build up the bank, and the flow was etopped. An appeal was then sent to Taradale, and a number of men went over and strengthened all the. weaker spots in the bank. The County Council sent a gang of men over, and it is hoped that the combined efforts will savo a break. AT TARADALE. The flood was felt pretty severely in this distri. 1. and the settlers have had an anxious time since Sunday evening, owing to the breaks in the banks of tho Tutaekuri River, which have not been repaired since the flood of a few weeks back, which breached the bank in six or more places. The main Taradale Road whs under water from the old

'dip" right up to the Napier Park racecourse. The water varied in depth, but wks reported to be fully 2ft deep in places. The whole countryside is completely submerged, and the flood is said to be much more severe than that of I ISO 7. Tho post office store at Meance has been inundated by the flood water, and considerable damage and inconvenience accused. This store escaped the encroachment of the water in the big flood of 1897. TARTY RESCTED. Mr. V. Rhodes, of tho Caledonian Hotel. Kapier, is reported to have suffered severely by the Hood at his farm. Korokipo, near Fernhill. Mr. Rhodes ami his family, comprising five persons altogether, wore at the fnrin when the I flood commenced. Urgent telephone j messages were received this mommi at Taradale, asking that heip be sent immediately. There was then—about Jon o'clock —about 7ft of water in tho house. Reports at noon were to the effort that boats were coming to the rescue of the fioodedout people. Tho water was up to the top of the front door. All the stock had been lost. Later it was impossible to get into telephonic communication with Mr. Rh odes' house. A telephone, message received from Taradale at 2 o'clock stated that Mr. Rhodes and the others had been rescued by boat about noon. The "Telegraph of Tuesday says:— "The whole countryside from Awatoto to the hills presented a very serious aepect laet evening, there 'being one sheet of water over everything. in p!-ict!s fences had disappeared altogether. The railway ballast excavation on tho Leach near Waitangi Washout ivras full of water. On the lower road to the Washout there must have- >been a depth o f many feet of water. A number <A houses at Awatoto were invaded by +iie flood, which extended in some p!acee fionie distance up behind the houses on to the higher ground. Hundreds of sheep hurriedly rescued from tihe submerged land were feeding on the spares grass and herbage of the foreehore. ALONG THE BEACH. "Evidence of the loss of stock, particularly cheep, was apparent all along the Ibeaeh at an eaily honr thae morning. Hundreds of eiheep's carcasee were washed up /by tihe heavy sea. Most of jtb§3e were to tog fans4 i efc toe-Sower endj

of the Parade, iwith. an odd one or two ac far along as the municipal batha, and beyond them. "Thousands iorf pumpkins and otter vegetables came down and were thrown up on the beach among drift wood, where small boye eagerly sought out eound one? and carried them off. "The carcases of the sheep thrown up were also eagerly sought, and men were soon at work skinning them. In some cases where the finder was not sufficiently skilled to carry out the operation, the carcaces were taken away in expresses to be dealt with elsewhere. 'The quantity of\ drift woon accumulating on the beach since the tide began was considerably augmented by the high tide this morning. It was noticeable that the larger pieces were trunks of imported trees, such as willow and poplar. Native drift wood Tvas not in much evidence. TANGOIO DISTRICT. "Telephone messages from Tangoio today show that the people of the settlement were having a bad time. Water had encroarhod on a number of houses. In one houee there was about six inohes of water, .1-ut nowhere else wee it qu ; tc s"> deep. At another place under a Mil a heavy slip came down at the back ot the house, shutting off all egress from the house except by way of the frout door. A great many houses were surrounded by water. At the local store the water commenced to come in this morning, and the proprietor iraa busy removing , a is stock to higher levels.

"The road at the top of the Tangoio settlement has been rendered quite impa.isaHe by :fahe large slips. A big con- < rete culvert has given way, and will take a considerable time to replace. It is expected that the road to Wniro.i will be blocked for a considerable time, ali the culverts will be gone, and slips will be general. TAR AD ALE. "T7p to midnight last night the river at the Redclyfl'e was re-ported to have gone down about three fer-t. Prior to this the flood had been running very eloae to the top of the embankment. A curious geyser-like display was caused 'by the river waters being forced through the interstices of the fall and meeting the surface water on the other side. The situation was considered critical for ii time, and several families were taken to the Town Hall, their houses being unsafe in the ev.-nt of tho river breaking , its ibanke. The approach to the Kedclyffe bridge is said to have escaped injury, and the waters are reported to be sonic feet below the decking."