WILD NIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 68, 22 March 1933, Page 8

WILD NIGHT.

MIDNIGHT FLOOD. TAUMARUNUI'S PLIGHT PEOPLE NEARLY DROWNED. RESCUE WORK IN DARK. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.)TAUMARUNUI, this day. Heavy, warm rains,, which fell for five hours in the National Park area yesterday, brought snow down the rivers, and this, together with last night's heavy • local downpour, caused the Wanganui River to overflow its banks at midnight. The hydro-electric works at Piriaka wore flooded, and the light failed at one o'clock this morning. The plant is still out of action. i The river swept over the groyn-es between the Matapuna Bridge and Taumarunui, and the main road between the Taumarunui saleyards and Matapuna Bridge is under water. The stream swept on in a raging torrent, and the area known as "the Flat" was completely inundated. The recreation ground nearby was soon a sea of water. Darkness Hinders Rescues. The Mayor, Mr. C A. Boles, realising the danger, organised rescue parties, who were headed by the fire brigade and the police, and practically every house on "the Flat" and at Matapuna, two and a half miles from Taumarunui, was evacuated. Tho water was almost waist deep in some streets on "the Flat," and also in the houses. The failure of the electric light made rescue work more difficult. The current, was so strong .that many women, ,most of whom were in. sleeping attire, had to be assisted by their rescuers. The water seemed to rise-in a few minutes, with the result, that no one could save any belongings. Many, \inaware of the danger, were, •awakened by rescuers to find their.beds surrounded by water. One rescuer found a boy floundering in deep water and saved him from drowning. In another instance a rescuer himself disappeared in a deep washout on "the Flat" and had to swim out. The people of Taumarunui rose to the occasion, and dozens of cars arrived on the' scene in the early hours of the morning to- take the rescued to warm beds. Sheep and Cattle Lost. Following yesterday's stock sale large numbers of cattle and sheep were accommodated in the stock paddocks near the saleyards. Of these 120 eheep were drowned and some cattle are missing. At daybreak cattle were seen swimming down the Wanganui River. The flood reached its highest point at 3 a.m., and thereafter subsided. Very little rain fell after midnight, and the weather is now fine. In outlying districts much damage is reported, many bridges being down. Slips and washouts occurred all over the country. The main highway, to the north is blocked by a large washout a mile from Taumarunui, and there is another washout to the south, near the powerhouse at Piriaka.