WORST IN MEMORY

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 145, 21 June 1934, Page 9

WORST IN MEMORY

CAMPS DESERTED.

BIG FLOOD AT ORINI. RAFTS AND PONTOONS. (Special to the "Star.") TAUPIRI, this day. About 200 relief workers at five married men's camps in this district made hurried exits yesterday with their wives and families owing to the sudden flooding of the Manga war a and Tauhei streams. The women and children were giv en temporary shelter at the two halls at Orini and at the Te Hoe Hall , to " da y the y have been billeted at ,. 10 , f lomes of settlers throughout the district, and they will remain there until the camps are shifted and new accommodation provided. The men remain at the halls. When the flood was at its height yesterday water was about two feet deep in the hutments, Rafts. and pontoons were improvised by the men, and on them their blankets and household effects were transported. It was the worst flood the district had experienced f or ™ a »y years. This afternoon the flood waters are subsiding. . -The men had an unenviable experience in removing their goods and chattels. They were obliged to push rafts and pontoons in front of them, and at times they were over waist deep in water. Where the, Mangawara and Tauhei Streams junction, about five miles out from Taupiri on the way to Morrinsville, the main road is impassable and the mail contractor had to make a 30 miles detour to get his mails through. The water commenced to rise at midnight 011 Tuesday, and by 9 o'clock yesterday morning the streams were level with the banks. Two hours afterwards the flood was running through a relief camp a foot deep and the whole district was flooded later in the day.

The main road to Morrinsville is impassable, while subsidiary roads in all directions are under water. The approaches to two small bridges have been washed away. These are Lorny's and Seath's bridges on private roads.

"This is the worst flood in the memory of many of the oldest residents," commented an Orini farmer this afternoon. "Water is over seven feet deep in depressions in the Taupiri-Te Hoe road. I saw milking sheds on two farms completely immersed. It was pitiful to see adults and children from relief camps propelling rafts in order to reach dry ground, where some of their belongings found temporary resting places."

CARRIED BY 'PLANE.

EDITION OF THE "STAR." FAST TRIP TO WHAXGAREI. The Northern section of last evening's edition of the "Auckland Star" was carried by aeroplane to WJiangarei. The newspapers came'from tlio press at 3.15 and were taken to Mangere aerodrome and loaded into a Puss Moth machine, the pilot being SquadronLeader J. D. Hewett. With a big load on board, tho pilot took off a couple of minutes after 4 p.m., and at 5 o'clock he landed at Whangarei, where arrangements had been made for the immediate delivery of the paper.

Squadron-Leader Hewetfc stayed at Whangarei overnight, and ' his return this morning was delayed by unsettled weather.

SERVICE GAB TRANSFERS. In spite of the impassable, conditions of the Helensville road on Tuesday, the "Star" arrived in time for distribution that evening. Mr. A. W. Cheese, manager of l the service car firm which takes the "Star" to agents between Auckland and Helensville, told this morning of tlio difficulties of the trip. Mr. Cheese drove a large 16-passenger service ooa/Ch from Auckland. At Waimauku there was about eight feet of water on the road, and a transfer was mad© to another car some 400 yards further up the road. Again at Rewhiti it was impossible to get through, and another transfer had to be made. Mr. Cheese remarked that carrying heavy bundles of newspapers over flooded, boggy roads in the dark with the rain pouring down was an unenviable experience, but he was determined that his service should not be interrupted. In spite of the road to Helensyille being impassable, he got his passengers and goods through and maintained the service.

WARNINGS IN TIME.

WHAKATANE STOCK REMOVED (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WHAKATANE, this day. A total of 5.3 in of rain fell at Whakatane ion Tuesday and yesterday, but apparently it was heavier in the back country. Roth the Rangitaiki and Wliakatane Rivers are at high levels, and low-lying areas in the Poroporo district are under water, also a large area on the east bank of the Rangitaiki River, which overflowed its stop-banks. On some farms the water is over the fence-tops, but warnings came in time, and threatened owners successfully removed their stock to higher land. Service cars are having difficulty, but so far have got through. To-day-was fine, and the rivers are reported to be falling in the back country.

TRAVELLER'S PLIGHT.

I Incidents to-day, not wanting m humour, but on Tuesday not far removed from the really serious, are still being narrated. Many a commercial traveller was almost marooned in the North. One of them, Mr. W. J. Hendy, was caught at Kaukapakapa about 3.30 lon Tuesday, when from all accounts the floods began to be serious all over the North. With his wife, he Set out to come back to Auckland at that time along his usual route, the way everyone takes from Kaukapakapa; but he had not gone far when the found the road under water, which was rising all the time. He turned back, and four other times he was forced to return ' from other roads on account of the [floods before he eventually found a [ deal* wag through Shwrdala,