SUDDEN FLOOD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 47, 25 February 1935, Page 8

SUDDEN FLOOD.

VILLAGE DELUGED.

SCHOOL CHILDREN SAVED.

HOUSES AND SHOPS DAMAGED

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WHANGAKEI, this day. Waima, a small country village, about 15 miles from Kaikohe, had a narrow escape from being completely washed out on Friday afternoon. Torrential rain caused water to gather in the hills at the back of the settlement, and without warning it burst through, and swept -upon the houses below. In about 20 minutes the settlement was the centre of a raging torrent, with logs and debris being carried down swiftly by the flood.

Mrs. Johnston, the schoolmrstress at Waima, was watching the small creek •which flows in front of the school buildings rising, and one of the other teachers went to the back door and saw water from another small creek flowing over the playground. A man named Ball, who had heard the roar of the approaching flood, ran and warned the teachers, and in a few minutes the children were moved to higher ground. From that safe spot they could only 6it and watch the destruction wrought by the muddy water as it swept by. Luckily there was not a full attendance at the school owing to the rain, and the task of moving the children was made easier. Logs Piled on Verandah. Mr. Kelly, of the Waima Post Office store, just had time to move his perishable goods to a safe position when" the water entered the shop. . . He stayed there until the water started to fall, and was then faced with the task of clearing a thick layer of silt from the floor. The residence of the native consolidation officer fared badly, and seemed to receive the full.force of the flood. Logs up to 20ft or 30ft long were piled up against the house, smashing the verandah, and bursting through the front door.

The residence of Mr. and Mrs. Johnston also suffered badly, water and logs breaking all the windows on the side of the house exposed to the current. Practically all the furniture was ruined by silt and water, and IS inches of silt was deposited throughout the house. Yesterday morning there was about 3ft of water and silt in the house. Clothes that were to be washed had been placed in the washhouse before the flood, but when the worst was over they could not be found. Bridge Swept Downstream. A. bridge about three-quarters of a mile on the Kaikohe side of Waima was swept, away and deposited about 40 yards down the-river., Road communication between Rawene and Kaikohe is not expected to be re-established for a few days as the route is impassable for about a mile.and a half. A creek is now running where the;road was formerly, and large .masses of debris are scattered over a wide area. A iparty of Maoris was working yesterday trying to divert the stream bark to its .old course. v "

RAILWAY SLIP CLEARED.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) : WHANGAREI, this day. ; ; The slip which occurred on the niain'. railway line at Waiotira on Friday night, blocking all traffic, was finally cleared about noon ■ yesterday. .The, track was not damaged, and north and south services werenormal to-day. "On Saturday passengers and mails were transhipped from Waiotira to Tauraroa by car, and the express was an hour and a half late in arriving [ at Whangarei. The northern service is' running as usual. *■ •'