BAD WEATHER IN NORTH.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18262, 22 December 1924, Page 10

BAD WEATHER IN NORTH.

RAILWAY SERVICES INTERRUPTED. DAMAGE AROUND WELLINGTON. [FBESS ASSOCIATION TKJEGBAV.} WELLINGTON, December 20. At "i.30 a.m. to-day a goods train from Paekakariki ran into a. slip near Ngaio. All the trucks were derailed, and the line was completely blocked. All trains from the North detrained passengers at Johnsonville, whence they came by motor-buses. The mail trains for New Plymouth and Napier were despatched at !).30 a.m., via W airarapa.

Both Auckland expresses, the 12.45 and 2 p.m., have been cancelled. It was hoped to despatch a train to Auckland to-night, if the line was cleared at noon.

The Railway Department states that it is intended to despatch a train from, Ngaio for Paekakariki. Probably one will leave Ngaio for Palmerston North in the afternoon. The line is expected to be clear to-morrow, when traffic will resume.

A very heavy slip occurred, on tho Hutt, road this morning, but the traffic block was verv brief.

The storm did considerable damage at Eastbonrne and Bona Bay, and other parts of the east harbour district. The principal incidents were the carrying away of two small houses on the hillside by landslides yesterday. There were no personal injuries. The roads were much damaged. Five hundred new electric power lines were brought down by the washing ont of a pole.

SLIPS NORTH OP DANNEVIRKE. (PHXSS ASSOCIATION TSLIGBAIf.) DANNI3VIRKE, Decemher 20. Traffic by rail and road north of Danncvirke is greatly dislocated to-day. A washout on the railway between Matamau and Makotuku is still unnegotiable this morning, and it depends upon subsequent weather as to whether the damage will necessitate tho erection of a bridge. This morning's slow trains were cancelled, and passengers by the North and South expresses have to tranship at the washout, which will result in unavoidable delay.

The main road to Napier is closed owing to extensive damage to the bridge near Ma'tar\au, and other roads also are blocked by slips and damage to culverts. The weather is still wet. WAIRARAPA'S PLIGHT. ELECTRIC POWER BOARD'S HEAVY LOSS. CROPS AND STOCK SUFFER. (SPECIAL 10 "TH* PBBSS.") MASTERTON, December 20. The tropical storm which poured its fury on Masterton. continuously for 72 hours abated this morning. The rain on Friday night was not of such a serious character as that which caused the town to be flooded on Friday morning. A survey to-day of the affected districts reveals that, apart from personal damage done to homes at Lansdowne, where the dam burst, the most serious loss has been incurred by the Wairarapa Electric Power Board, whose Koraran works were completely swamped. Before the current can be re-established the generators will have to bo dissembled, dried out, and reassembled, and to do this the Board has to send the affected parts away, as it has no current to put through them. The estimate of loss to the ratepayers in this direction is £IO,OOO. The Board's Masterton substation, which is a concrete building erected over the town creek, also suffered, largo quantities of electrical appliances stored on. the ground floor being damaged, by water when the creek overflowed. When the rain commenced again on Friday, it was feared that there was to be a ! repetition of the previous night's horror, but fortunately it developed into a steady southerly of lesser capacity than Thursday. It flooded the creeks, howover, keeping them bank high, but the town escaped further swamping. Remaining Lighting System Endangered. With the town relying absolutely on the gas work g for light and power, anxiety was caused when an adjacent creek burst its banks and invaded the stokehouse. Inch by inch the water crept up, and when the fire brigade arrived with the pumping engine, the flood water was within three inches of the furnace. The whole of Thursday night was spent working the pump at full speed, and the town thereby was saved from total darkness and the suspension of industry. The Public Hospital cellars, the machine rooms at a local sash and door factory, and the brewery were also invaded, and here, too, the fire brigade did yeoman service in reducing inconvenience to a minimum. Damage in Rural Areas. Reports from farmers disclose that considerable damage was done. Fences had been destroyed, crops flattened, and stacks which owners had not had time to thatch were much damaged. Many fields were covered with three feet "of water, the silt from which will have a deleterious effect on the pastures. There were several slips on other roads, but not large enough to stop •traffic. About two miles of fencing were washed away at Wangaehu, and the fields were under water. It is expected that many sheep will be lost. The boundary fence between Woodlands and Maungahina (Messrs D. and J. McKenzie's properties) was down for a mile. Messrs Pike Bros. (Tcwhiti") lost 40 woolly hoggets. On Thursday night they had placed 2000 woolly sheep, including wethers and hoggets, in a holding paddock at Tc Ore Ore, through i'hich a drain ran. A huge volume of water overflowed from the drain, and Pike Bros, consider themselves fortunate iu not suffering a much heavier loss. A small number of sheep were lost on 'many farms. At Bideford some stud stock Were lost, and tho damage was heavr.

Mr .T. L. Murray (Wainuiomapu), who suffered heavily in the last storm, lost every floodgate, culvert, and bridge on the station, while chains of fencing are level with the ground. Mr Murray is also the owner of land adjacent' to the Lanctlowne dam, and

where it burst through the damage is considerable. He estimates his loss at ~ 2000. Boad communication from Bidci'ord i is blocked, as also is tho ti!ad»iOti<--| Last Coast road to Flat To:-' 1- and; rnany district highways the ; Lower Valley with the Main through Wairarapa. I Later stock losses arc reported Tawaha, I'apawai. Tauhcreiiikau. Icaiiterston. Martinborough, and Greytown, but the extent is unavailable. Mr J- H. Percy, of Tividalo, is one of the i biggest losers in the north end. 100 , sheep succumbing. j Soldier Settlers Suffer. At the soldier settlement at Ahiatouka the fences were covered with the j Onrushing waters, and several heavy • crops of hav will be spoilt. On Messrs J. Feast's. H. Southey's. and N. Real's holdings the water reached up to the cowbails, Mr Feast being unable io muster his stock. Owing to the electric power being cut off, the farmers had to resort to hand milking. Residents state that the flood waters >ii tbe Uannpfltaterp fivfe? appear to extend for miles. Never before have they seen such a quantity of water. The Tauherenikau river overflowed, and water two feet deep is Tound the cheese factory. From Donald's Bridge, Featherston, to Camp Corner, about a mile was a sheet of water. Five hundred yards of metal were washed away from the Featherston cheese factory. Communication Under Difficulties. The Postal and Railway Departments have been doing their best to maintain regular services, and have come through the ordeal well. Owing to a slip in Hawke's Bay, and through allowing for an influx of Manawatu traffic through the slip at Paekakariki, the afternoon train from the north ran two hours late. The Auckland expross, carrying 360 passengers and hauled by two engines, passed through northwards at midday, followed by the New Plymouth express, similarly laden. Precautions Against Disease. At the invitaltion of the Borough Council, Dr. Boyd and Inspector Cowdrey, of the Health Department, to-d*y visited the devastated areas at Lansdowne. Tho bottom of the dam is a mass of weeds, and contains a quantity of dead eels and perch, and should the sun get to these, it is feared disease might follow. At a subsequent meeting the Borough Council and Departmental officers issued instructions concerning the use of water drawn from the wells or other ground supplies till the temporary service is installed, and stated that they will send a, full report to the Council in a few days. The Council were advised to get an expert to report on, and assess, tho damage, and forward the report to the Health Department with a request that the Department make representations to the Government to authoTiso the raising of a first instalment of £SOOO of tho £25,000 loan for water and drainage reticulation recently passed at a poll of Lansdowne ratepayers.

DAMAGE AT KAURARAU. ELECTRIC WORKS. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TBufeßAlf.) CARTERTON, December 20. The damage to the Kaurarau electric works is greater than was at first anticipated. There is likely bow to be no power or light for ;i month. The machinery was silted over seven feet additional, and there was four feet of water on top. The water has been baled out, and a gang is engaged shovelling the silt. The pipe line and the surge chamber are intact. The dam was partially carried away. The excavation behind the dam has been filled up and requires re-excavating. The first cloudburst swamped the power-house with water, but this was overcome, and the generator was dried out ready to start. At 1.30 aon. the second cloudburst over the dam let the whole storage water rush down and silted up the works. The estimated damage is from £9OOO to £IO,OOO. Men are now engaged clearing the power-house.