FLOOD WATERS SUBSIDE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21729, 11 March 1936, Page 12

FLOOD WATERS SUBSIDE

SEVERAL MAIN ROADS BLOCKED CITY RECOVERS FROM STORM Warm, sunny weather in the city yesterday set aside any.fears that the teeming rain of the two previous days would cause serious havoc and flooding, for the weather favoured the repairing of flood damage and rivers fell fairly rapidly. Because of its shorter duration, the flood has caused much less damage than that which occurred a little more than a fortnight ago, but road communication has been hampered in some districts. Rain fell heavily for a time in the city about 9 o'clock last eyening. Flood waters in the city receded quite rapidly though in suburbs near the Heathcote and Avon rivers water still lay on roads and in gardens. One most inconvenient effect is the blockage of the main road to Akaroa by a huge slip, which have prevented direct road communication, though passengers in service cars and mails have been able to get through by being transferred from one car to another. It will be some days before the slip can be cleared, allowing normal traffic to resume. Slips on both roads from the township have isolated Okain's Bay, though the slips will be cleared to-day, but at Little River heavy rain last night threatened a repetition of the flood of the night before. The steamer express from Wellington was delayed by a high southerly gale, and did not berth at Lyttelton until 10.40 ajn. The southern express had left at its usual time, so a special express for the south left Christchurch at 12.34 with about 60 passengers. Road Traffic Apart from the road to Akaroa, practically all main highways in the province may be traversed, though a deviation has to be made from the Main North road through Rangiora, because of the washout to the approaches of the Ashley bridge caused by the last flood. A new detour must now be made from Ashley Bank—the way is clearly marked by green and silver bands on posts—through the destruction of the approaches of Peach's bridge on the Ashley-Sefton road. The road to the West Coast was again open yesterday, and motorists were getting through with no difficulty. On Monday, the water was deep on this road between Aylesbury and Kirwee, the sod fences at the side of the road acting as banks and diverting the flood on to the highway. In Malvern County the Hawkins river has been running high, and, as in the recent flood, could not be crossed near Waddington. where the river was up to the decking on the bridge. Yesterday a service car had to come down the river and cross at Greendale. There has also been a washout at Cairnbrae- corner on the main highway between Methven and Rakaia. Serious Blockage A lrrge washout on the road between Charteris Bay and Diamond Harbour will prevent traffic reaching Diamond Harbour for about a fortnight, it is expected. Men have been assigned to the repairing of the road, but their task will probably occupy a full fortnight. A slip has occurred on the road between Port Levy and Pigeon Bay and will block road traffic for some time. On Dyer's Pass road, about a mile above Victoria Park, a slip has partially blocked the road, but cars may get through, though motorists are advised to drive carefully. Workmen have been working on removing the slip, but some of the large boulders, will have to be blasted before they can be shifted. A few minor slips have occurred near Lyttelton, one on the Lyttelton side of the road from Sumner being too small to impede traffic. Railway services had resumed normal running yesterday, the washout on the line between Birdling's Flat and Little River having been repaired. Along the Heathcote Properties along the Heathcote river, which overflowed its banks on Monday, presented a bedraggled appearance yesterday, as the waters began to recede, leaving deposits of yellowish mud and silt on roads, gardens, and even in some houses. With the cessation of the heavy downpour on Cashmere Hills, the drainage of water in low-lying areas and the fall in the level of the river were facilitated. The mud on the roads makes them slippery and dangerous to motorists. Many gardens were laid waste by the flood, and it will take long hours of work to restore them to their former brightness. In those houses which the waters entered on Monday there was a thick carpet of slimy silt yesterday, and housewives had to set to v/ork with long-handled shovels to clear their floors and their paths. Fortunately most of the residents in the areas most seriously affected knew of the consequences of a flood in the Heathcote, and had wisely put floor | coverings and furniture outside the reach of the waters. Seven houses about Western terrace had to be abandoned for a time, but their occupants were in possession again yesterday. It will still be some time, however, before some residents of this locality will be able to reach their homes without hrving to wade through water, for gardens are still flooded to a depth of two feet. Right round the river from Western terrace to the Radley bridge the flooding is still troublesome, and has by no means drained away. Tradesmen had a trying time yesterday calling at the houses of customers in this district. Boys on bicycles threw up a spray of water as they rode along, motor-cars and vans had to travel slowly, the water being up to the running board in some parts, and gumboots were very much at a premium. Several children were unable to go to school yesterday. Among the curious pieces of debris left stranded by the flood, is a huge tree stump, which rests in the middle Of Ashgrove terrace—cheap firewood for the first person with the means of removing it. DAMAGE TO TOMATO CROPS SERIOUS LOSSES FEARED IN HEATHCOTE DISTRICT Tomato growers in low-lying areas about the Heathcote river will be heavy losers through the phenomenal rainfall this summer—l 3.72 inches have fallen, so far this year—for with each successive downpour the ground becomes less able to absorb the water. Serious losses are expected among crops growing on the flat and some growers are apprehensive that the lateness of the crop may result in a race between their ability to remove the fruit from the plants and the oncoming frosts. The recent rains have saturated the ground so much that unless growers have been able to drain their land almost at once, many plants will be rotted at the roots and will die, it is feared. Another effect may be to cause the fruit to ripen prematurely and soft. On the hills the excessive rain has caused some of the crop to "crack" or burst, such fruit being'unmarketable. , Already the tomato crop is a full month late, and growers fear that they will not be able to collect the whole crop before the frosts set in. At present, there is no great .anxiety, about frosts, for it/is,- recognised tjiat they occur when the atmosphere is dry, rather than wet. However, a severe .frost at this time of the year would do very great damage.