ROADS DAMAGED ON PENINSULA

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25080, 11 January 1947, Page 6

ROADS DAMAGED ON PENINSULA

THREE BAYS ISOLATED TORRENTIAL RAIN ON THURSDAY NIGHT Torrential rain on Thursday night caused considerable damage to bridges and roads in some parts of Banks Peninsula. The heaviest rain was reported from Gough’s Bay, where 4.75 inches fell between 6.30 p.m. on Thursday and an early hour the next morning. Residents in the bay said yesterday that it was the worst rainstorm they could remember. The road to the bay yesterday was impassable, even on horseback. Long Bay and Hickory Bay are also isolated. The bridge on the main road out of Le Bon’s Bay was completely washed away by a downpour which was described by residents as being one of the heaviest in memory. A wooden structure built on stout lines, the bridge has withstood floods for many years. The road was also washed out and a bridge damaged near the cheese factdry. It is impossible for cars to get down to the beach at Le Bon’s Bay, and vehicles cannot rbach the post office. Unfortunate Campers

Holiday-makers in tents and caravans at thd* bays spent a miserable night. At Le Bon’s Bay, one camper from Christchurch found in the morning that his car had been washed down on to the beach, and horses had to be used to recover it. Residents and campers had to make their way across the flooded creek by horse or on foot. It is expected that traffic into the bay will be suspended for at least a week while a* temporary bridge is being built. Many holiday-makers will have to leave their cars and caravans there for that period. Campers at Long Bay were flooded out in the early hours of yesterday morning, but supplies can still be taken to them by pack-horse. A launch may also be used. Evidently the weather proved too much for many campers, as one observer at Little River counted 20 caravans making for home yesterday.

Roads and Bridges Damaged A creek that runs down from the hills into Long Bay changed its course in the night, and the bridge across it was left high and dry. The creek now flows across the road, cutting off communication with the bay. Two more bridges on the road to Laverick’s Bay were put out of commission by the flood waters. Although the eastern side of the peninsula suffered most in the storm, heavy rain which fell at Little River on Thursday evening brought the creeks down and raised the level of the water in Lake Forsyth considerably. There were no reports of flooding. RAIN IN SOUTH CANTERBURY

MAIN ROAD OPEN TO TRAFFIC From Our Own Reporter TIMARU, January 10. According to a report from Mr R. L. Syder, patrol officer for the Automobile Association (South Canterbury), to-night, the Main South road is open for traffic, but one detour is necessary. A- temporary ford at the Waihao river has been washed out, necessitating a detour through Waimate and over McCullough’s bridge. Traffic can then divert back to the main road about two miles on the Timaru side of Glenavy. The detour adds about nine miles to the travelling distance. There was water over the road at the Pareora river bridge, Makikihi, and Galletly’s this afternoon, but motor-cars were able to pass. The Makikihi bridge, however, was closed for all other traffic than cars, heavier vehicles having to make another detour. The easing of rain in the South Canterbury district, coupled with a change of the wind from south-east to southwest this morning, were the main factors which prevented serious flooding, said the engineer to the South Canterbury Catchment Board (Mr G. R. Milward). Unless further heavy and continuous rain set in the danger of flooding was not great, he added. During the 24 hours up to 10 o’clock this morning, as much as three inches of rain fell in some parts of South Canterbury. There was a break in the weather in Timaru late this morning, but more heavy showers fell in the afternoon. Seas along the coast near Timaru were heavy, and there were large areas of surface water on Caroline Bay.

FLOODING AT WAIMATE GRADER ASSISTS CARS IN DIFFICULTY From Our Own Reporter WAIMATE, January 10. Steady rain which commenced in the early hours of Thursday morning, recording a fall of 2.15 inches at Waimate up till 9 a.m. to-day, caused all streams in the district to rise. As a result the road service bus from the south was unable to negotiate the Waihao bridge on the main highway at Morven this morning, and reached Waimate after a detour via Bradshaw’s bridge. Flood waters covered the road at a point north of Bradshaw’s' bridge, but the bus was able to get through. North of Waimate a grader was engaged in assisting cars to negotiate the Makikihi stream at the crossing on the main highway. A few big cars made the crossing under their own power, but with the river still rising, the effort was attended with risk. At midday the river was described as being in moderate flood. Farmers’ - Precautions An early morning effort by farmers in the Lower Waihao area is believed to have averted danger of serious flooding of the land along the dead arm of the river. A report by Mr K. Patterson on the condition of the mouth of the river shortly before 5 a.m. resulted in a party of eight or nine men turning out with shovels to attack the shingle bar. “In a couple of hours we had managed to make a sufficient channel, which was enlarged by the river, to remove danger of flooding unless an abnormal fall of rain is yet to come,” Mr T. L. Hayman told the Waimate reporter of “The Press.” He added that shingle restricted the passage of water through the box, but the structure had afforded’some shelter to the workers in their task, which had not been unattended by risk.

Emergency Bridge Reopened Rain, which continued during the day, eased to an intermittent drizzle, and a break in the weather seemed likely late this afternoon. Mr J. W. Armstrong reported • 3.09 in of rain at Hunter for the period. The emergency bridge was reopened for light traffic, cars and caravans at the Makikihi train and road crossing, heavy traffic being assisted by the grader. The worst section of the North road, a 150 yards stretch, was under almost three feet of water north of St. Andrews. where cars had been towed through with bags over their radiators.

Inspector R. Hughes, of the Transport Department, reports that two feet of water on either side of the north approach to the Pareora bridge was forcing motorists to drive carefully in the centre. Southward from Waimate the new roadway across the Waihao riverbed on the Main road was under a strong stream four feet deep.. Care was advised in negotiating Wellwood’s dip on the alternative route via Bradshaw’s bridge, because water was rising on the road at the dip. and bags were necessary over radiators. On the road southward beyond Waihao there were no difficulties, said Mr Hughes, except one foot of water two miles north of Glenavy, necessitating a slow speed. South of the Waitaki river the rpad is reported to be in good order.

German Generals’ Execution Postponed.—An Allied spokesman in Rome said that the execution of the German Generals, Von Mackensen and Maeltzer, had been postponed because they were wanted as witnesses at the trial of Field-Marshal Kesselring.—Rome, January 10.