FLOODS ON WEST COAST

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26198, 23 August 1950, Page 8

FLOODS ON WEST COAST

BLACKBALL RAILWAY BRIDGE CLOSED From Our Own Reporter GREYMOUTH, August 22. The Blackball railway bridge was closed to traffic to-day because of a flood in the Grey river. The Blackball State colliery was idle because no empty waggons could be sent to the bins. The Waitahu road bridge was open for traffic. The Lewis Pass route to Canterbury remains open, but the Otira Gorge highway is still impassable. There was some delay in rail services from Christchurch to-day as a result of speed restrictions between Springfield and Arthur’s Pass. Sections of the track were damaged by slins early on Monday morning. Serious flooding occurred in the New river at Camerons on Monday afternoon. For a time water flowed across the main Greymouth-Hokitika highway. There was some scouring of the road.

Water to a depth of about 12 inches flowed through the homestead of Mr F. Russ, on the bank of the New river. Mr Russ’s 80-year-old mother, who was confined to bed with influenza, remained there while the water rose. At one stage it was thought that the family would have to be evacuated by boat. Cattle on the farm were driven to higher ground. Erosion occurred on the south bank of the New river, and valuable farmland was lost. Rivers and streams were almost back to normal this evening as the result of fine, sunny weather throughout the day.