A HIGH RIVER.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXIV, Issue 1222, 3 December 1897, Page 5

A HIGH RIVER.

| In consequence of the northerly wind and • very heavy rain that fell both here and in the ! Lakes districts throughout Saturday night i the liver rose rapidly on Sunday afternoon j and evening. Since then rain has fallen intermittently and during the week [the river has kept pretty much within the nine and ten feet guages. It fell a little yesterday and in the evening was slightly below the nine I feet mark. Yesterday was, however, very warm and as snow fell this week on the higher levels up country, it is possible it may j now have melted and that a slight rise in the i river may occur to-day. During the week the river has been at a considerably higher level than it has been since the big flood of j 1878. The lower reserve, and also the low ! lying paddocks in front of Eosebank have been submerged by backwater, but otherwise the township has been free from flooding. Hie river bank erected by the ' Government has thoroughly stood the severe test and is now proved to be a complete protection for the township. There was not the slightest leak and the level of the river never reached , higher than between five or six feet below the top of the bank. The lower continuation ! of the embankment down to the i traffic bridge also stood the test the I river never having got to within a j foot or eighteen inches of its top. A narrow i escape from a breach occurred, however, | through the existence of rabbit burrows iv the embankment, but no doubt the borough council will attend to this for the future. On Inch Clutha the river rose to within a couple of inches of the level i of the banks in some places but fortunately did not overflow so that no damage has been occasioned on the island. The ' settlers on the South side of the Kaou branch have not, however, been so fortunate as much cf their properties and the Finegand and Otanomomo swamps have been under water. I This must be very damaging to the crops ancl ' it is also reported thafc a few head of cattle j and sheep are missing. A few may have been drowned but so far as we haye been able '. to hear no great loss of stock has occurred, j The grass np.ist, however, have h.pen silted up and fresh pastures must be provided for a } time. j