DESOLATE SCENE

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 68, 13 December 1939, Page 11

DESOLATE SCENE

Flood Damage In Hutt Valley RIVER NOW RECEDING Golf Clubs Seriously, Affected Receding yesterday as rapidly as it had risen, the Hutt River left many hundreds of acres in the upper part of the valley covered with shingle, silt, and driftwood. An accurate estimate of the damage is not possible, but it will run into thousands of pounds. Golf clubs in particular have suffered severely, and much work and expenditure will be necessary to clear courses. Farmers, too, have lost much stock, and valuable feed has been destroyed. '

The Hutt Hirer began to fall after reaching its peak at 5.80 p.m. on Monday, when it was 14ft. above normal; it continued to fall steadily all yesterday. By 8 o’clock last night it had gone down about Bft. Mr. A. J. Gearing, secretary of the Hutt River Board, said that if there was no further heavy rain the river might be back to normal by this evening. Rainfall Figures. The rain ceased in Wellington at 3 p.m., after a total of 7.88 in. had fallen in 54 hours. Six inches of it fell during the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. yesterday. After then the rain was intermittent, and only 11 points fell. The Gin. which fell on Monday was not a record for Wellington, though it was the second heaviest fall recorded in 24 hours. It was, however, a record for December, being nearly twice as much as had been previously recorded during the month. It did not clear after the rain ceased yesterday, but remained dull and cool. Temperatures were considerably lower than at the height of the storm on Monday, the maximum being 55 degrees. Damage to Golf Links. The Manor Bark golf links presented a desolate scene yesterday afternoon. A large area at the northern end of the course was covered to a depth of about a foot with shingle and boulders, and silt and driftwood were everywhere. The floor of the clubhouse was covered with an inch of silt and a window had been broken by a log thrown against it by the raging water.

The greenkeeper, Mr. J. P. Taw, said that a tournament had been held on the links on Sunday and players had commented on the perfect condition of the greens. Now a number of them were completely ruined. At the approach to the fifth hole lay a huge log, which would probably have to be cut into sections before it could be removed. A number of footbridges across a creek on the links had been washed away and one had been found two miles downstream. At the eleventh hole, which was close to the bank of the river, the water had washed away a large area of the fairway. Course To Be Closed.

The course is to be closed for the next two weeks and after then only nine holes will be in use. The damage is worse than in 1931, and it is doubtful whether the full IS holes will be ready for play again by next winter.

The Whakatiki links at Upper Hutt also suffered severely, and will not be playable for a long time. The Hutt links and the Wellington club’s links at Heretaunga were also flooded, but not so seriously.

Housewires in a number of places in the upper part of the Hutt Valley spent yesterday clearing silt out of their homes. Mr. and Mrs. C. Allan, residents of a house in Ford Road, Manor Park, who had to leave it at the height of the storm on Monday afternoon, were able to return early yesterday. They found six inches of silt in the house. Fortunately, they had removed the carpets when they saw the water rising on Monday. Exactly a year ago on Monday the river rose to the door of their house, without running inside. Damage At Mangaroa. Farmers at Te Mania and in the Mangaroa Valley suffered severely from the sudden rise of the Mangaroa River. Mr. J. J. Maher, Mangaroa, said that he and his son believed they had lost 15 lambs. Mr. Ted Whiteman, a neighbour, had had eight acres of oats washed away. He had also lost eight cows, and three horses were missing. Mr. Frank Lysons had suffered much damage to his property at Mania, lawns and flower gardens being washed away. A large area at Mangaroa, which had been cleared of gorse and resown for dairying by Mr. A. E. Scholes, had been covered with boulders and debris.

The Deep Creek and Flux’s Road bridges had been washed away, said Mr. Maher, and the Cooley’s Creek bridge, a big concrete structure, had been left high and dry. The creek had changed its course and had washed away 15 chains of fence. All around the hills were full of landslides. The farmers at Mangaroa, which is an important source of Wellington’s milk supply, clubbed together yesterday and got their milk over the creeks in carts. All the milk reached Wellington. Taita Gorge Erosion. Serious erosion occurred in the Taita Gorge, where the Public Works Department built a huge groyne a few years ago. The river apparently got under the stone groyne, which collapsed. Once the groyne had gone, there was nothing to protect the road. At two places the river has cut several feet into the road for a distance of about 20 yards. The road was open for a time yesterday but closed again. Water flowing over the road on the northern approach to the Silverstream Bridge did some damage, scouring the bitumen in several places, but traffic was able to got. through from early yesterday morning, when the water receded. A number of launches in the anchorage at the mouth of the Hutt River were carried away at the height, of Ihe storm on Monday, and several were still under water yesterday afternoon.

Thanks to a lull in the rainfall yesterday morning, the water soon drained off Karori Park, though it was early yesterdav afternoon before the stream sunk below the level of the children’s play area at the eastern end of this reserve. The storm left a great deal of rubbish about the park, but by last evening much of it had been cleaned up.