AT EASTBOURNE

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 107, 7 May 1923, Page 8

AT EASTBOURNE

EROSION ON THE WATERFRONT.

•< Hillside ' creeks were raging torrents yesterday at: Eastbourne, and to-day these watercourses are carrying large quantities of storm water, down, or* to the flat lands on tho waterfront. So iteavy^arid-continuous was the" rain-'-yes-terday that lowlying portions of the borough were completely .under water. Karamu street, where there is a wide drain for the purpose, of carrying' water from Muritai Park, was flooded early in the day, and-an adjacent shingle pit was filled -with a large volume.of water. Gardens in the vicinity were invaded by the .water, and. shortly after midday it became necessary for the borough staff," under Mr. Entwistle,. to cutaway the sandbank at the. end of , Jtaramu street in order to let the imprisoned waters escape to sea. When this had been 1 done, residents in the vicinity of Karamu and Maire streets received a %velcom reelief from fear of flood. There were also large accumulations of storm water on the main road in the vicinity of Miss Foley's store, and at the Eona Bay end of the borough. The Recreation Ground was one large pool, but tho. new tennis courts were not affected, the recently-laid drainage quickly carrying: away the rain as it fell.''.' ■ '.'.<'■

The whores of the East Harbour suburb were pounded by heavy seas throughout the day, and at 9 a.m., the hour of high water, there was serious clanger of erosion in the vicinity of tho Piecreation Ground.' The. advancing, watr era .cut.'.the sand awajr right along th^e

foreshoi'e, passed through a manukascrub fence erected to bind the eand together, and left a deep drop of nearly four feet immediately at the back of the football dressing sheds andl women's swimming shelter. An extra high tide and the continuance of southerly weather will seriously imperil both buildings, and probably capsize them on to the beach, as well as do danwge to the Recreation- Ground itself.

The Eastbourne Borough Council has been considering the question of erecting a concrete protecting wall along the foreshore at this spot,, as during recent years there has been considerable erosionl from what is known as Mantell's Point south to the end of. Karamu street.