TOLL OF THE FLOODS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 87, 11 April 1924, Page 7

TOLL OF THE FLOODS

GRAVE DAMAGE IN tHE NORTH

AM ASTOUNDHNG RAINFALL

SEVERAL; PLACES ISOLATED".

(11 TStHOIIAPH.—SPECUt, TO THB JOSt.)

•The'floods in the Lower Kaipara; jiavef resulted in grave damage in several districts' north of Helensville. - Those places which have suffered::niosfc: severely; ;ai'e] Glorit, near the, shores of Kaipara Hav-ii bour, Kaipara Flats,, Makarau, andfHcn teo. The "deluge has caused 'thousands i of pounds, of. damage- to -properties';. ia! these districts, while the harmful effecfi'. of the floods on milking stock has also to! be considered. The oldest Maoris in tho Glorit ■ district have not known euch a flood Wore. "The people at; Glorit have been practicallystarving and -living- 6imeat and potatoes," postmaster atGlont en Wednesday. Tlteisoijitidn-had. been made.complete by the. destruction ■ oi the main bridges'on:ithe^'WestC^ast road, and it is considered-that; thdinain. road communication will not be restored for months. The extent orthe'damige' to property may .be-gaugedv;/frpm;- Uia tact that hundreds of acreA" :are covered with sand, silt, and timber^ to '*• depth of six feet. ' ....';- In five hours: the rainfall," as given by'< the Glorit postmaster,-.reached the'as-' tounding total, of•_ 14; inches.-;-: •;■■;■•"- •'. milking'hebds suffer^';.; One man worked-for, hours'.." with' thisi sheep, and was forced to awini.much/of. the time, Rescue work was'generally successful, so that losses among cattle and sheep are not great.: The. loss. by x drowning is not. to be'compared witli injury to the milking- herds. - ■'■Numbers of cows have gorie.dry r as therelas'fteen no Iced for them.' At least one"herdJiad - not been milked • on" -Wednesday ■■sinoei last Thursday morning.:'. One". can thus - readily believe the statement* that/;"ihe ' cows have gone to ruin." Other herds are isolated on high land, and.cannotyc't be moved, as some of the gullies are flooded with water 20> to 30 feet deep. Other Glorit losses include, the destruction of a five-acre orchard, 40 year-old trees which \ were '.'.torn 'out- by-'-'-tne roots. Half of the stopbank,'.three'niiles m iength,- has been washed a^vay*. The State Forest Reserve of 2500 acres is described as being "all; ripped frdm top to bottom." A woolshed on one property was partially carrisd away, &nd the en- - gim and shearing plant is still undeP water. Not one fence is left intact"in the whole district. ■ No mails were received for-ten days. .. • ■ '-■•>■ ■ ";.:-:';■':.". -PROPERTIES DEPRECIATED^,:.-: 1 Great damage has heen done to properl "' .ties at Kaipara Flats through the, d<v. posit of a thick-layer'of .silt:. This. silt-, is described as being very deep,- and' it .is thought that grass will'not grow-for • some time. farmer-estimates that > bis property has depreciated by £Bs.per aero. Anothiii- states that he had.a fine green-paddock sloping-away from his house. This,all,plipped,aw*y, .the ed»e of the' ground affected being .close to the house. Orchards have:. suffered severely,, fences are down-everywhere '■■ and as a result of boundary fences .feeinglevelled, several farms are Apparently made into -one farm without a^ence anywhere. ',;.. .". :,,::;^,,■■~^t,, . Tho railway line -hear: Kaipara-Elrits has been, budly damaged through "the ballast being,undermined.. 'Tliere-is-a targe.slip at Hoteo.'i and the tunnel-is, blocked. The Hotep - Hiver "blocked- up in no time, and portions of several : farms are still under water. . Two farmers^wer'a on Wednesday, reported to-be still goirt" about their property '; in "/■'yinghiei'! Une timber mill'was.aei-ibusly. .affected, and logs, which were-being-cut at the time of the rainsj-cannot.be-traced!'-Tlia maohinery at the mill. waSJiuKler. water, btacks of^hrewood at the railway' statioii have disappeared. ', , ■•■'■;.!■. „,,,'" Another lady was1. away ' from" Hbm* X when the heavy rain, |ell, ;.and?,,Wing ,to the rapid rise, of the Makarau River -was not able to get back to. the. house.:,'■ She had to be content with distant' glimpseg-' of her family, whp were isolated <iri ti)» other.sida of the river. ' Another settle* wasiorced to swim the swollen river. LADY DOCTOR'S ' A young, lady doctor,Avho has recently heen appointed by the Kumeu Medical Association, Dr.. Marj6rie..Smith-WilsoiC nas had her .first ,experience of travel ir the flooded country. She was called on Monday to attend an urgent case beyoha - the bridge -which wasfrwashed away" .WitJr a compani6n';,sh'e',w,as obliged-to'. takVithi-' old road; which-had not been used''for many years. The destination was safely' reached on .horseback, ana-" the*case* at.' tended to. - The same route; could not be lollowed on/the return trip owinn-' to' darkness, .so. it, was decided to. return to • Kttmeu, through; the ;Sunnyside 'detour of- eight milee.. When the'party "was oiv ■its.way it was; found that-the bfidger were six feet '.under water. An : attempt was,then made .to get round > via, Albany road;' a further twelve mileß' Owmg to the flooded state of the road it was: also.! : impasaaljle.- . The- doctor,, spent the night' at a'neighbouring'home-: stead. She returned by'\dayli»ht' on Tuesday: to. Kumeii,', vrhere four". •'bthe:'-'"-i cases were awaiting attention. ..--i '- <;•'■!'. '.'.