FLOODS IN CANTERBURY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 32, 6 August 1930, Page 10

FLOODS IN CANTERBURY

PEOPLE RESCUED FROM HOUSES

DUNEDIFS RELIEF

(By Telegraph.) ! (Special to "The Evening Post.") CHEISTCHUKCH, This Day. Within the past ten days Ciiristchilrch has had two visitations of real winter weather. First there was tho big snowstorm, which was followed by a moderate spell. This week has opened with continuous heavy rain, and last night there was a strong gale from the south. Ba<i flooding; has occurred in scv.wal parts. Camcd by men .from their homes, in which they had been marooned through the Hoathcote Biycr overflowing, the women and children of six or seven households escaped from a flooded area yesterday afternoon. They were taken to safety on a City Council lorry. Two more families left their flooded homes last night before the waters had risen enough to isolate them. Tho water stood two or \lireo feet deep in the back yards of about a dozen houses fronting on the Heathcoto along the western terrace in Beckenham. Further on, along the eastern terrace, a scour mado the road impassable for about half a mile. Logs up to fifteen feet in length and over two feet m diameter were brought down by the flooded stream, and crashed against the frail footbridges, which, had for years been long enough and strong enough to carry pedestrian traffic from the two terraces across the small stream to tho Port Hills road. Only smart work by the City Council staff in clearing away the logs prevented the wrecking of the bridges, the ends of which were in some cases a chain from dry land. This morning newspaper runners found some streets at tho foot of tho Cashmere Hills inaccessible. In many parts of Canterbury, paddocks were under water and only the fence posts or' the tops of gorsc hedges were visible. The main north road, near Amberley, was submerged yesterday 'afternoon, and one farmer in that district lost 40 ewes. WATER UP TO WINDOWSILLS. Six families were removed this morning from houses in Richardson terrace, in Opawa, and the Heatheoto River is still rising. In these houses the water was coming in under the doors and up through the floors. Many streets in Linwood, Redcliffs, Woolston, Beeken-. ham, Fendaltou, Opawa, and Radley are under water, and scores of residents are using boats to do their shopping and to get'to business. Eaiu is still falling, and at noon, water was up to the windowsills of houses in parts of Bockenham. Water lies a foot deep on parts of the Addington Trotting track, and it is very unlikely that the races will be held there on Saturday. The main North road is flooded in the vicinity of Amberloy, and hundreds of acres of farm lands in North Canterbury are under water. The Waireka, Selwyn, and Hawkins Bivcrs are unfordable. A meeting of the eommitteo of the1 Trotting. Club, is to be held to consider the position. This morning the water was lying fully a foot deep near the rails on the showgrounds side of tho track, and the whole of the grounds were in a bad state. Tho portion of tho track that has been most affected by the heavy rain; is. that from the winning post to- the back, of the course, where, the two-mile; races are started. Water is also lying on the lawn in front of the main stand, and in the bird cage. The motor enclosures and training tracks are flooded to such an extent that they are unlikely to be in a fit condition 'for use for some time..