IN THE WAIRARAPA

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 105, 30 October 1935, Page 12

IN THE WAIRARAPA

BICr AREA INUNDATED

A REDEEMING FEATURE

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) MASTERTON, This Day.

Reports from many parts of the lower Wairarapa Valley last night show that extensive areas are flooded in the fifth flood this year. In areas towards Wairarapa Lake not yet flooded settlers were busy yesterday moving stock to safety in anticipation of the inundation that is inevitable when the waters moving down the Ruamahanga River reach their lands. One redeeming fact is that the outlet from Onoke Lake is open and clear, as it has been since June last. There are no heavy seas and no spring floods are in prospect. From the viewpoint of allowing the unimpeded escape of flood waters the condition of the lake and | its outlet thus could hardly be im- j proved upon. Service car drivers arriving in Masterton from Wellington between 8 o'clock and 9 o'clock last' night reported considerably improved conditions. The position at the Waiohine Bridge near Greytown had also improved. The river at that point had rushed across the main road in torrents throughout the day, and traffic had to exercise great caution in getting through. The water was still well over the road, but it had lost its force, which earlier in the day was sufficient to hinder the progress of heavy transport lorries. Minor damage is reported to have been done to the north end of- the Waiohine Bridge by the flood waters. There are numerous slips on both sides of the Rimutaka Hill, but none was of sufficient size to hold up traffic. HIGHEST FOR TEN YEARS. Little or no damage has been done in Masterton, although the Ruamahanga, Waingawa, and Waipoua Rivers were running bank high throughout the day. The Waipoua broke its banks at several points, and adjacent lands were inundated. The flood in the Waingawa River at the headworks of the borough water supply was reported to be the highest for over ten years, the waters almost reaching the intake race. No damage from slips has been reported on Masterton County roads and the Waipoua River, which runs close to the town, was going down late last night. For practically the whole of yesterday the township of Martinborough and the surrounding districts were completely isolated as the result of the Ruamahanga River breaking its banks at points on the main FcatherslonMartinborough road and the Martin-borough-Greytown road. Small slips and washouts made the only other road approach to Martinborough, the

: Mastcrton - Gladstone - Martinborough road, impassable. No mails were received or dispatched from Martinborough and many settlers were unable to reach the Tawaha factory up to a late hour on Monday. There was over two feet of water across the main Featherston-Martin-borough road at the Ruamahanga Bridge, while the road was covered to a depth of over three feet at a point known as Jenkins's Mill deviation on the road marking an old channel of the river. NO SERIOUS STOCK LOSSES. Lands or. either side o{ the main road from Featherston were one big sea, a Martinborough settler remarked last night. Due precautions, he added, were taken in the matter of shifting stock .to higher land, and it was not anticipated that any serious stock losses would result on account of the flood, although the outlook did not appear too bright. A considerable area of farm lands in the Kokotau district to the east of Greytown was inundated yesterday, and the Greytown-Martinborough road was impassable. So far the Pirinoa district has not been affected by flood waters, but it is anticipated that low-lying areas in that district will be covered today. Settlers in the Pukib district had a busy time on Monday afternoon shifting stock to higher level*. About 3.30 p.m. there was no sign of flooding but in less than an hour a considerable volume of water had flowed through Pihautea. inundating an extensive area of land. "A GRANDFATHER FLOOD," The Tawaha settlement, a fertile lowlying district to the south of the main Martinborough-Featherston road, is experiencing the full force of the flood, which one settler described as the worst since 1924. Practically the whole of the district is inundated, and only about half of the settlers could reach Tawaha factory on Monday morning. From the Ruamahanga Bridge on the Martinborough-Feather-ston main highway almost to the township of Martinborough the whole of the lands to the south 'were covered to varying depths. • "Today it is what "we call 'a grandfather flood,'" a settler observed yesterday. "Several homesteads are completely isolated to-night, and unless there is abatement of conditions very soon the whole lot of us will be isolated and in a bad way by tomorrow." Another settler said that the flood waters were within a few inches of the floor of his house, while yet another said, "I knocked off taking up the linoleum to answer the telephone when you rang." ' At 9 o'clock last night the Ruamahanga River had not risen for over an hour, but on the other hand there had been no signs of the waters receding. Settlers' are hoping that the wind will turn to the south, as it is the prevailing north-westeriy weather that does most of the damage in the lower valley. Tarwaha settlers managed to get their stock mustered in good time, and it is "not anticipated that there will be any serious losses. "The principal problem facing Tawaha settlers at the moment is how they are going to get to the factory in tho morning. Whatever happens," one settler observed yesterday, "at least five of us have no chance of getting out in the morning." The Kahau'.ara district also suffered rather severely, waters from Jhc swollen Ruamahanga rushing through the break in the Kahaulara stop bank caused by a flood a few months ago.