SOMETHING LIKE A STORM.

Evening Star, Issue 8084, 7 December 1889, Page 2

SOMETHING LIKE A STORM.

[From Ocr Own Correspondent.! OPHIR, December 7. A tremendous thunderstorm and waterspout yesterday broke over this township and the hills above. The rain commenced at five o'clock, and lasted fully an hour, pouring in torrents all the time. In a very short space of time tho channels were overflowing on to the footpaths, covering them about a foot. The gully on the left side of the post office, in which is a footpath, was converted into a miniature river, the culvert being unable to carry all the water away. It backed up at the post office, being also supplied by the side channels of the township, and then flowed over the road. Had the rain continued a quarter of an hour longer tho water would have been in both the post office and the Colonial Bank. As it was it reached the doorsteps of both places. On the right of the Bank of Now South Wales, which is a foot lower than the path, the water was rushing down the channels and overflowing the paths into the bank, when a party of willing hands were got to work and dammed the water back, placed sods against the door, and diverted the water into its proper channel, so that little damage was done. The next place to break out was the channel running past M'lntosh's Hotel, in which the water came down suddenly with a roar, being dammed up above, and carrying large stones away in its course. At one time it was feared that the channel would not be capable of conveying all the water, and that it would make a course down the township, but with the help of a few plankß and stones it was kept within bounds. One culvert between the bridge and the township was partly washed away. A deposit of two inches of mud was left on some footpaths. It is reported that Green's reef race was broken through in several plaees._ Very little damage was done to the Ophir Company's claim, and the surface water wag baled out in an hour,

At Ida Valley, where rain has been wanted badly for deep lead claimß, very little has fallen.

The Ophir school picnic was held yosterday, but most of the games and races were over before the rain begun.

Captain Russell and party, who have been viriting the district re the Otago Central, reached here luckily just before the rain commenced. They left early this morning for Alexandra,