FLOOD IN CANTERBURY.

Evening Star, Issue 15020, 31 October 1912, Page 4

FLOOD IN CANTERBURY.

~ 1 CAUSED BY ji CLOUDBURST. [Per United P'ress Association.] ASHBURTON, October 30. A cloudburst occurred at Ealing, on tho Ashburton banks of, tho Rangitata River, and 20 miles south of Ashburton, at about 3.30 this afternoon, and as a result th« wholo countryside for a radius of about two miles was flooded with water, which rose in many paddoclcs and on th'e roads to a depth of. from 3ft to sft. Tho deluge lasted about half an hour. The water soon Tan in torrents over tho banks of the railway cutting where the lino descends to the Rangitata railway bridge. The force of tho heavy volume destroyed the embankment totally for fivo or six yards., and for all praotieal purposes for the "whole two chains. In the central part the rails and sleepers were left hanging over a gap 7ft deep. The second express from the south was stopped at Rangitata, and the goods trains from the north at Ealing. A relief train from Ashburton reached tho scene at 9.30, and the passengers, mails, and baggage were transhipped from one train to another, Ashburton being reached on the return journey at 10.20.

October 31. By hard work all night the railway gangs completed a temporary diversion of the line round the washout "by 5.30 a.m., and through traffic was at once resumed' the belated express getting through to Ashburton. By 7 o'clock this morning the water bad practically disappeared, the country being very shingly. Apart from the railway, ihe damage will not be heavy, as the country is mostly in grass, and few flocks are depastured on tho parts affected.