BIG CLOUDBURST

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 November 1929, Page 2

BIG CLOUDBURST

DAMAGE NEAR REEFTON (Our Own Correspondent). REEFTON, November 8. The heavy rain of Wednesday terminated in a cloud burst on the hills between Crushington and the Globe Mine shortly after mid-day and several slips were brought down. The influence of the disturbance stretched from Black’s Point to above what is now Heaths Farm above the Pfogress battdry on the south side of the Inangahua River. Almost every gully between the two points mentioned has discharged large quantities of debris, some being particularly big. Midway between Crushington alid Blacks Point the trees and rock project down 20 feet into the river and opposite the Hall at Crushington there is a large slip which changed the course of the river and pushed the ■ stream over to the Crushington side. Boulders over a ton in weight and trees up to 50 feet long are among the debris of

this fall. Witnesses of the occurrence state that heavy clouds were gathering for 20 to 25 minutes all the time being accompanied by a thunderous noise which gradually grew louder, finally bursting with a loud report, the water pouring down the gullies and carrying all before it. Trees were cracking. like gunfire and those who heard the noise became alarmed. At Blacks Point on the opposite side- of the river to the school seven slips came roaring down the hill sides in succession and the pupils in the school were badly frightened. In the lower portion of the little township the river rose rapidly and some of the people made preparations to leave their, homes. At the Progress battery the elevator wheel at the tailings site was struck and twisted out of alignment, but other than this, little damage was done to property. On the north side of the riveV the main Maruia road was damaged by slips opposite Heath’s Farm. ’A gang of men were put on to clear the road and this was effected in time to allow the Nelson cars to pass in the morning. The road will be entirely clear to-day. The influence of the cloud-burst also spread over to the Soldiers Creek side where the road to Merrijigs was scoured out for some distance.

Owing to a heavy slip on the upper portion of the Electric Light Company’s race on Wednesday the light was dim in the evening and finally failed altogether. On Thursday the townspeople had to revert to candles and kerosene lamps. It is hoped to restore the light to-day, Friday.