HEAVY RAINFALL.

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 July 1933, Page 7

HEAVY RAINFALL.

SIX INCHES IN 48 HOURS LITTLE DAMAGE REPORTED After putting up a score of 5.96 inches in the 48 hours ended at nine o’clock this morning, Rain declared its innings closed, and the clouds broke up to let the sunshine through, thereby removing fears of a serious flood. Of the 5.96 inches, 3.68 inches fell since 9 a.m. yesterday. There was an appreciable decrease in the downpour last night, and', although the lowlying portion of the town in the vicinity of Victoria Park was affected by' the backing up of tidal water, the Grey River did not reach anything like the danger level. A slip, estimated by the Borough Engineer (Mr A. J. Fairmaid) to contain about 300 yards of debris, came down on the Omoto Road, last even-

ing, about a quarter of a mile from Greymouth. Buses were held up, but cars were able to get through. The work of clearing the slip was commenced this morning by the borough staff, it being impracticable, under the conditions, to make a start last night. The slip occurred at the place where similar trouble has previously been experienced. One of the old fire sumps, which

have been unused for years, collapsed at* Blaketown, between Robinson and Rigg Streets, on the eastern side of Blake Street. The sump was a timbered shaft, 20 feet or 25 feet deep, sunk to reach tide-water. The timbering collapsed, and the sump is now to be filled in.

Reports from various parts of the district indicate a considerable amount of damage. So far as th e railways are concerned, the most serious dislocation has occurred about half a mile on the northern side of Ross, where a fairly extensive wash-out developed, preventing the train coming through to Hokitika this morning. One or two minor weaknesses are reported on the Otira line, but trains are able to proceed, at reduced speed. On the Coast Road, slips took place in the vicinity of the Four-Mile Camp, near Westport, but the road was open for traffic to-day. A slip came down last night at the Ten-Mile bridge, near the Briandale mine, but the Grey County Engineer (Mr J. Higgins) reported that the debris there was cleared this' morning.

There has been no interruption to telegraph and telephone business, although one of the three telegraph lines to Christchurch is out of order.

OTIRA ROAD SLIP. Road traffic to Otira is held up, there being a slip at Rocky Point, and numerous creeks have been scoured 1 out. The most serious effect of the rainfall, on the road to Otira, has been the damage caused to the Wainihinihi bridge. Two of the piles have been broken, and one end of the bridge has dropped to the extent of about foui’ feet. Telegraph linesmen were unable to proceed by motor beyond Wainihinihi this morning, and secured horses there, to take them on to Rocky Point, where the line trouble is believed to be located. It is understood' that the slip at Rocky Point has badly affected the road, and that some of the protective work recently carried out has been washed into the Taramakau River. A motorist, Mr W. Tinetti, of Otira, had a narrow escape last evening, while driving to Wainihinihi, his car being caught and partially buried by the slip at Rocky Point. Rapid action on the driver’s part enabled him to escape injury. . The road between Hokitika and Lower Kokatahi was impassable, owing to flood water, but at least one motorist, driving an Austin Seven, came through from Hokitika to Greymouth last evening, although the water was over the road in the vicinity of Goldsborough and Waimea. He made the trip in the good time of two hours.

As a result of the heavy rain, a blockage took place on the road between Waimea and Stafford, and all vehicular traffic was held up fol- some hours.

As a precautionary measure, the Greymouth Jockey Club’s live stock was shifted yesterday morning to the centre of the racecourse, but the river did not overflow. Owing to the condition of the grounds, all Rugby fixtures set down for to-day at Greymouth, were postponed. It was decided to carry on with the Chatham Cup Soccer final between Dobson and Runanga, at Victoria Park. The rainfall a 4: Arthur’s Pass for the 24 hours ended! at 9 a.m. to-day amounted to 5.63 inches, making a total of 11.13 inches for the 4S hours.

AT HOKITIKA The continuous heavy rain of Thursday and Friday (over 5 inches) brought doxyn a big flood in the Hokitika river, and last night all the lowlying parts of the town were flooded. Bealey Street drain overflowed, a considerable volume of water flowing down Hampden Street and flooding Fitzherbert Street, particularly between Hampden and Stafford Streets. Sewell Street was mostly under water and Hamilton Street as far as the Fire Brigade Station. Tancred and Weld Streets were also flooded. The lower portions of Hamilton and Bealey Streets, were also covered. This was at low tide, and fears were expressed of the effect of the tide early in the morning, as the rain was continuous. Old hands say it is one of the biggest floods seen in. the town. WEATHER FORECAST. General inference: A complex depression still extends from the Eastern Tasman Sea across the northern part of the South Island. Pressure is rising slowly in the south, and southerly winds prevailed over most of the South Island this morning. Forecast: Winds mainly between south-east and east, and moderate weather, cloudy to overcast with some further rain, but gradually improving. Temperatures colder. Seas rather rough. • TASMAN STORM. SYDNEY, July 14. An extensive cyclonic disturbance is operating over the Tasman Sea. Its centre is latitude 37 degrees and its longitude 155 degrees. It is expected

there will be heavy weather over the West Tasman for the week-end. Having been 24 hours delayed by high seas and strong westerlies the “Sydney Maru” from Auckland will not arrive here until to-morrow. RAIN -DELAYS PRINCE. RUGBY, July 14. Heavy rains and winds prevented the Prince of Wales completing a flight from Windsor to Weymouth, whore this afternoon, he opened the new harbour works. In his private machine, piloted by E. H. Fielden, he had reached Swanage, near Bournemouth, when bad weather necessitated the abandonment of the flight, and the continuation of the journey by road. A perfect landing was made in the wheat field. WEST INDIES VISITATION. RUGBY. July 13. The Colonial Office states the hurricane which did extensive damage in Trinidad on June 27, passed about 100 miles south of Jamaica, but hit Grand Caymen Island on July 1. Roads and bridges in Clarendon Parish in Jamaica suffered damage from an accompanying extraordinary rainfall, v.hich amounted to 22 inches in ton hours in some places. The gross cost cf repairs is estimated at from £30,000 to £50,000. Five lives were lost by drowning.