H.B. FLOOD DAMAGE

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 April 1938, Page 7

H.B. FLOOD DAMAGE

MINISTERIAL INSPECTION . WORST ESTIMATES CONFIRMED [FEB PEESB ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, April 28. An inspection from the air of flood damage in Hawke’s Bay was made toIday by the Minister for Mines (Hon. P. C. Webb), who spent two hours over the damaged country in the Wellington Aero Club’s Whitney-Straight machine, piloted by Squadron Leader E. A. Gibson, aerodrome engineer of the Public Works Department. Ou his return to Wellington in the late afternoon, Mr. Webb discussed the situation with the Minister for Public Works (Hon. R. Semple), who announced that steps were being taken to investigate cases of hardship, with a view to granting immediate relief. Both Ministers later reported on the situation to the Prime Minister, who expressed sympathy with the sufferers.

‘“I wish to express my own sympathy, and that of the Government, with the sufferers,” said Mr. Savage this evening, after being informed by Mr. Webb and Mr. Semple of the widespread and serious damage. “Whatever is’humanly possible for the Government to do to relieve the situation will be done. More has to be done than to straighten out the present difficulties. We have to look at the future as well. It will be someone’s job to make a complete .investigation of the disaster, with a to pro veiling a recurrence in Hawke’s Bay, and avoiding similar things happening in other districts susceptible to flooding as well.”

’ Mr. Webb deputised for Mr. Semple because of the inability of the letter , to leave Wellington, owing to other ’ engagements. The Minister and Squad- ’ ron Leader Gibson left Wellington ' about 1 p.m., and were back at Rongotai shortly after 4 o’clock, after flying ’ over Napier and Hastings and the imj mediate surrounding country. They followed up the Esk Valley to the Ma- ’ tahoura railway viaduct, on the East Coast railway line, and back over Lake Tutira. They then followed the main highway to Tangoio, and on the return from northern Hawke’s Bay followed the coast back to Hastings. MR SEMPLE’S TELEGRAM. On their return to Wellington, Mr. Webb and Squadron Leader Gibson reported, on their inspection to Mr. Semple, who immediately dispatched the following telegram to Mr. W. L. Newnham, inspecting engineer of the Public Works Department, who is at present in Hawke’s Bay:—Mr. Webb and Mr. Gibson have just returned from an inspection by air. The magnitude of the disaster is beyond anticipation. I suggest that you get in touch with the Hon. W. E. Barnard, M.P. for Napier, and Mr. E. L. Cullen, M.P. for Hawke’s Bay, and local body represen-1 tatives, at once, and advise them to form a relief committee whose job- it will be to investigate all cases of hardship, with a view to giving immediate relief: and that you take charge of the committee on behalf of the Government. I also suggest that you get into communication at. once with Air Mapping, Hastings, and instruct them to make an aerial survey of. the damaged area, and forward all necessary information to this office as soon as possible. The. Government will stand the cost. Those people whose homes are affected may be employed to clean up the surroundings to give access, the cost to be met by the Government. . Please co-operate with Mr. A. Dinnie, i District Engineer. Napier, in giving i temporary access where practicable as , soon as possible. I have arranged for i a Baffin aeroplane to proceed to Hast- ; ings first thing to-morrow morning, 1 which will be at your disposal for the 1 delivery of foodstuffs, etc. In an interview this evening Mr. t Semple said that as a result of the in- i spection already made, it was esti- : mated that the damage to public works i roads and bridges, exclusive of that to 1 railway lines and suffered by coun- 1 ties, was £200,000. That was a rough 1 estimate, which was the result of a 1 very hurried examination. Indeed, the 1 amount might be a great deal more ! than that sum. It was impossible to * estimate the damage to private property at present. 1 The occurrence was one of the worst ’ calamities that had befallen the Dominion, and from the point of view of J loss of property, both public and private, the damage appeared to exceed that caused by the Napier earthquake. In many places fences were completely covered with silt, and some of the houses were full of silt up to the win- j dows.

Everything humanly possible,would be done to give immediate relief, and to restore conditions to normal, said Mr. Semple. Prompt action had been taken by the Government to deal with the situation. It seemed that it would be necessary to transfer men and plant from the East Coast railway line, and to muster competent labour and modern equipment so as to give the maximum relief in the minimum time. Mr. Webb said no one could form any conception from the air. He felt sure that many owners of the hill land had no idea of the damage that had been caused in the back country. The flat parts of the Esk and Tangoio valleys were completely submerged. The Baffin aeroplane which is to leave Wellington to-morrow morning to be placed at the disposal of Mr. Newnham for dropping supplies to isolated settlers, will be piloted by Squadron Leader S. Burrell, adjutant of the Wellington Territorial Squadron. TOWNSHIP ISOLATED. HASTINGS, April 28. . The Township of Te Haroto, with a population of 70, has been completely out of touch with the outside world since the beginning of the flood. Telephone communication -with Napier was restored this afternoon after a break of five days. Hemmed in by slips, the township, which is close to Tarawera, and 50 miles from Napier on the Taupo road, has no shop, and has been very short of food for most of the last week. Several cases of sickness have occurred during the period of isolation. i ! ESK VALLEY HAVOC. . •. NAPIER, April 29. A tour of inspection through the Esk Valley yesterday, revealed) condi-

tions unprecedented in the history of the district. It is fully as bad as reported earlier in the week. The whole valley isi a sea of silt and wreckage. The floodwaters' have receded leaving silt over everything, varying in depth from two to twelve feet. Photographs taken yesterday show a man stepping off the silt on to the roof of a house. Another shows mud and wreckage hiding the whole of a residence up to the eaves. The. main road, recently resurfaced -with bitumen, is completely covered under feet of silt. At one point, it is almost possible to reach up and touch the telegraph wires. Fence lines disappeared and the whole scene is one of utter desolation. \ It must be months before , direct road communication with the n’orth is restored. The removal, of silt from farmlands is out of the question. The farmers will have to start again on ji. surface of heavy silt deposit.

IN POVERTY BAY. GISBORNE,. April 28. Conditions on the roads throughout the district showed considerable improvement to-day, and with a continuance of good weather, the restoration of main overland communications will be possible by the end of the week on the East Coast. ■' On southern roads, all obstacles are now negotiable as far as Wairoa, with the exception of one creek in each case. The difficulty on the inland route is a washed-out culvert at Te Reinga, and on the Morere road the destruction of a bridge near Muriwai effectively prevents through traffic. Car services, however, are now operating on both roads, passengers being transferred at the impassable points. Communication between Wairoa and Napier is still closed, and the date of reopening’is uncertain. The road from Wairoa to Waikaremoana is reported to be seriously damaged in many places, and tourists are marooned at the Lake House. Gisborne is still without a water supply. Auxiliary supplies so far have reached only some sections of the town. The main are gradually being filled, however, and it is expected that to-night a trickle of water at least will have reached most parts of the reticulated area.

Telegraphic communication with outside centres is still uncertain. It has been found possible to clear all traffic each night; but the only landline available gives trouble during the day, when the department is largely dependent upon the emergency radio sets, whose capacity is limited.