Patrons Of Theatre Were “Marooned”

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 September 1947, Page 7

Patrons Of Theatre Were “Marooned”

So sudden was the rise of the flood waters in the vicinity of the Regent Theatre, at the intersection of Weld and Tancred streets, Hokitika, that the patrons at last night’s screening were “marooned” in the theatre and taxis were obtained to convey them, in relays, to dry ground in the vicinity of the clock tower. Later, the water rose in the theatre to level with the second step of the stairway leading to the circle. All the lower portion of the stalls was deeply covered with the dirty flood water and, although a new foyer carpet was lifted in time, considerable cleaning up will be required in the theatre.

All of the shops between Tancred street intersection and clock tower were similarly flooded. Among the worst sufferers were Messrs Griffen and Smith Ltd., Truman’s Ltd., Stapleton’s (three shops), K. Reece, Eastgates, Ross and Burt’s garage (recently -taken over by Thomas Bros), the Railway hotel. Perry's new store and the old shop, E. W. Heenan, N.Z.R. Road Services garage, and others in the same locality. Weld street rises sharply as it nears the intersection of Revell street and this saved the Hotel Westland from damage, the waters stopping at the top of the front doorstep. Hotels Invaded Several hotels were invaded by the flood, the worst affected being the Red Lion, which faces the wharf, opposite the Post Office. At midnight the water was over two feet deep throughout the ground floor and, although much of the furniture was lifted, the damage was severe. The guests were “marooned” on the top floor until late this morning. The Post Office, on the opposite corner, was also flooded to a depth of over a foot. Water invaded the bottom row of private letter boxes and the hirers this morning found their mail “floating” in the boxes.

Mail bags in the mail room were also soaked. The same story of water damage and trail of silt continued right up the low-lying area from the wharf, to past the Hokitika convent which had water inside to a considerable depth. The pianos were lifted but a heavy cleaning-up task faced the Sisters this morning. Business Premises Suffer

In addition to the business premises, garages and offices, a number of houses in the flood belt had water inside to a considerable depth. The occupants of the police residence, among others, had to be evacuated during the night and could not return unitil late this morning, to find the floorings covered with a thick layer of silt. In many cases, the damage caused by the water was small compared with that caused by what was borne along by the flood. This was particularly the case with the garages affected. Here, old oil arid grease was snread in a film of filth over everything and the cleaning-up process will be long and tedious. In the Red Lion Hotel the waters distributed a heap of coke in the yard and at -the peak of the flood, coke was floating in one door, through the bar and out through another door.

The Hokitika Guardian office, situated in the centre of the most heavily-flooded area, suffered severely. Some newsprint was lifted before the floor was covered, but other rolls wee damaged. Some of the machinery was also covered ’by water and . it was impossible for the paper to print , today. Hardware stores, with large stocks on floor level, also suffered, severely. They included the premises of Messrs Griffen and Smith and Renton s Hardware Ltd., both in the centre of the flood area.