MILLERTON FLOOD

Grey River Argus, 26 February 1942, Page 4

MILLERTON FLOOD

MINE PARTLY IDLED Town and Granity Inundated P..A. WESTPORT, February 25. What appears to have been a cloud burst at the back of Millerton last night, was responsible for considerable damage to a reservoir, a’ road and bridges, making it impossible, for the time being, to work the main section of the mine, in which twelve pairs of miners are engaged. It is noped, however, to turn over these men to the Old Dip section, in which six pairs of men are engaged, and, by working three shifts, to keep up the normal output until work can be resumed in the main section. Some big tree trunks were carried down by the flood waters, and these broke ,the concrete banks of the dams, and the flood went through the main part of the town. The damaged pillars of the concrete bridge neai- the Library, and also a road bridge serving what is known locally as Porridge Hill, endangering the tube line bridge. Water entered Dolamore’s shop and damaged walls, but Millerton residences were well above the waterline.

Logs, boulders and silt rushed down Granity Creek, and piled _up against a bridge ..near Granity Bins. As a result of the flood, water was blocked up and overflowed into lowlying ground on the hill side of the railway line. Water entered the residence of Mr. J. McGhie, and did considerable damage to furniture. At one stage, water was running over the railway bridge and the main road bridge at Granity. Had it not been for a blockage near the bins, a serious flood would have resulted in the business area of the town. Millerton Miners OBJECT TO THREE SHIFTS. P.A. WESTPORT, February 25. Miners to-night turned down a proposal to work three shifts’ in the Old Dip section of the Millerton mine, pending the repair of the road affected by a cloudburst to the. main line. It is expected that work in the main mine will be resumed on Monday.