HEAVY FLOODS AT MARLBOROUGH
[Prom the Marlborough Press, April 27.1
The subject thatjhas engrossed general attention; during the past week, has been the high floocf caused by the overflowing of the Wairau river, || a breach which has been made through the Opavgw near the j unctiqn of the two rivers. We 'have beei| almost entirely cut off from communication with 1 other parts of the Province^pr five days, and even now, while we are writing, the rivers are so high as to endanger the lives of those "who venture to cross them except in boats ; but the cause of the flood at the town of Blenhiem was the immense.Jioantity of water flowing from the Opawa intofJ|^X)maka. The Wairau river was up last Safcu*dJ|band the Opawa and Omaka on Sunday, early^P the morning. The little bridge near the school was carried away entirely, as well as the centre support from the Omakafoot bridge ; but the bridge itself, although the river ■was up to the square tubular box which forms the platform, and frequently washing over it, withstood the pressure for about three hoursj when the river went down. Much anxiety was felt about the bridge, and as it bent more and more, ;ujritil it nras almost in the form of a bow, all who ■witnessed it thought that the bridge must give way. This, however, did not happen then, and tne temparary abatement of the flood induced us to believe that the bridge would stand ; but towards nine o'clock the next evening, when the flood had risen some inches higher than on the previous day, the elasticity of the bridge wasaagain tested, and it forced the end resting on tWlow bank of the river from the two piles between, which it was placed, and swung round to the other side, to which it had been secured by a rope. On Tuesday the bridge was hauled ashore on the low side of the river, where it now remains. A great body of water ran down the approaches to the ford of the Omaka at Blenheim, making deep holes and washing away a portion of the bank, though not much damage was done. From this ford to about half the distance to the ford of the Opawa river, parties went to and fro in boats on the low side of the road, and the water from the Opawa rose for a considerable distance, covering the fence below the brewery. T4s||poiad from the Opawa to the Big Bush was at least a foot and a half deep in the shallowest places, and several feet of water were on the road through the bu3h. The road from the Steamboat Wharf to Gouland's Ferry was about three feet deep on Tuesday, and the bridge nearly opposite the Maori pah was displaced. At the Ferry-houae the boat was secured to the verandah, and the punt was on a level with the banks at the approach. On the other side of the Wainm river the water was very high, and the road towards the Sandy Creek was found to increase so much in depth that it became impossible to proceed through it and reach the high land. The bridge near Massacre hill, -we have been informed, has been swept away, but the Tua Marina bridge is yet standing, and the road from there to Picbon was tolerably good. A portion of the Wairau Plain was flooded, and the potato crop, it is anticipated, will bo injured. The sawyers at the Big Bush will 'also suffer some loss.
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Bibliographic details
Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 4, Issue 192, 25 May 1861, Page 3
Word Count
589HEAVY FLOODS AT MARLBOROUGH Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 4, Issue 192, 25 May 1861, Page 3
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