THAMES BADLY HIT.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 4 February 1936, Page 7

THAMES BADLY HIT.

SCENES OP DESOLATION IN STREETS THAMES, Sunday. The worst flood for many years in Thames caused thousands of pounds of damage between two and three o'clock this morning, when the flood waters of the Karaka creek which flows through the centre of the town, swept th,< northern Pollen street and Grahamstown areas, as a result of phenomenal rain, six inches in 2-L hours accompanying the cyclonic storm.

The conditions were reminiscent of .the flood in 1917, when i:j inches i'eil in 48 hours. The storm was preceded by a very limnid spell, the glass dropping below 29 inches and the gale continued throughout the night and forenoon. By two o'clock this morning there was high tide, all the streams overflowing, and where Karaka creek runs under Pollen street through a culvert in the central portion of the town a tree caused a blockage and the flood waters swept north along Main street through shops and houses, to " depth of over two feet and in places over three, carrying logs and boulders, and when the tide fell, leaving tons ot silt and mud in the streets and pro-

perties. When the waters receded this morning northern Pollen street was a desolate scene. The silt was heaviest between Cochrane and Patau streets, and in the vicinity of the three intersections and in Grahamstown. the older portion of the town. Business premises on the southern side of Karaka creek to Mary street also sull'ered badly.

The majority of the business people were warned in time to remove goods from the floor levels, but the property damage is considerable. Many residents jumped out of bed only to find themselves in a swirling torrent -- a

household goods floating around or carried away in the flood.

The worst sufferers were the hotelkeepers in this area, particularly the Junction Hotel which caught the main force of the overflow from the Karaka creek, also the Queen's and Park hotels, j To-day they were occupied in pumpingthe cellars and cleaning the while the shopkeepers affected were! busy rendering their premises fit foibusiness.

Braemar private hospital near the mouth of the Karaka creek was swept by nearly two feet of water with extensive damage and loss of utensils.

The Presbyterian Church, lawns and gardens adjacent to the blockage in the Karaka were the scene of ruin. They were swept bare and piled with rocks, silt and driftwood.

At the southern entrance to the town the Kauurnga river is in very high flood and isolated Thames for several hours. Fencing and stock were swept away and the losses are heavy throughout the Kauarenga valley. Big logs gave fisnermen a most anxious time protecting their fleet. A mile expanse of swirling waters swept across Parawai flats several reet deep. Rhodes park sports ground is like a lake.

The borough water race, the sole supply from several miles of the Upper Kauranga is again blocked up by a slip in the cutting which after a serious stoppage about three years age was replaced by an open ilumiut of conduit. .It is estimated it will be a week before the supply is restored to the town. Meantime there is no water for power purposes and probably a domestic shortage. The police are advised that au elderly miner named George Webster, about .10 miles north along the coast was buried in his shack by a slip. Thames Valley centres suffered heavily. The residents of the northern approach to Paeroa in the vicinity of Puke bridge over the Waihou river were rescued from the roof tops by boats. Stock losses are severe. The Hauraki Plains appears to havfi escaped severe flooding.