HUTT RIVER IN FLOOD

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 28, 4 December 1930, Page 12

HUTT RIVER IN FLOOD

ENGINEEB'S WOja?: TBXED OW?.

[ Tke rapidity, witft which the Hutf river breaks into flood, was exemplified anthe small lioura of last Thursday . ■when niany of the residents along r it& banks were awakened 'by this noiao-/of> rus&jng^vater, about their ; preanisoa. y vw.^ O^ing to "the heavy rains in the up-; per-rei^chos v i;h,a; river had;Vfor severer days been swollen and although, some are; of the opinion tliatthe warn\ rain of the previous day was responsible for the melting of -the snow on the Tararuas and which was the •cause of the ■sudden flood, it thas since, been pointed out by one who has made a study, of the position, that no snow water conies into the EOutt Eiver and it is much more probable that a cloud burst was the cause of the flooding. The first alarm was given by Mr. J. Searle. ■.pne of the Board's employeos Tand who lives . close to 'the* river in Tennyson Avenue, .Taita. Ho was. awakened by the noise of the rushing waters and immediately Went to the assistance of Mi's. Palmer and her childien who 'live t-10-,0 by. and quickly removed them to his own home where" they wore in safety The puiblic will profit by this timely warninjj. a-- it lias fully demonstrated the isidoni of the bi>ard in refusing to grant permission for this land to be sulbdi\ ided and used for building purposes. I\l~r. Slavic then called his father ; -who is the boards overseer, wli'o in "turn got into telephonic communication with the chairman of tho board. Air. F. .*-!. Hewer and the clerk. Jlv. A. J. Gea ruling, who ■were quickly on the b'ceno and made a tour of inspection. It wa& estimated thact the liver had ritfen fully Oft above normal level, which i> the biggest flood since 1915.. • At feilvoTstream- and north of the ' i raijway bridge, the water was rus-hing ! over the road to a depth, of 3ft. At ■ this point, the board's jua-isdictiou ceases and, as high floods always atj tack this part and there is the^ ppssij bility of tho road, being aw<ay, [ it seems .to <be very essential that no . time should, bo lost in placing this fur- ' ther area under the lirotcetion of tht* ■Hi vev Board. The toll bridge, ,wihicli <\rpj>scs to Haywards at the Taita .Qiorge ; was awash to the. depth Qf some 12. inches and proibalbly had- a very close call from being wrecked, as a huge logwhi<}h. was fount! clinging to the bridge had struck it with considerable force, breaking several of the catbles and throwing it some 8 inches out ( of alignment. Although tie flood had threatented to wash, away the approach to the ibridge, and a comparatively. small amount of damage had been done, it was-quite evident that had it not bejen for a good patch of gorse which had , undoubtedly cheeked the force' of the I flood, not only would the road have been tcmoved, :but also tiie building which is used as a tea rooms in sxvinmer, would have been quickly sta&ked up on Petone beach. At the narrow part of the Taita Gorge, where a few j;ears ago the riyer threatened to take away the whole of ■ .the road^ it was interesting to note the wonderful result of the Eiver Board ?s; protective -worts which have thrown t»IG main channel well away from the danger point, v Road, evidence was again given of the folly of eery tain people in ignoring the advice of the board and building houses in an

; old riyeribed,. Two Rouses are built, in 7rl(at, -.igsa uzirtil, a f.OW years ajjo, tjke^ niaiii. layer. channel and; ono is- oj^u^ie^l; :^y a wh^/ \^th/; fii?/^ml^v Jiad some dWfic-ulty in making ha?, escape w;h,en awarkened by tEe jtovor Board's ; -party."', 'Cajnp .^>ad, aeighioura who live w^Ein '■■ t&e si«pb^n^ Mrs Cacace and Mrs; Moliaren.'' and her "daughter, fiad left tjieir respective residence and were conveyed' to safety by tho BiVer Board's party who found them, in difficulties about 4 a.m.

The Board's pirat on which -was an engine and a derrick for pile driving, was' moored slightly north of the old Hutt Bridge, broke away, capsized and wtis found stacked up against one of the groynes at Strank Park ' From this point to the sea, no damage was done as the bed of the river is both wide and deep due to the extensive operations of tho various shingle plants and to the removal of tho "bottle neck. y bolow the railway bridgo which was the cause of considerable criticism at the time when it was removed to form the ballast for the Waterloo Railway line a few years ago. The value of* the Board's willow plantations was again demonstrated. In every case they did ail that was ex--pectetl of them and were tho means of saving prohaibly the whole district from the ravages of flood, •