GREAT FLOODS AT THE THAMES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 132, 20 July 1881, Page 3

GREAT FLOODS AT THE THAMES.

(per united press association.)

THAMES, Last Night.

The' severest and most destructive flood ever experienced at tbe Thames occurred on Saturday night. The ram was incessant for forty-eight hours, and all tbe creeks were so flooded as to carry away ]the bridges and bring dowa thousands of tons of debris. Two men were washed away, one body only being recovered. About fifty million feet of baulk timber ■was washed to the boonas at Shortland Mills, and millions were washed to sea. 1 The damage to the town was very great, and is estimated at £20,000. The Borough Corporation put on fifty men to repair the damages, and estimates they ,will requite to make good the injury to the culverts, streets, &c. At and around Pacific corner in Graharustown, the' principal damage done was by the backwater, owing to the usual course of the Waiotahi, creek being blocked up, and the whole of the water finding its i- way down Upper Pollen street, Abraham ,street, and Queen street into Albert street and Brown street, seriously cutting up a roadway, in its passage. These large volumes of water meeting an, unusually high tide, it flooded the whole of the buildings round the Pacific corner. The floors of the Pacific Hotel, the Wharf Hotel, Exchange Buildings, R. B. "McGregor's, Osborne Bros., Marshall's Clothing Factory, and M. Brown and Co.'s premises, were several feet underwater. The Advertiser offics was also deeply flooded. Besides these, most of the premises in Lower Albert and •Brown streets were move or less damaged by the- flooding.

The domestic water supply, water race, and some of the county races, have been destroyed, and the water cut off. The body recovered is that of Daniel Boyle, of Shortland ; the other was a 'Maori. Many small dwellings were washed away, and much damage has 'been done to batteries.

1 The Captain of the Rotomahana says he saw a waterspout break over the town as he approached it from Auckland. Later.

The estimated damage now of the flood is ;820,000 to local works, county waterrace, borough reservoirs, culverts, creeks, and bridges. Some storekeepers are completely mined. Tbe opinion is now confirmed that it is the result of a waterspout, for localities each side of the borough are comparatively little injured. Tbe county and borough authorities have telegraphed to the Government for assistance.