THE SOUTHERN FLOOD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2337, 19 June 1868, Page 3

THE SOUTHERN FLOOD.

(From the Timaru. Herald, June 17.) The streets io Timaru, on Saturday morning, were pouring water into the sea, and it became evident that if the rain continued much longer the town would be flooded. A gully which runs in a westerly direction for about two miles and debouches into the sea in the heart of the town, had on two previous occasions caused damage by draining water down which was unable to get off through the culvert running under the main road and the premises of Messrs Russell and Co. This culvert, we believe, is only two feet by three feet, but until the present year it has always answered the purpose for which it was put down. On Saturday afternoon the water, which hud been increasing rapidly, began to rim acrosi the main street and through the vard of Messrs Russell and Co., into the pea. It soon increased to a stream about two feet in depth, and entered the cellar and lower storey of Beswiek's Bond. The new offices of Mr F. LeCren, adj lining the bond, were also inundated, and it was feared that the foundation of the store belonging to Messrs Russell and Co., and occupied by Mr Fleming would be undermined, and the building fall to the ground. A number of volunteers, when the danger was perceived, at once set to work to make a channel for the water so m to divert the main body of it from tin centre of the store, and direct it through tlieyardof Messrs Kussell. Their wool store, which contained a few thousand bushels of grain, was flooded and all the lower tier of tho bags damaged, besides several hales of wool packs. The water rose in the garden of the Bank of New Zealand unpleasantly near the premises, and in the shop of Mr Watkins, chemist, it rose to a height of fi'e feet six inches, and destroyed a lot of chemicals A little higher up the gully the glass cases belongim; to Mr French, gardener, were filled with water and washed from the ground. Tho bridge crossing the gully at the approach to tst Mary's Church was under water, and private houses in several parts of the town were fl inded, causing great unpleasantness and some little L-ss. 'I he flood washed iown a brick wall dividing the residences of Mr Byrne from the premises of Mr Bilton, and caused some damage to the back part of the premises of the latter, by the falling of the wall upon the side of the house.

The flood ..Niched its height about seven o'clock on "SattlrrJayrrtglttin the'town, and subsided more rapidly than it bad risen, 1 luring this time tbe inhabitants in town were without any information with respect to the country, but it was known that the Saltwater creek on the south, and the Washdyke on the north were flooded, the water having risen in both eases higher than it did at the flood in February. Indeed, there was no reliable intelligence of the effect of the storm upon the country until the arrival of the mails on Monday, when it was learned that private property had not been sacrificed to any serious extent

The water at Woollcombe's gully on Saturday and i-umlay was higher than has been known for e'even years, bein.< some feet higher than in the last heavy flood. The lagoon at the mouth of the Waimaitati creek,

was so surcharged with water running out from the creek, t ! mt it extended its limits up beyond the main north road to the debouchment of the creek into the lagoon; the water covered a large area of ground, to the south inundating a very considerable portion of Mr Woollcombe's paddocks, and to the north, covering the ground very nearly up to the cottages built along the main north rami,

hereby convening the whole of the low land nto a large lake. Fortunately but little iantage was done as the ground at this time if th« year is lying fallow, otherwise if cropied, very sei ions loss to property would have msnid. On bundiy, a gang of men set to ivork to dig a trench through the shingle

bank to allow a passage for the water into the sea. About nine o'clock on Sunday night, the iagoon made a way fur itself through the opening, fir by daylight the valley was ntirely clear of water and the lagoon itself nearly dry. At the Washdyke, the water rose most rapidly on Saturday afternoon, the whole flat presenting the appeurance of a large lagoon. The bridge was soon ( under water, as well as the main road for a considerable distance on

each side of it, reaching on the north bank very nearly to the Washdyke Hotel, At four o'clock the water was still rising, and was then within a few inches of the great flood in February, but the weight of water in the lagoon soon afterwards became so great that it burst away a large portion of the shingle bank at the south end, bordering on

the sea, and a channel, twelve or fourteen feet deep and several chains wide, was scoured out, and the whole flat speedily drained. ()n Sunday morning a heavy stream was still running, and a gentleman in attempting to ford it, had to swim his horse. On Saturday, be'ore the lagoon broke out into the sea, several persons proceeded along the shingle Imnk to view the wreck of the Despatch, and it was feared that all of them bad not returned before the lugoon broke out.

One person was seen on the beach and made signals f-»r assistance, but when a boat was taken across the lagoon, which was convejed from the Government Landing Service by order of Inspector Buckley for the purpose, no sign of any distressed person could be found. We believe that after a walk of several mile? the per«on who had made the signal, managed to cross the swampy ground and get to ut stone hut building near the Seadown paddock, where he spent the remainder of the nidit. Agood deal of damage was done to the approaches to the Washdyke bridge, the earth on tha north end having been scoured out right down to the foundation. The bridge itself lias slightly sunk down in one part, and it is feared that the foundations are injured. The Chairman of the Levels Koad Board inspected the bridge on Sunday morning, and ordered it to be closed until temporary repairs were effected. On the Levels plains little damage was done that we have yet heard of. The New River by Young's farm received a large volume of water from tha Opihi, and was turned into a rushing river. It rose to a considerable height, and washed away a portion of the shingle ford at the main road crossing,

receutly constructed by the Levels Road Hoard. Pome of the farmers living near this stream left their houses and went to the Washdyke Hotel, fearing a repetition of the February flood. In Gaffney's creek there was a heavy stream of water, hut it did not rise so as to flood the adjoining country. The Temuka district escaped with little damage, The river rose very high and

threatened another flood, but fortunately did not inundate the township. Some of the inhabitants of the lower portion of the township left their houses and took refuge in the higher parts of the town. An accident happened to Cobb's coach, which was crossing the river on Sunday night, through its getting into a deep hole, whereby it was capsized The horses and uwils were at once got out of the liver, but the coach remained in the hole until Monday morning. Fortunately, there were no passengers in the coach at the time of the mishap.

The river Opihi was in a heavy fresh, hut no accounts of any serious damage have reached us.

The country south of Timaru has in the present instance suffered more heavily than that to the north, by the damage done to public property. The mail to the Waitaki is carried for n long distance by a horseman, culverts, bridges, and approaches being either washed, away or injured, and the money spent in temporary nffairs all wasted. The flood at the Saltwater Creek was about the same as that of February last. The water rose in the creek nine or ten feet and flooded the gardens of Mr Fitch and Mr Driller, and covered the main south road for several chains. Mr Driller's accommodation house and outbuildings were also under water, and he whs compelled to seek rt-fuge elsewhere. Higher up the same creek, Mr Fyfe, of Timaru bad a quantity of fencing washed away at his farm. Two newly made fords were also washed away, '>n Saturday evening the water burst through the shingle bank into the sen, and very quickly drained the country. On the main road to (ho Vareora, the new approaches to the culverts Bettled down a good deal, but were not otherwise injured. Mr El worthy and Mr Bristol have both lost a quantity of fencing. Beyond the Otivio the country is not open for dr.iy traffic, as nearly all the repairs made since the last flood have been destroyed, We have yet received no authentic accounts from the Waimate district, but we hear that all the culverts and bridges have been more or less injured or carried away.

The Oamaru Times of June 16, says:— The weather during Thursday, Friday, and Saturday has been perfectly fearful. It rained incessantly from '! hursday mornintr until late on Saturday night, with a stiff breeze occasionally increasing to the force of s gale from the south and south-east. The barometer fell to 28, and the temperature was uncomfortably low ; the whole aspect of the elements being wintry and miserable in the extreme. There was a very l.eavy sea on in the roads j indeed nearly as bid a sea as during the disastrous February gales, Fortunately there were, from Friday afternoon, uo voxels in the Bay, oceptthe Comerang, wheh arrived on the morning of that day The sea although getting up was not sufficiently high to prevent her discharging her cargo for this port, which consisted of only a few packages ; hut shortly afterwards, the heavy rollers which came in rendered it impossible to take anything out of her, About two p.m. the blue peter was hoisted as a signal to proceed to sea; and she got up steam, and about four o'clock stood out in the teeth of tho wind, rolling a good deal among the breakers. She was anxiously watched until she was seen safely to wear the point, and considerable uneasiness was felt as to how it might fare with her, seeing that she was very light in the water, and had

it was feared but a small stock of cools. On Saturday morning two guns were heard, at an interval of about a quarter of an hour, shortly after midnight, and two more betweennine and ten a.m. This circumstance, added to the finding of a pair of cabin doors on the beach, brought up hy the tide, led to gloomy antic : patioii9 as to the possibility of the steamer, or some other vessel, having foundered or gone ashore. Up to the time of writing this we have heard of no wreck anywhere on the const. Were it not that we learn that all tbe cabin fitting of the February wrecks have been removed, we should have supposed the doors referral to belonged to tlui Star of Tasmania or Water Nymph, but as it is, they remain at present n mystery of the sea. -Tlio rivers and orecks rose rapidly in oonsequenee of the deluge of water which was poured down from the hills, the Oamaru Creek running through the Thames street brMge with a force and speed which gave it, for the time, the appearance of a dangerous river. Fortunately, the rain became intermittent on Sunday, and ce-iaed altogether on the evening of that day, or the whole of the gully must have been under water. One end of the bridge recently erected at the landingplace, was undermined, but beyond this, we have not heard of any damage being done in the immediate neighbourhood, except at Totaru, where tbe approaches to the bridge have been washed away. The rivers have, of coarse, been impassaMe, awl no coach has reached here from Dunedin since Friday night. Yesterday the weather had quite cleared up, and augured well for a spell of sunshine.

Mr Kutherford, the driver of the Dunedin coach, last evening, finding the Wniarelca at Totsua impassable by a vehicle, swam one of the hoMes across, and arrived in town about half-past nine o'clock. Two of the passengers were also crossed, and started for town with one of the coach lanterns.

The Otago Daily Times of June 15 says:— The heavy ruin of Friday has resulted in a flood which, in some parts of the Province, at least, has been more severe than (hat which occurred four or five months ago. That tlood was, fortunately, confined to a comparatively narrow strip nf country from the sealioird; hut the present one, it is to be feared, ha* extended over nearly the whole province. The Cltitha, which was scarcely at all affected on the former occasion, has now been greatly flooded.

The gale accompanying the flood has been scarcely less severe than its predecessor, and it has caused a terrific sea on the coast. So far as we have yet beard, the gale has been less productive of wrecks on the Coast. The flood has again caused serious damage to the main road, uorth and south of Dunedin. On each side there have been heavy landslips, culverts have been burst, and bridges have been damaged. '1 lie Taieri began to rise rapidly about seven o'clock on Friday morning; and at the West Taieri the water rose above the level of the preceding flood, which was the highest then on record. Along the main north road, however, the 11 oding has not been so great as it was on the previous occasion; so that the Plain has probably suffered less. There has been nothing like the eight or nine miles of water which stretched aloog the road line a few months ago. The road has, however, been much flooded, and is in a dreadfully cut-up state for several miles on this side of the Knst Taieri bridge; an important culvert has blown up in the Waihola Gorge neighbourhood; and near Tokomairiro a small bridge and some culverts have dis appeared, and left chains which, on Saturday, were not pas-able by vehicles. The Tuapeka district has suffered greatly. A telegram in the same paper dated Lawrence, Saturday, says:—A very large flood has been caused by a heavy fall of rain and snow. The lower portion of Lawrence was under water on Friday night. The road suffered severely. The approach ou the Tuapeka side of Waitahuna bridge i 3 washed away. Friday's coach not arrived, The weather is still unsettled.

A report from West Taieri, written on Saturday, gives the following particulars:— When the river began to rise on Friday morning, Mr Campbell, who is in charge of the repairs of the bridge, got his men together, and, though with great difficulty, succeeded in securing much of the timber, &c, which is required for the work. The whole party bad constantly to work up to their armpits in water.The river continued to rise so rapidly, that most of the residents in the village sought safety on high ground About seven o'clock in the evening, Mounted Constable Carter went towards Mr Kkhardson's flour-mill on the Whaie Creek, to ascertain if the people there were in danger. Finding that they were greatly so, Carter returned to the \Ve«t Taieri Hotel, and called for volunteers in an attempt to save Mr Richardson and family. John Buchanan, David Buchanan, Mr Stsr- | buck, and a boatman known as " Bill," at once joined Carter. Together, they took the ' boat belonging to the Government—dragged

her overland to the creek—again launched her and contrived, after very'great difficulty, in saving Mr Richardson and his family. The Outrani Hotel, to which Dany went for safety during the last fluod, was considered to be iu danger when the report was written early on Saturday morning. The river was then still rising; and Mr Tynan and his wife had been compelled to leave the hotel. On Friday evening a number of persons had gathered for safety on the premises of Mr Kobinson, storekeeper; but it was found that they could not continue to remain there, and they made their way to the Buckeye Hotel. All the settlers who could manage to do so, loosed their cattle and horses, and drove them on to the hills.