THE WEATHER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10111, 9 August 1893, Page 5

THE WEATHER.

[Per PiiEf.s Association.! AUCKLAND, August 8. Since the landslip at Birkenhead on Saturday, over one hundred thousand tons of earth have been precipitated oyer the road and the lower land, placing the adjoining house property in immediate danger. A meeting of residents last night decided to ask the Government to open up the road for traffic, and suggested that the co-operative works system might he adopted. The Waikato floods have so far subsided in the Waikato as to allow of trains getting to Huntley. The Waikato down trains are now able to reach Huntley. The Waikato river Is now in high flood, and the only way of getting from Auckland through to Waikato is by steamer and by Mercer to Huntley. Traffic by road and rail is fairly suspended. In some parts of the Lower Waikato there is much damage by flood. Many families have been flooded out, and the river is overflowing its banks. Various parts of the country near Mercer and Huntley are inundated for miles. The mines at Huntley are stopped for want of trucks. The Natives at Mercer have deserted their whares and gone back to the hills. The continued rains are becoming serious to the farmers. Paddocks between Auckland and Waikato are cut up by cattle as if they had been lately ploughed. Very few of the crops now in the ground are expected to be saved, and those who have not ploughed and sown will for many days to' come be unable to do so. Many sheep-farmers are also losing a number of lambs, and many head of cattle are lying dead in ponds and swamps along the railway linos between Cambridge and Mercer. It was expected that early next month the Eotorua railway would have been opened to the Cross roads, Tonirings, but owing to the long spell of bad weather the opening is indefinitely postponed. Mr Fallon, the contractor for the last section, has only been able to work three days during the last fortnight. The contractors for bridges are unable yet to get timber on the ground, though nearly three months’ time of the contract has elapsed. WBSTPOET, August 8. The weather broke this afternoon after a long spell of rain and high winds. Several vessels loaded ready to sail have been detained, but nine which were in port sailed this evening for various destinations, carrying in, the aggregate -1300 tons of coal.