THE HAWKE’S BAY FLOODS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10215, 8 December 1893, Page 6

THE HAWKE’S BAY FLOODS.

A SCENE OP DESOLATION. MAORI HEROISM. ■’ rp» Pbibb Association..! *• NAPIER, Dko. 7 . Tb« flood water* ore rapidly subsiding ' U all direction*, and a better view is now final ;of tbs great loss the settlers at Clin. Xeaaee. Papakura and elsewhere have suffered. Travelling through the diitriele, .which were flooded, nothing eje but dead sheep, cattle nd daateond wops, *to say nothing 'ei rained aomee. The body of M’Farlane, drowned at Maraakaka hao, haa nob been recovered. y» ooeMotioß with this accident a Maori hapbd Hanwera performed a heroic act fcyswiamiiig the torrent of rushing waters nnd weening one of the men who were toying to save the bridge, while another Maon wrat in on horseback and rescued a ttiid inaa. ' Bagardiag the drowning of Clara ah Xaraokakahao, further particulars to hand ;show be was seen -floating IglplewlT down the stream on horsetook, and the last the terrified spectators at the accommodation house saw was |he man rolling over and' over until eventoullj he disappeared from view. Taalerday afternoon the serious interraptioß in the railway lines was repaired, nu ths train has resumed running to SasUnra. • The uousasda of head of cattle that have been drowned represent a great loss to both large and small owners, but it is doubtful whether the loss of crops is not a ware* one. Up to noon, JESBO had been collected for tha flood 1 sufferers, ■ exclusive of the country lists. A large number of boxes of olotoing Of all kinds, bread, tinned tosuts, Ac., have been sent out to relievo too tompoimry wants of the people, but a grsat dsal will have to be done to put the nsttlsn on their feet again. Many people tobe took to harvesting to bring them in n Btolsars ako sufferers, as the harvesting ■asr to bo dons in the flooded places will ksquiro too employment of no labour. A Maori rods into town this morning stattag that twenty-seven natives at Matahiwi wsiw thoroughly destitute, as their ■look and crops aca destroyed. As they are in aotoal want, n cartload of food was Their condition could nob ttrcvtouslf bo ascertained, the roads being At OUvs, today, tbs work of burying too dead stock is busily proceeding, but owing to too great number of sheep and caltio ithat* have boon drowned, it will toko nomo tiao before they can all ha clcarsdaway. Tbo youthdart, who was supposed to have boon drowned in the Ngarnroroa, baa turned up eefely. A largely-attended meeting was held to-day. at which a small but very active Cflsnmittee, with Mr Swan as Chairman, wan appointed to disburse the money saiaad.fcr toe relief of the sufferers by tot flood. Already about JB9OO has been eoUoetcd. but at least £2OOO will be needed to meet immediate requirements. WELLINGTON, Dao. 7. A public meeting, at which there was a toir attendance, was held at the City Oosaeil Chambers this afternoon to considsr what stops should be taken to afford MU* to the sufferers by the floods in the Hawks’s Bay ' district. The Mayor, Mr B. D. B«U, presided, and oonsiderfble enthusiasm was shown. Full arrangements were made for canvassing the whole d tta ait y for subscriptions, and a meeting of ladlos was arranged for an early date. Over JEIOO was subscribed in the room, Xv Bell heading the list with a donation *£» o.