LAND FLOODED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 169, 18 June 1936, Page 6

LAND FLOODED

LARGE AREA COVERED. RIVER NOW FALLING. Reaching a height of 15 feet at the Fitssherbert bridge and remaining at that level for tour hours, the Manawatu River overflowed its banks at Hamilton’s Bend and at Coley’s Bend yesterday. Although a large area of land was covered in the vicinity of Hamilton’s Bend and later in the Taonui basin, the waters were held at Coley’s ' Bend by a second bank. At 9 a.m. to-day the level at the Fitzherbert bridge was Bft 3in. Late yesterday morning the water came through a gap in the banking being carried out at Hamilton’s Bend, where a gap has- yet to be finished. The water reached a high level in the middle of the afternoon and the flow continued for many hou:s. Lower down the water which came over at Hamilton’s Bend advanced across the paddocks and joined another flow which came round the bottom end of the Hamilton’s Bend banking. Between the bottom end and the Rangitane bridge the water overflowed at several places and rapidly filled a depression on adjacent land. .From there it advanced on the road, and this morning was still running away between the holdings of Messrs C. W. Alve and IT. W. Alve. It was expected that it would be some time before all the water would be gone. Crossing the main highway between the Jackeytown Road and Hamilton’s Line, and from that point southwards, the water flowed toward the HalfCrown Bend but did not go over the railway line. An escape was made near the Half-Crown Bend and the water went on to Messrs Harrison and Lett’s property very quickly about 4 p.m. Early this morning there was still a large quantity of water about. From there the flood waters proceeded to the Taonui basin and rapidly covered a wide area. At 9 a.m. to-day a “Standard” reporter found that the water was still over the highway immediately south of Hamilton’s Line corner and a light truck was abandoned on the roadway there. ' Silt was showing inside the floorboards, indicating that the water had reached a height of two feet or more.

Across the railway line, in the Taonui basin, there was a large expanse of water stretching toward the Mam Drain. The river level had then fallen considerably and the flood water was receding slowly. As far as could be ascertained, no stock were lost, although a number had been marooned on higher land near the fiver at the end of Hamilton s Line. After 6 p.m. yesterday the water level at the Fitrh-erbert brirlge gauge commenced to fall steadily. From that hour the readings of the gauge, until 2 a.m., were as follow:—2 p.m., loft; 6 pan., 15ft; 6.15 p.m., 14ft 9m; 7.30 p.m.-, 14ft Gin; 7.45 p.m., 14ft 3in; 8 p.m., 14ft; 9 p.m., 14ft; 10 p.m., 13ft 6in ; 11 p.m., 13ft; midnight. 12ft 3in; 1.30 a.m., 10ft 9in ; 2 a.m., 10ft. At 1 p.m. to-day the gauge read 7ft 6iu.

■ CRISIS PASSED. COLEY’S BEND DANGER. With the Manawatu River swirling in against the soft bank in full force, fears of serious flooding in the Makerua area adjacent to Coley’s bend were held last evening and twenty men were engaged in placing sand-bags, under the direction of the Makerua Drainage Board’s foreman (Mr R. V. Tucker), in mi attempt to prevent the water from bursting through. The danger was very great, but a large expanse of land was saved from inundation by the new loop bank recently constructed as a temporary protection against floods should the main bank be broached at the points where- it had been weakened by previous erosion. The ultimate intention is to erect a permanent system of banking further back. At midnight, as laid been anticipated, sections of the old bank collapsed. Flood water poured through and filled up the depression, fourteen chains long, between it and the new bank. It appeared inevitable that the water would next pour oyer the second bank and flood the surrounding countryside, but just when the crisis had been reached, the level of the water began to fall, relieving a dangerous situation, as it was actually spilling over the top of the bank m places, and the protective work was becoming spongy. J.t was considered this morning that the danger of a flood there was over. Due to the swollen Tokomaru River backing up through being unable to discharge its full volume into the Manawatn River, water overflowed on to the Mukapai property just south of the bridge last night, but the inundation was not of a serious nature, and the level of the river was receding fast this morning.

POSITION AT RANGIOTU. WATER FALLING SPEEDILY. (From Our Own Correspondent.) RANGIOTU, June 18. At mid-day to-day there was about two feet of water over the main highway at a point in the vicinity of Rangiotu, but motor-cars were able to utc the road without any appreciable difficulty. The road toward Rangitano and north of there is clear.

There iis still a large volume of water lying over land in the vicinity of the township, toward Rangitane, but the drains are running full and drawing it off quickly. A lake of several hundred acres near the railway station is expected to show an appreciable drop shortly. The banking along the Alangawhata Road held isecurc and no stock Josses have been reported in this district.

AT FOXTON. A TEMPORARY BLOCKAGE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) FOXTON, June 18. For some lime last evening 1'ox;on was isolated with the exception of the Wanganui highway. The Manawatu River left its bed at Poplar and flowed over the Poplar Road completely blocking it and covering the Foxton-Sliamion highway. The Whirokino section of the Foxlon-I.cvin highway was covered with liflecn inches of water car'.iei in the - afternoon and was impassable by night. Work on the deviation is hampered as a result. The Foxton-Palmcrston North, via Rangiotu highway, was also blocked for a time at Rangiotu. However all routes with the exception of the Whirokino arc now passable again. As a result of the flood, flax-mills arc held up. There are no stock losses reported from the jMoutoa as farmers had ample time to remove stock.