FLOOD TRAGEDY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 74, 24 February 1938, Page 2

FLOOD TRAGEDY

CAUSED BY BLOCKAGE. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. Per Press Association. WAIROA, Feb. 23. “The estimated damage in the disaster at Kopuawhara on Saturday morning is in the vicinity of £50,000, and vvill no doubt add three months to the time taken to complete that section of the East Coast railway.” This information was given last night by Hon. R. Semple (Minister of Public Works), after he had returned ,from the scene of the disaster.

“Men will be taken off their ordinary work to repair the damage,” he said. “Those who hqv© been through the disaster at Kopuawhara will be given a fortnight’s holiday on full pay to enable them to recuperate. “Between Nos. 4 and 5 camps a blockage took place,” continued Mr Semple. “When the logs cam© down the watercourse at terrific speed they jam bed and formed a temporary reservoir which was broken away by the rush of the torrent, which swept on to the camp. At a rough estimate, the bends of the creek could be jumped across in places at normal times. The place where the torrent checked the volume of water was some 30 feet above the normal flow. It was something that had never happened in that locality in men’s living memory. As a matter ■of fact, a totara tree near the kitchen in the camp took fully 200 years to grow to the size it was. If such a flood had happened before, the tree would have been destroyed. ‘‘The camp was situated in a safe place, having been established there eight years, when the line was going through before. At a bend just above the camp, when the water broke away, it came down at a terrific speed, feet high, struck the bend and, instead of continuing on its normal course, surged on a new one behind the camp. “The great volume of water went that way, while the overflow continued on the normal course, thus forming an island on which the men were marooned. The river, back to normal, has resumed its flow in the old channel. One could never imagine so much damage was possible in such a short time until one saw for one’s self. Huge trees were found 30ft above the normal river. It was just the same as a huge res ervoir bursting. “I am positive in my own mind,” continued Mr Semple, “that the water broke away sudenly and wrought the damage. The poor people never had a chance. It was the same as being caught in a tidal wave. ACTS OF HEROISM. “The acts of heroism on the part of the men who survived were in keeping with the true Britisher, who, when trouble copies, is called upon to risk his own life to save his mates. Mrs Cameron, who was in charge of the cookhouse, acted the part of a heroine. The Maori boys sang songs on the roof-tops to take the sense of danger away from those who were with them. The numerous stories of heroism make one proud, while many of the tales will never be known.

“I desire to convey my thanks, and the thanks of the Government, to the police for the wonderful work they did. They never spared themselves a minute. Of the workmen, I would say, ‘Thank God there as such men alive. 1 “The Government will take full responsibility for any assistance necessary,” Mr Semple said. “I am convinced in my own mind of the statement I made in Wellington, that no blame can be attached to anybody. It was one of those unforeseen calamities, an act of God—over which we have no control. I feel sad over the whole affair. The men were good, willing toilers, who were worth-while—the typo New Zealand can’t afford to lose. I want to thank the tradesmen who risked their lives to see the people had food. God forbid such a disaster may come again in our time,” concluded Mr Semple. BOYD’S CAMP INSPECTED. EFFECTS OF THE FLOOD. GREAT FORCE DEMONSTRATED. Per Press Association. GISBORNE, Feb. 23. Mr Semple, in company with Mr J. Wood (Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department), to-day inspected the site of Boyd’s Camp, which was obliterated by the flood at the same time as the Kopuawhara tragedy occurred. Boyd’s Camp is near the Gisborne end of the railway line, whereas Kopuawhara is only a few miles from the southern end.

At .Boyd’s Camp seven married couples with sixteen children and .several single men escaped in their night attire as the flood came down the Maraetaha Stream, one life being lost, a married man, Mr William Robinson, whose body has not yet been recovered. Two bridges' were also washed away. Standing on the bank of the Maraetaha River beside the site of the concrete bridge which had been washed away, Mr Semple said that what he had seen confirmed the conclusion he had arrived at previously from a study of the reports made to him in Wellington that a cloudburst had been the cause of the terrific amount of damage and appalling loss of life, and that nothing like it had happened in the history of living man in New Zealand or perhaps centuries before that.

“Evidence on both sides of the hills proves that,” Mr Semple said. “Here close by we have new evidence of old fortifications used by the Maoris in defence against Te Kooti 68 years ago. These fortifications have never been silted ui> until this flood, clear evidence that this has been a phenomenal flood. This bridge which has been washed away had three steel and concrete spans, each weighing about 50 tons. They were carried four chains down the river. They were not left on the riverbed, but thrown up on the bank. That will give some idea of the force of the water. The other bridge washed away, which was built of timber, had been up for 25 years. The previous bridge on this site was on exactly the same level and in the same position for about 40 years. “What happened here also occurred on the other side of the hills, and it was the same cloudburst. The lucky thing is that the people here were not subject to the same experience as those at Kopuawhara, where a portion of the river was blocked before the water could find a discharge. The indications at Kopuawhara were that the water just above the camp reached a level approximately 12 feet higher than + he camp site. At Boyd’s Ca.mp, on ie Gisborne side of the hills, the people were able to get away on to high ground, whereas No. 4 camp at Kopuawhara was inundated and the occupants trapped, as the stream came down like a tidal wave.” DAMAGE TO LINE. Referring to the preliminary estimate of £50,000 applied to the damage done to the railway constructional works in the Waikokopu-Gisborne area, Mr Semple stated that construc-

tion work on the line would be set back at least three months, and probably more than that, while men were being taken from the railway work tp concentrate their efforts on the reparation of flood damage. “I am pleased I have made this visit of inspection,” he said. “I have now seen for myself what has happened. It. has been one of the saddest experiences of my life. The boys who have gone were representative of New Zealand's best, and they have left their mark in the heroism displayed in their last moments as well as in the work they accomplished. My investigation has convinced me beyond doubt that no blame is attached -to anybody. As I have stated previously, it was an act of God.” Mr Semple further referred to the heroic efforts made by many of those who had perished in the Kopuawhara flood in trying to save the lives of others, and expressed deep sympathy for the relatives of the dead and encouragement to those who were left to go on with the job. “I have nothing hut the highest praise,” he added, “for the engineering staff’s work, the energies of the police, and the readiness with which tradespeople came to the rescue with food supplies, sometimes at considerable risk, for they had to traverse desolate hilltops. To all these I express the sincere'seniiments of gratitude of the Government.”

Referring again to the phenomenal nature of the flood, he said he had been told that the oldest Maoris living at the Gisborne end -of the works maintained that nothing had ever happened in Maori history to compare with the magnitude of the recent floods.