DELUGE BOTH SIDES OF SOUTHERN ALPS

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2314, 5 December 1925, Page 9

DELUGE BOTH SIDES OF SOUTHERN ALPS

Worst Flood For Years Around Kaiapo* TRAINS AND MOTOR SERVICES SUSPENDED [Per Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH Last Night. A nor'-west gale yesterday melted the snow on the ranges and as there was a torrential downpour during the night ,the Waimakariri is in heavy ilood. It has broken its north bank at Clarkviile, near Kaiapoi and it is thought the flood will be the worst experienced for many years in the Clarkviile and Coutts Island locality. Stock has had to be removed and it is feared extensive damage will be done to the cereal and hay crops. The Main North road is impassable and the Railway department has had to attach carriages to its goods trains to enable people to reach ChVistchurch from the country districts. GREYMOUTH MENACED FOR HOURS. FLOOD REACHES WITHIN FOOT OP WHARF. ALL TRAINS AND MOTORS HELD UP. GREYMouTH Last Night. Floods in the Grey river and tri-butaries-resulting from heavy northerly rains last night and this mom ing nearly resulted to-day in the town being inundated, the waterreaching within a foot of the wharf level and being above the level of the adjacent streets. The stream remained menacing all afternoon till 6 o’clock, when it began to fall and bj ten p.m., It had gone down over a couple of feet, thus removing fears of an overflow at high tide at 1 a.m. to-morrow. The water however, percolated into the streets in places, sqf.ne parts being inundated to the depth of a foot The lagoons are greatly swollen a.id the Omoto racecourse is a sheet of water, also - Coal Creek Flat, where the homesteads are isolated. The rainfall was heaviest up country, 13 inches falling in 24 hours at Otira. The railway is blocked this side of Otira, while 200 feet of line was damaged near Arthur’s Pass, on the other side of the tunnel. No overland trains ran to-day and the Reefton trains were delayed two hours by damage to the line at two points. There was no motor traffic to May in Duller Gorge. The Grey road to Reefton is blocked by bridge damage near Ngahere. The combined rail and traffic bridge over the Grey river between Ngahere and Blackball has lost the support of two spans, and the rail alone is holding the flooring now. Washouts are general and several slips occurred on the road from Kurnara to Otira and the Teremakau river is in high flood, but no damage in that locality has been reported. The chief damage at Oreymouth la due to water invading the premises The cellars of nearly all hotels near the waterfront are flooded and from one a stream of water poured throughout the afternoon info the street and over the floors. It is doubtful if the overland trains wil bo able to run to-morrow. The weather is now line, but overcast. MOTOR LORRY WASHED DOWN CREEK. HOKITIKA, Last Night. Following a continuous downpour on Thursday night, heavy floods occurred throughout Westland to-day, and a great amount of minor damage is reported. At, Slatey Creek, three miles from Walho, on Thursday afternoon, a motor lorry owned by John Salisbury, laden with merchandise, became stuck in the creek bed, with a rising flood. Before it could be extricated the lorry was swept down the creek and rolled over and over. The whole of the loading was lost, and the lorry badly damagedi It is still in the creek. The flood washed out three piles in the Stuart end of Chapman’s Ltd. bridge across the Waltaha, but the upper structure is still intact. The floods are now subsiding. DOWNPOUR OVER DUNEDIN. SKIES CLEAR AGAIN. DUNEDIN. Last Night. After a downpour in Dunedin throughout the day, the weather cleared this evening and indications are that good weather will be experienced for the Forbury trots and outdoor sports to.morro-w. Present indications are for northwest to south-west winds, strong to gale. Further unsettled weather, with rain probable generally and heavy rain with flooded rivers, in the West Coast of the South Island. The barometer is falling further in the North, but will b© rising everywhere after twenty-four hours.