Eels Occupy House

Manawatu Times, Volume LIX, Issue 7460, 10 May 1934, Page 6

Eels Occupy House

Sequel to Storm On Banks Peninsula LITTLE RIVER NOW IN BETTER POSITION Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. Although heavy rain is still falling and the southerly storm continues with its violence scarcely abated, tho plight of the unhappy peoplo of Little Liver is hotter to-day than it has been since Saturday morning, when the Hood waters roso to a dangerous height. Attempts to open .ho outlet from,. Lake Forsyth to the sea succeeded last night alter much arduous toil without risk. Ordinarily it. is considered hopeless to endeavour to open the outlet in a southerly storm, because the‘sons close it almost immediately, but on this occasion the heavy pressure of tho water, which was at an unprecedented leVel in the lake, created a scour sufficient to overwhelm the force of the waves. An opening of a few yards only was cut in the shingle pit, but this quickly widened to 70 yards and tho water rushed out through a wide and deep channel. Efforts arc now being Concentrated on repairing the Little Liver water supply.' Many 1 houses are now without water, because the pipes had been earned away or smashed. The train service is now normal and the trains are carrying water in tanks, which has provided some relief. Lain water is also being saved in all avail able receptacles. Service ears got through to-day, but. with their running boards awash in places where the road is still covered by water. It is impossible to give any reliable estimate as to the amount of damage. Bridges have gone, roads have been washed away or blocked by slips, farm lands scoured away and covered with a deposit of clay, shingle, boulders, dead timber and other flood debris, fences destroyed or damaged, and houses arc in an indescribable condition. It is also impossible to count the losses of stock. Much roadway has entirely- disappeared. A waterfall, which crashed down on to the road, scouring a deep hole, emerged from a settler's cowshed above the highway. Communication has been restoied with some of the valleys previously isolated, but with other no normal communication will be for weeks. One of those isolated by the slips is Comauder Hall, of Beraki. He cannot reach Little Liver, even with horses. His homestead, one of the best on the peninsula, narrowly escaped being washed away. Commander Hall spent some time to-day removing eels from rooms in his house. The ground oyer which the flood passed is littered with eels. Slips on the peninsula arc numberless and the whole district will be permanently scarred. Rain, after "its cessation yesterday, began again last night and fell steadily again all to-day in Christchurch. Since tho commencement of the storm 0.00 inches have fallen, an unprecedented rainfall for tho Canterbury Plains. On the peninsula the amount must have been very much greater.