Young Man Drowned Kaitaia When Bach Collapses

Northern Advocate, 3 February 1936, Page 5

Young Man Drowned Kaitaia When Bach Collapses

[Special to “Northern Advocate "l

YOUNG MAN, MR WALTER BOTTERILL, EMPLOYED BY NOBLES’ LTD., AND WHOSE FATHER, MR THOMAS BOTTERILL, TRAFFIC INSPECTOR, RESIDES AT BALMORAL ROAD, AUCKLAND, LOST HIS LIFE IN PROBABLY THE BIGGEST . FLOOD EXPERIENCED AT KAITAIA.

The current was so strong that it was impossible to walk against it in Commerce Street, and great havoc was done to the street, which, on Sunday morning, resembled an old river bed, from the Council Chambers to below Mrs Taaffe’s boarding house.

In Puckey’s Avenue.

All the loose metal'was shifted and piled in heaps in the water tables, on the footpaths, on vacant sections and along Bank Street. The asphalt footpaths on each side were torn up, and in places the paths were deeply scoured. The worst damage was done between Yendell’s and the Cash Grocery Store. Where the footpaths had not been asphalted, the gravel was carried away in parts, only the clay formation remaining. Business Premises Invaded. When the flood was at its height Commerce Street was a fast-flowing river. The water invaded and did a certain amount of damage, chiefly with silt deposits, to all business premises between the Redan Hotel and the shop of Mr A. Logan on one side. It also entered Nobles Ltd. and the Ford garage on the same side of -the street. On the other side the floor of the Council Chambers was well under water, which rose to a height of 14 inches in Mrs Eaves’ confectionery shop, and the “Northern Advocate” office in front of the Princess Theatre and in Bakalich’s saloon adjoining.

With another young man, Mr Lionel Gallagher, he was endeavouring at 1.30 on Sunday morning to save the personal belongings of Miss Allbrighton and Miss Elliott, who occupied a bach in Puckey’s Avenue on the bank of the Okaihau Stream.

As they were engaged in placing articles on shelves, Mr Gallagher felt the building moving and, getting a grip of a wire fence, he, at the same time, gave the alarm to his companion. Water Closes Door. There was no answer, and Mr Gallagher gave a second alarm, but the door of the building had closed with the pressure of the water. Suddenly the whole building, constructed of corrugated iron, lifted and moved down the stream.

Mr W. H. Atkins heard the building strike the bridge over the Pukepoto Road, where it was shattered to fragments. The police, with Post and Telegraph officers and a number of others, searched all night for traces of the young man, whose body was recovered at 3 o’clock on Sunday afternoon by a Maori woman and Mr Eric Matthews and Mr Watson, about a quarter of a mile from where the shack had been standing. Mr Gallagher, by following the fence, was able to reach safety.

The water covered the floor of Archibald’s buildings. One of the chief sufferers was Mrs Eaves, who lost a quantity of confectionery and had other property damaged.

In the theatre itself the water was between two and three feet deep near the stage, towards which the floor falls. The electric lighting plant for the theatre and Archibalds was damaged by water, and thrown out of action.

Ladies Escape.

Miss Elliot was staying with friends and Miss Maria, of Awanui, was spending the night with Miss Albrighton at the bach, but‘they were warned in time to escape.

fore the cut was made.

The rain commenced to fall

Perilous Position.

quietly on Friday night, but it in-

creased to a steady downpour. By 8 o’clock on Saturday night, the water was well over the road at

The flood rose so high on Mrs King’s property. Redan Road, that the occupants of the house, Mr and Mrs Maddern and three children, who had only moved in on Friday night, were for a time in a perilous situation. The house, as a safeguard against floods, stands on high piles, yet the floor was covered with water to a depth of 4 2 inches and considerable damage was done.

Kawakawa Comer, two miles

south of Kaitaia. The fall for the 48 hours was 4.5 G inches of rain.

Later in the evening the water from the Kaitaia River overflowed at Johnson’s Corner, and at the town boundary into the Okaihau Stream. This stream, having more than it could carry, returned a large volume of water just above the Council Chambers, towards the Kaitaia River.

The water was about 4 feet deep in front of the house, and about 7 feet deep at the back. The front fence and outhouse were carried away and the garden devastated. The occupants were cut off from all assistance as a torrent of water was flowing all round the buildings.

Main Street Under Water,

The water flowed down the main street to a depth of 3 feet 6 inches, and along Redan Road to a depth of about 6 feet.

Widespread Damage Done Devastating Flood In Far North

KAITAIA, This Day

Croquet Lawn Damaged.

Missing Man Turns Up.

Residents in Puckey’s Avenue became alarmed on finding their properties surrounded by water, the sections on both sides becoming part of the Okaihau Stream. The only property that escaped the flood was the Catholic Church and Presbytery. Miss Albrighton and Miss Elliott lost practically all their personal effects when the bach they were occupying was swept down the river. Some of these were found scattered over a section some distance away. Mr Hoddle’s garden and part of Baker’s nursery below the Pukepoto Road bridge were seriously damaged.

The water was 14 inches above the floor of Mr J. Clarke’s home in Church Road.

Another slip occurred, cutting a further 6 feet into one of the Kaitaia Croquet Club’s greens, and this green and the bowling green were completely under water. Fences in the flood-affected area were badly damaged and there was evidence on Mr D. Lewis’ property of the loss of a hay crop.

A maize crop at Awanui was flattened and ruined.

On. Sunday morning a large number of business people and their staffs and other helpers were engaged in cleaning the silt out of the shops.

Some alarm was felt for a time for a man named Stammers, who had been engaged in the search for the body 'of Mr BotterQl, and a search party was sent out after him. He turned up safely in the afternoon, however.

The flood level was only 4 inches below that of the flood of May 14, 1928, which occurred be-

Has it not been for the cut, it is probable that all records at Kaitaia would have been exceeded.

A garage owned by Mr Salvair, of Broadwood, next to the County Chambers was wrecked. Duncan’s road is blocked with a bad slip and the roads to the wharf at Awanui, to Kaingaroa and Waipapakauri were not open to traffic on Sunday afternoon. Flat Country Under Water, Though the water had fallen many feet during Saturday night, the whole of the flat country around Kaitaia was a series of lakes on Sunday morning, and the water from the Kaitaia Sv/amp extended close to Grigg’s Corner. It is reported that a quantity of livestock, particularly pigs, have been seen floating on the Kaitaia Swamp. Some of these animals are alive, but the losses are > i to be particularly heavy.