Kaitaia Now Ship-Shape

Northern Advocate, 6 February 1936, Page 6

Kaitaia Now Ship-Shape

QUICK CLEAN-UP AFTER FLOOD

[Special to “Northern Advocate.”'] KAITAIA, This Day. With a grader, a lorry and a few workmen, the Kaitaia Town Board foreman has, in two days, almost restored the former appearance of Commerce Street, which was badly damaged by the flood. The metal washed away was not so great as was at first thought, and, indeed, that left was more than adequate for the repair work, so that it is possible the Kaitaia Town Board gained more than it lost. Possibly, it is thought, a quantity of fine sand brought down by the Okahu Stream, was deposited in the street. Another anomaly was the large deposit of “base” metal on the property of the Bank of New Zealand. More Damage Details.

Further details of the damage in surrounding districts show that about half the new filling near Fisher’s Bridge, Fairburn, was carried away bj r the flood. The filling represented about ten days’ work. Along the Kaitaia River, where it flows through Mr Hester’s property adjoining the showgrounds, about 30 massive English poplars and two fine native trees were undermined and fell into the stream.

As a result of this and previous floods Mr Hester has lost some acres of land. Another serious loss was that of eight puriri trees—all fine specimens—near Mr H. Mclntosh’s property. A

tree which came down in the river was arrested near the puriris, causing the water .to gouge out the bank and bring them down into the stream. A big slip broke the pipeline for the Kaitaia Hospital water supply, cutting off the water for a time, but the damage was repaired on Tuesday.

Mr W. Turner, of Kitchener §treet, fared as badly as any. Water rose 19 inches in his house, damaging furniture and other household appointments. Violence of Flood Waters. Many proofs have been given of the violence of the flood waters. In one house, in which the water was a little over four inches deep, there were two holes in the bathroom floor, left after , pipes had been removed, and the water shot up like a geyser to a height of about 18 inches.

In a shop, a heavy chest filled “with bottles, which normally required the strength of two men to move, was lifted like a toy by the water, shifted from its position and thrown over on its side.

The rainfall at Parengarenga was 7 V inches, almost double that which caused the Kaitaia flood.

The telephone operators had a trying time on Sunday and Monday, "but their good services won high praise from subscribers.