The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1868. THE FLOODS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 33, 10 February 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1868. THE FLOODS.

It is evident that the tempestuous -weather which visited this neighborhood last week ranged over a very considerable part, not only of the Middle, but also of the Northern Island, for we find that at Auckland and Taranaki severe storms were experienced. At the latter place the Taranaki found it impossible to do more than exchange the mails. We may also congratulate ourselves on having escaped with very trifling damage to property, when we look to the reports from the adjacent provinces of Marlborough and Canterbury, of which we give a brief sketch from the local journals : — The Marlborough Express of the Bth inst. says that Monday last will be a day long to be remembered by the inhabitants of the Wairau, as the date on which occurred the highest flood ever known there, -submerging Blenheim — with the single •exception ofthe ridge on which stands the Victoria Hotel, the Branch Bank of New Zealand, and the residence of James Sinclair, Esq. — from the Catholic Chapel in Maxwell-road, to Mr Farmar's in Groveroad. Thc rain commenced, as at Nelson, on Sunday evening, but there was no sign of flood in the Omaka or Opawa rivers, which intersect Blenheim, until about 11 a.m., on Monday, when the Taylor river (a small creek which rises on the north side of the Awatere saddle) came down the Pass in immense volume, forming one vast sheet of water, and carrying desolation in its progress, until the Omaka became equally swollen, and Blenheim was overwhelmed in a very short period. The streets, Venice-like, were transformed into canals, and the only communication was by boat. The Opawa continued to rise until half-past 10 a.m., on Wednesday, when it subsided, at the rate of about an inch per hour, leaving a thick stratum of mud, two or three inches deep, upon everything the waters had covered. The Express states that it is impossible to form any reliable idea of the extent of loss and damage on this occasion, which must be immense, and says that the sufferers include every one in the district The damage done jin the country districts appears to have been very extensive, and of very serious character. Numbers of the sheep-farmers reckon their losses by hundreds, besides cattle and horses.