The Hauke's Bay Floods.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXVII, Issue 287, 6 December 1893, Page 2

The Hauke's Bay Floods.

Napier, ThirtD-y The soone ?.t the Nipper ra>lwav stition laan night, when some of the women and children who had been re?cued from flooded homps at Clive were brought to to.vn by a special train, was most pathetic They were driven to various hetel?, where their pressing necessities w.^re relieved. Sme of the reop'e hid miraculous escapes of their lives. 0 le worn m, who with six childnn s.t on the roof of a house all Di^ht, relates tba>, between twelve rind one on Mondiy night she heard a mighty roar when the TukiMki river burst its bank?, sweeping everything before if. Sa sudden was the rush of water that there was not time to save any stock. There wns no possible means of escape except by climbing on the roof, and the younger children went up first then drew up their mother. A dreary night followed as the rain fell heavily and nothing was in sight but water for miles. The family were only scantily clad, and sat on the roof till half-past seven the follow- j ing morning where they were rescued by a boat's crew. Another woman, a widow, who was alone in a cottage suddenly found the bed floating about the room , and the water rising higher and higher. She climbed on a dresser and putting, a pocket handkerchief through a ring on the roof clung to it all night. Previously she had clutched an empty box which she held in readiness, so that if the worst came to the worst she should be able to jump in and float about till rescued having placed a jug in the bixas a bailer. 1 1 this suspended position she was fo^ind at seven o'clock yesterday morning, and she was conveyed to a place of safety. It is marvellous how all managed to escape and that there was no loss of life amongst the f nm'liea at Clive, as the boats' crews in some instances hid to) tear the weatherboards of cottages open in order to let the people out at the gable ends. The loss of sheep is enormous. Wellington, This Day. The Premier has telegraphed a message of sympathy to the Mayor of dive and other places flooded in Hawkea Bay. and offered to send up a detachment of torpedo men to assist the settlers in restoring order in their homes if necessary.