FLOODS AT GREYMOUTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9011, 17 October 1892, Page 5

FLOODS AT GREYMOUTH.

« ONE LIFE LOST. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS association.) Greymocth, Sunday. The town has bad a narrow escape of another Jubilee flood, but fortunately no damages were sustained, though some.are reported from up country. lb rained from three o'clock oh Thursday morning with slight intermission till twelve o'clock on Saturday night. Early in the day the river began rising steadily, while news from down the valley reported heavy rain and all the streams in high flood. People in the lower part of the town - became alarmed and made their belongings Becure, and moved out, a considerable number taking refuge in the State school. By six o'clock the water was almost level with the wharf. The concrete coping erected after the Jubilee flood prevented the river breaking in on the upper part of the town, while the new backing to the lower part of the wharf recently completed protected Mawhera Quay from damage. Early in the evening water was all round the Postal Telegraph offices, and from Albert-street to Arney-street was all under water, a foot of water running through the Argus office, and eighteen inches in the County Council office. A gang of Corporation men opened a channel from the lagoon* to the sea, and the water running out like a river gave the town some relief. The river remained almost stationery till about midnight, when it began to subside slowly. The wind changed to the southwest, and the rain gradually ceased. The Midland Railway works near Lake Brunner sustained damage, also the approach to Red Jack's Bridge. Patrick Rogers was smothered by the inrushing of water to the manhole of the tunnel at Duffer's Creek; the other men escaped by the tunnel. Numbers of cows, horses, and sheep were swept to the sea from the Upper Valley. Coal Creek Flat and the racecourse were under water, cattle and horses swimming for high ground. The water is two feet below the wharf now. The weather is fairly fine. It is very fortunate for the town that it was not spring tide, as in Jubilee year, which made several feet difference in favour of the town.