TERRIBLE FLOODS IN HAWKE'S BAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10420, 19 April 1897, Page 5

TERRIBLE FLOODS IN HAWKE'S BAY.

TWO RIVEKS BURST THEIR BANKS. BOATS IN THE STREETS OF NAPIER, LARGE EXTENT OF COUNTRY INUNDATED. ENORMOUS LOSS OF PROPERTY. TWO RESCUE CREWS MISSING. TEN MEN BELIEVED TO BE DROWNED. FURTHER LOSS OF LIFE. GREAT DAMAGE TO THE RAILWAY. [BV TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION. Napier, Sunday. The most disastrous floods ever experienced in Hawke's Bay, both as regards loss of life and property, occurred on Friday.

On Thursday and Friday morning eleven inches of rain fell, and as a consequence low-lying lands subject to floods were under water, and at the request of the settlers boats were sent out to their assistance. The rain cleared off in the afternoon, and everybody thought the worst was over, but just after dark the great embankment at Redolitio burst, and the Tutaekuri poured its waters over Taradale to Nnpiw. Almost simultaneously the Ngaruroro, backed up by a heavy sea, broke through the railway embankment at Waitangi, and poured into the lagoon, joining the waters of the Tutaekaun. The result was, that in a few minutes the flood rose five to six feet, covering ground never flooded before. There was quite a panic in the lower parts of Napier, where nearly all the houses were flooded to a depth of six feet. The roads were impassable, the crown being covered with three to four feet of water running like a mill race. All available boats which had not gone to Olive were requisitioned to save people, and though there were many escapes, there was no loss of life. There was a similar experience at Clive and Taradale, where boats saved all the settlers— far as is known. Two of the rescuing boats with their crews are, however, missing, and there is now no hope of them. They must have been capsized in the whirling currents, or swept out co sea, The names of those missing are ;— Sergeant O'Donovan Constable Stephenson Arthur McCartney, licensee of the Albion Hotel —. Rose, commercial traveller Fred Cassia John Prebbe -. O'Brien -. O'Rrielly —. Ansell — Chambers. Nearly all leave large families. As yet communication cannot be had beyond Olive, the railway bridges, telegrar.'., and telephone wires all being down, but as far as could be seen from the Napier hills, the whole of the Ahuriri Plains are under water.

All stock must have perished over a large area, and many settlers have been completely ruined. One house, with its contents, was swept to sea, the inmates just escaping with their lives. Later. Communication with the country beyond Olive lias been partially restored, and reports show that the disaster is much greater than was at first believed, Two settlers at least were drowned. One was named Cunningham, a shepherd, at Cliesterliope, who was lost in trying to muster stock. Another, named James Broadbent, was washed out to sea at Clive, It is also reported that some Maoris were lost at Papakura. The losses of stock are enormous. At Cliesterliope alone 8000 sheep and a herd of pedigree polled Angus cattle were lost. Dozens of settlers have lost every head of stock. Fences and plantations have disappeared, and the land is covered several feet deep in silt. The railway is so badly damaged that it will cost £30,000 to repair it, and it will be a month at least before communication is fully restored.

LATER DETAILS. MANY NARROW ESCAPES, GREAT DESTRUCTION. THOUSANDS OP SHEEP DESTROYED [»T TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Napier, Sunday. With such rapidity did the flood waters come that the people were taken perfectly by surprise. It seemed but a moment, and the whole of the flat part of the town was submerged. Articles of furniture were floating about the rooms of residents, and in many cases children and women mounted chairs placed on the tables while the male members of the family sought means to rescue them from their perilous position. Boats wore brought) into requisition with as little delay as possible, and soon all the sufferers were conveyed to places of 'safety, The remarkable sight was seen of boats being rowed down many of the streets, Mnnroe-street was a sea of water, and the Rotunda in Clive Square stood like some grim sentinel alone surrounded by water on all Bides. In Tennyson-street, Mr. Cohen's house was in a similar conditio. There is no necessity to give every incident of personal discomfitures experienced by the people in town, even if that were possible; but outsiders, who know the situation, of Napier, will understand the position when it is said that a boat was rowed from Tennyson-street, right through Clive Squaro and the little beach, and into Carlylo-street. . Here a glance at the recreation ground showed the unpleasant fact that the cycling track was standing under seven feet of water, and there' was sufficient depth to permit of a regatta being held in « place

usually devoted to athletic sports, bob the residents had only time to consider their own position.

The people at Olive were in » very grave, situation. In the afternoon wires had been received by the chief traffic cleric at Napier that the river was rising very rapidly, and had overflowed in places, though it was hoped that anything like a serious flood, necessitating help from outside, would be averted. The traffic clerk communicated with the Mayor and police, suggesting tha' boats should be held in readings, in case the worst came to the worst. The Mayor, who up this time had been rendering yeoman's service in seeing to the safety of the distressed people in town, sent down immediately to the harbour master, asking him to bring his crew with the lifeboat to town, to proceed to Olive should they be wanted.

Then came a message, "For God's sake send us some help !" and that was the last telegraphic news received from Clive.

At this stage must be now recounted the position of affairs at Waitaugi. A tremendous breach had bean made in a spot a quarter of a mile south of the Shamrock Hotel. For miles around, as far as the eye could see in all directions, there was a huge expanse of water.

Through this breach, extending over a distance of about seven chains, the waters had swept away in their maddened course the railway embankment, taking with them at the same time a Urge number of telegraph poles.

The river waters met the sea at the beach, and the thunderous roar of the breakers as they dashed through this opening was a scene not easily forgotten. Thus communication was entirely cut off both by rail and wire, and the only means of learning anything about the position of the Clive people was by despatching a boat. With the railway embankment washed away, as previously recorded, and with two spans of the Waitangi bridge gone, a train could only get as far as the beach with the pilot crew, whose boat was brought up on a trolly round the Hyderabad Road. The crew, which was in charge of Mr. E. Forne, assistant pilot, comprised W. Lucas, J. Eddy, Dub" Merrjtt, J. Knowles, J. G. Petersen, P. Franklin, and Captain Tonkin. The sight presented was pitiable in the extreme. The flood waters had done their worst. The weather having by this time cleared, in the bright moonlight every opportunity was taken to obtain a view of the cruel havoc that had been made on every side. Piloted by the same plucky fellow, the boat was taken as far as the bridge, on which stood men, women, and children huddled, with water to the right and left of them, and with no means of escape until rescued from their very dangerous position. The women, drenched to the ikin, and the crying of the children, and the surging of the waters as they dashed under the bridge, was sad indeed. Three trips did the boat make conveying the sufferers to the Farndon Hotel, where they were well looked after for the night, The attention of the boat's crew was then turned to the people at West Olive, and the boat having been carried over the bridge a start was made for the West Clive Hotel, where information was learned of the state of affairs in the Western portion of that district. After rowing for about a mile they reached a house in which they found two women and four children perched on tables. They had been in this most uncomfortable position for several hours, until they were happily rescued about 2.30 a.m. on Saturday morning, and conveyed to the West Olive Hotel. Traffic on the Taradale Road on Saturday was very difficult. Between the two bridges on this road, extending over a distance of several chains, the flood waters were pouring across the road with great velocity into the inner harbour. The road for some miles was covered with water, and ib was no easy task trying to make one's way to the township.

Telegraph poles and wires, brushwood, dead fowls, and ducks, etc., were floating about in all directions. In the Hastings districts the damage has been tremendous. On the Chesterhope estate, where fifteen thousand sheep were depastured, only seven thousand could be mustered, At Tanner's fully a thousand have been lost, while around Omahu and Pokowai, the settlers have lost heavily. The Postal authorities will make an attempt to convey the mails to-morrow by boat and coach to Te Ante, whence a train will be dispatched south. Telegraphic communication will, it is hoped, be made by noon to-morrow, The railway train services have necessarily been suspended, and it will be months before the permanent way can be restored. A rough estimate of the damage between here and Hastings places it at some £30,000. The men drowned leave families numbering twenty children, which, with the widows, are left almost unprovided for. Owing to the very heavy sea which broke in the bay, the scow Rata was towed out by the J.D.0., to the lee of the breakwater. During Friday night, it was found that she could not hang out the gale, so she was sailed over to the Western Spit and boached, She is now high and dry. The crew are all safe. Mr, Reilly, a milkman residing opposite the Riverside Fellmongery Works, lost the whole of his stock. Ten cows and 18 yearlings were seen all huddled together, lying dead in a heap, Mr. Midgley Rayston lost 250 sheep, the water coming on him so quickly, and with such a rush that be had very little time in which to remove what stock he did. At Nelson's, Mangaterere, the men succeeded in saving all the stock, bnt Mr, J. Thompson, of Olive, lost about 2000 sheep. Mr. Warren, of Farqdon Park, lost about 100 sheep, and Mr. P. Robertson between 200 and 300 sheep. Mr. Baker and his family, at Puketapu, had a very startling experience. Their house is situated in a gully, and an immense landslip fell with a terrific crash against the building. The family had time to take refuge in an old house from which they could see their dwelling gradually being drifted towards the river, down which it floated. They made their way over the hil) into Taradalej where they were accommodated .by Mr. Kirkham.