THE FLOODS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13390, 19 January 1907, Page 6

THE FLOODS.

IN THE WAIKATO.

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE DONE. MERCER COMPLETELY FLOODED. RIVER STILL RISING. Tin: floods in the majority of the outlying | districts, with the exception of that porj tion between Taupiri and l'okeno. have ' now subsided, and the ordinary traffic is 1 being resumed, On the stretch from Taui piti to Pokeno, however, the position is still serums, large tracts of country being under wafer, whilst- the river, at Mercer. , at 1:0011 yesterday, was reported to be still ■ rising. Such being the oiw.', it is problematical lis to when railway communication i between the two stations, about 30 miles, ■ apart, will be resumed, for so long as the . water remains on the line, as at. present, I the Railway Department will be unable to ; effect the necessary repairs. As soon as ' the water recedes, however, the line will be made fit for traffic with the utmost

; despatch. , The steamer service between I'okeno and . Taupiri was inaugurated yesterday, wing < run in connection with trains to and from ' Auckland r "i the one side, and Hamilton : and Frankton on the other. The through ■ passengers from Auckland, about ICO in 1 all, left by the ten minutes to eight train j for i'okeno, where they ernbaikeii .it eleven j a.m. for Taupiri. A stop was made at j .Mercer, at noon, to enable the passengers •' to procure refreshments, and Taupiri was ] reached at about seven p.m. Thence the i passengers were taken on by rail to Hamilton, where they were due to arrive at ; half-past eight p.m. The passengers from Hamilton and Frankton emtKirkc-d Taupiri at about noon, and arrived at I'okeno at five p.m., coining on to Auckland by . rail and reaching their destination at half- ' past seven. This service will be continued > until railway communication is restored. The line between Paeroa and Morrins- ; viiie is still unlit or tratlice, but work is j well forward oil the line from l'e Aroha to Morrinsville, and the service should be lesumed to-morrow. The Department also hope to be able to repair the line between . Te Aroha arid Paeroa by Monday. When i his is done direct communication with ; Rotoraa, via the Thames, will be given. : The Waihi branch is still unsafe for trafj fic, but it is horded that it will be again ! placed in commission during the early ! part of next week. The ordinary timeI tables were observed on all other lines ; yesterday.

THROUGH THE FLOODED DISTRICTS.

DEVASTATION EVERYWHERE.

[BY TKLECBAPXI. —OWN REPORTER.]

Mkrcer, Friday

Your reporter, who left Auckland in the afternoon, found that the country between Auckland and Pokeno. where the trams run to on the Auckland side, had in the majority of places dried up, and the only indication of the floods were the largo amount of debris strewn about, especially on fences, and the ruined oats seen lying alwut everywhere. The lower portion of the country along the railway, however, has still a good deal of water on it. and it will be some days before it subsides. All along the line the iejx>rts received indicate that the floods are the highest on record, and naturally with the increase of settlement during recent years the loss to settlers has been serious. While the railway communication to Pokeno from Auckland has been restored, road communication is still difficult, and in places impossible, because the bridges em the main roads have been washed away or damaged. In other places' communication is only )>oesibla by making long detours from the jailwar.

GATHERING IN DAMAGED CROPS,

Settlers can be seen gathering in crops, some sorting those damaged, others cutting. In a good number of cases the- oats standing in siook are badly damaged by the rain and flood water, and a great amount has already lotted. What was hoped a few days ago might yield a welcome return for labour spent, is now valueless other, perhaps, than lor manure. The railway 10 l'okeno is now in first-class order, and m. further interruption should lesuil in the. train service. STOCK WASHED AWAY. ii was stated at Papakura that Clevedou -.utl-'ie-d greatly, especially on Tuesday, when the Wait..a was at il«s highest. No tract is left of the main bridge' over the. river, but a smaller on.- about three miles away is standing. A good number of pigs and calves were washed down the river, and several people had to be rescued from their houses in boats - , the water .surrounding the houses, though not creeled 011 >>w ground, to a depth of oft. At Tuakau the "settlers and residents experienced an exceedingly anxious time, for the flood waters raged "here in great fury. On Tuesday morning the waters reached their highest j-Ont.' and many people ate reported as having been in a great plight when rescued. 'The railway platform is covered at one end, and there is water 3ft or 4t't deep round t lie station. The rushing water tore away the ballast from the railway, and the sleepers on the shunting line are still bare.

TOWNSHIP ISOLATED

The township is isolated. The water entered the houses (Hi the outskirts, but no serious loss is reported in this connection. 'Die traffic bridge on the main road to Auckland, near the station, was washed away. Init a, temporary stricture has sin.'- be-n erected. The bridge leading from the township to Waikalo was also washed aw;.v. and he. ,K,t l>v--n rt-pl.irvj). This Mas .'.ll 111" main road {■> the .-attlerneiit in Ihe iu-k----blocks of ill.' Tinkati district, which carries a population, and i- a serious itiatur for those ('.n--nu-<l. The u.<t<-r .ovricd most, of ilie roads and played i'.ieat havoc with them, liive portions belli;; washed a way. Tin' duimire to the roads in the Witiiunvirnuia district is. ;;< cordhii' to a reliable authority. ■ •rrinialvd al.ni>- ,i' ful'.v £2COO. Who!- r».*'\: have beer wa-hed away ill phi;*-*.

■ VKHKT'bAi: TRAFFIC IMPOSSIJJI.K. i Although the water has now subsided 1 vehicular traffic on the majority of the ; loads is impossible, but horses can travel, I though it is hard tot them even. A good ! deal of mail matter had to be congregated at l'ukekohe from Auckland lor Roto:ua J anil Waikat-o. The streams are so ,\vd--1 hoi and the country flooded to such an ex- ! lent that three stages have to be made j between Piik'-kohe and Tuakau. each relay meeting at the streams and tie. mails be- , ing piloted over. The postmaster at Tuakau had .1 veiv I anxious time. All the crops in the distant have been destroyed, but ii i- impos- , sible to ascertain what loss, if any. there has been in stock. j A FLAXMIU. SUBMF.KGFI). I The tiaxmill belonging to Mr. ttyoroit. ! at Tuakau, is partly covered by water, and 1 .1 considerable quantity of t!ax fibre has ■ been lost, having been tarried away. Mr, : llycroft is a heavy loser. Considerable ! damage has been dime to other mill buildi ings. and to outbuildings and ten.,- in tin-: j district. Between Tuakau and Whatigarulu. , a, large, tract, of land was covered by water, l which, as it. subsides is leaving a great deal of mud and debris, behind the fences ! especially being thick with rubbish. A ] large number of landslips have occurred. j but- the roads are not seriously interfered

with. At Whangarafa the crops are seriously damaged, but no stock has been lost. At Pokeno it is reported that very little serious damage Las been sustained, outside the loss of crops. The water about the district reached a great height on Tuesday. A flaxniill owned by Mr. McGill, close to the station, had several feet of water in it on Tuesday, and the shed was washed away and the machinery damaged. The wale!' is running strongly, and i* carrying ) away a good deal of flax. The ranges sent I down ,iii immense body of water on Moni day and Tuesday, and early Tuesday morn- ; ing, this was rapidly gathering about the , railway, where it eventually broke over '■ the embankment near the flaxniill, with a .; great roar.

; DA.MACE TO LINK. j The railway line has been washed away : for over three chains, and there is still water to .1 depth of 10ft. A large quatity of ballast was washed away and the lines were left suspended in the air. A number of sleepers wore also torn from the metals. : and half the side of the cutting on the j Auckland side of Pokeno has ' slipped. i bringing down an immense, quantity of earth. This backed up fie- water for a time, and when it broke through the water further damaged the railway. .V second tlaxmill ot M Gill"-., some distance from the other, situated near the creek, was j soon Hooded, and the buildings and machinery damaged. A number of bales of flax were -washed el. an away, and a good quantity of flax, which was drying, was also lost. The same tale of extensive loss : to crops is reported, and the lands are , strewn with debris and mud. WHEAT STARTING TO SHOOT. ! A lot of wheat has already started to , shoot again. The roads in the district are ! seriously damaged, especially in the MaunI watawhiri Valley district, where communi- , cation will be difficult for 601110 time. The J railway, after leaving Pokeno. takes a conj siderable drop, and after traversing about ! a mile a vast sheet of water meets the t eye. which broadens as the Maungatawhiri ; railway bridge is reached. The line is ! clear to the bridge where the trains run i to, and there the launches meet .it ind convey the passengers to J and from Mercer and N.gartiawahia. I On the western side the line of bills J prevent the water from spreading far. but | oil the cistern side water lies over- the | lower country for a distance estimated at I fully rive mile-. On this side the Mauiigutai whiri Swamp is situate'.!, and though 1 generally dry in summer, has about 15ft of , water iow in it in 1110-1 places, while : there are several feet of water near the . railway, line.

i The railway is covered from the bridge to past Mercer station, except one' small rise:. The depth varies from about sft alter leaving the bridge to 3U't in front of the railway station. The platform is completely covered, and water is on the floor of the station rooms, but the employees still are working. The refreshment-room still furnishes meals to through passengers, • and to-day they hud to get through the . windows from the boats. From Mamsgata- | whiri bridge the river i- distant- about a ■ mile and a-half, but all the intervening i country is under water at varying dentils. i > THE SCENE AT MERCER. As the boat goes towards Mercer a vast i area, of water is met with, which has I spread nut over all the low-lying land, j while the Maungatawhiri traffic "bridge just I shows the top of the railing. There is j only one house, on this jnntion of the j ground near the river, and the water is j now up t,» the roof. The railway buildings ! and the township then come into view, j and all bruises except those on the hills ! are half covered with wai i. Tin locoi motive) shed has 2ft of water in it. while a. I railway van .standing near- the station is : halt coveted. A number of Maori ha res I a short distance in the rear of the station j just show the roofs, but none have been 1 washed away yet. The current here is i fairly strong, but the water is a. raging i torrent a short distance further towards : tiie river past the Maori w hares. A doien I or so houses here are half covered with ; water. The residents, however, bail taken I warning in good time, and hail removed 1 all their furniture and effects to the hills. : Coulthard's sawmill u> half covered with : water, hut the building his so far stood the j strain of running water. A considerable j quantity of loose timber lias been lost, I 'the wharf is constructed near the highest ! point of the township, but it has 3ft of j water over it. The hotel is surrounded ; with water, which is awash of the veran- ; dah. The island in the centre of the river i opposite Mercer is completely covered, but ! the stock on it owned by Mr. Roose were I removed before the water became high. No fatalities have occurred, and, so far as j can 'be ascertained, no losses of stock Jiave occurred. All communication between the station and the houses, or any pari of the township, has to be made by boat. There was a slight shortage of food a couple of days ago." but a. good supply has now been ! received. 'the water is still rising steadily. I heI first regular mail service through iroiu Auckland since the flood began arrived toI day.