IN THE RANGIRIRI DISTRICT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13391, 21 January 1907, Page 6

IN THE RANGIRIRI DISTRICT.

SCENE OF DESOLA! lON

Those making the journey v.cie promised tint, they would see a scene «>]' utter desolatioii on Rungiriri b"i:ig reached, awl this prediction w-.s luhill'ed. As tin." boats ploughed their way through the :t: >*::; current, the. interest'of !i.- pa >••*_:, • - in the flood had been tluiroiU'itly awak-ncd. and a magnificent view co~uld he obtained of everything', the weather being beautifully dear. On netting toward.-- Kangii iii the expanse of water became much -.'.{■ ■■_■. 'I 1.,. country hero is very Mai, and tin- lar'e Kangiriri .swamp on both sides of tin- siver made a tin.- catch for the water. 'I in; in ti:iii spread itself out over all the low-lving land, and a. junction being made with Lake Waikare and Lake Rangiriri. tho expanse of water could be seen as far as the eve could reach- Beyond the low country there are undulating hills, some miles from the banks of the river, and the water had spread itself out to the foot of these. The body of water that came from off the hills into the country list have been enormous. Here landslips could he *. .n in all directions, on the sides of all the lulls, the earth coming away generally in long! narrow strips, resembling newly-cut watercourses half-way down the hills." A good deal of Maori settlement is about here. The first seen is that of the Homhora settlement, on the west bank of the river. _ The natives had evidently been very industrious, for a considerable area had been planted in maize and potatoes. These, however, have been covered for Several days, and are now destroyed, the potatoes having negun to rot. "The depth of water where the crops are appears to average a little over 2ft, but where the swamp is the depth is a good deal greater \ number of whales nearer the river hank are almost covered, the roofs just, .-howinj. A couple 01 dozen tame ducks beloii"iii" to the Maoris are lurched on the tops'"of"the whan?*, or swimming about. Some potatoes have also been placed on (he roots in bags.

The Railway Hotel, a two-storwv building, comes into eight some distance down

the river. It is near the station, on the east bank, on a •..mail eminence, but on Saturday morning the water had entered the ground floor. Jury's rlaxmill, beyond the hotel, has water half-way up the building, but the loss of fibre, if any. could not be ascertained. The damage to the machinery, however, must be considerable', and" the buildings cannot escape without injury. Craw and Robinson's tlaxmill, which has. not been running for come time, is in the same piedieaincnt as regards water. As a quantity of the machinery had been removed the loss should be very small. It is believed that there is about 20t; of water U.-tween the railway station of Langiriri at:'! the township. The stores owned by Gcirand and Pol ward, and situate on low country to th" north of the hotel, are Coveted by water up to the eaw.s of the roof-. Although some- stock was removed, the loss :.- expected to !>-■ i.m. siderable. De Thierry's tlaxmill. near the station, is entirely covered, and its condition could not he ascertained. The wateis. however, had carried away a considerable amount of lib:,-. The llaxniilieis will be heavy '.-els. Tilt" traffic bridge oil the main road, near the township, is completely '■overed. Tiie punt kiiy t;-e-l across ['~'e, river at this point has been securely tied up. and should be safe during the'tlo.,,l. S-veial houses are almost covered, bin the people had it-tt their homes, taking all effects, before the water entered. On the western side of tin.- liver, a little above the township, the R.iugiriri Maori settlement i.- seen, but b-re. too, all the natives have had to siiift to higher ground. A couple of whaie- are under water, while the Muoti meeting hall, tie- chuich la Uew building), and a small wocden hou*'-. ate half eoveied with water. Here .i (onsiderabh- amount of land had been sown in maize and potatoes, but these have all been destroyed. A poition of their (etileleiy is also flooded. The natives had removed iiaif-a-mik; fun her up the bank, mi a small knoll, and here about two dozen, old and young, of both sexes, .'tie huddled together. as is their custom. They have provision--, while theie are several horses grazing, ami loin (tv live boats and canoes are tied at the Water's edge. PUMICE WORKS FLOODED. . 1 ii'' liver had been vety wide for .-ever-,.! mile-, low and above Raiigiriri. hut getting near to Mr, J. < '. Firth's pumice »oik.-. a couple ot miles below Ohinew.ii. on the river lean!;, the channel is much narrower and the banks high-r. The water, however, had cine over its natural boundary and surrounded the pumice works, which have had a couple .<: fee! of water in t belli sine ■- Tuesday las;. WAT FALLING AT <Hi [XI AVAL With a narrower v alercmir.-e and higher banks than was. previous. the <.*-• during the trip, the Waikato has Im-ii running man exceedingly .strong (.orient ,ii Ohinewai for several days, With (lie cOtlSeclllelKe thai til*' water has fallen about 6in. as seen from the l!o<xl marks o;i the bank. Just below Ohinewai tin- bank falls in one place, and the water has hiii-i-.-.miued .Mr. i>. McKimion's fine rc.-ideiice. auti I c.i lied alnio?t to the floor level, while I In- sheds and out - ho!is,-s have a «oi,ple of led of water in them. A iarg» area m oats ready tor (tilting has been tlo««.i«d and de>ti<>v.-d.

At Ohinewai theie are only a few hollies, and none have been under water or surrounded evil. The pair ferry here has also la ell sec-tired. SOME COUNTRY NOT AFFECTED. The river now winds a little, and about tiv< niih-s ou tin- Kimihi.i >■■; Lenient shows .1: the high ! iv. • banks. This pj.n of the . ■iiintry iii- in, Ik-cm affected by the flood wateis'. and the creamery lias la-n wo-kin -.<■ all the lime. .\ little ' water ha.- (lowed lound lo some low land oil 1 ii- cistern side c.r the railway. A short but welcome hall was made it lluu'ly. in order to get in some coal, and < pp. i: unit;,- was taken by all ;■> stretch their legs, the croud having been lather cramped in the boats, lluntly itself is high and dry. but on the t/ppodte side of the river. where there is low land, the water iias tlov. Ed all over it. \V 'tn . m.v ,-v,-y, makes Fluntly almost -; ; ,.-,i. 1t .,,• c.... vehicular traffic, for the railway is bni.v lit Ted aid damaged on each side. Since -he ffood rase no civil has been sent from Himtlv. Ail ava.ila.ide ticks have been *> 'oi with coal, and are now waiting tor the water to recede to allow the coal to be sent .. Auckland. Till', WELCOME MAILS. With the eve en; ion of telegraphic m.'the s-ttieis in ' the Waikato have -en destitute of all news for some days, no mails having arrived at Ifuntly from Monday to Friday evening last. Tiie boat was eogerly awa.iied. as was thai ou Satuiday, and there was a great demand for the pajx-rs. LAST OF THE RIVER JOUR NICY. After leaving Huntly the river is hemmed in lejt.weeii the banks, except, a small portion of Hat where the railway rue.--, and 011 which the water has found its way. The stream becomes narrower us it eets higher up. hills 'riling the bank-, at this point. The current is very strong about here, especially at a narrow Ikuul before (he boa's come into view of the Tail pi li township. The water has here fallen ahum 2ft 6'.n. is indicated by the water's mark on the bank.-, and it is further falling here and making the river rise lower down, especially aMercer. The wind was blocked by the hill-, and the water for the la si couple of miles, was as smooth as glass, and as the bosom of the stream opened out it. was hard to believe that, it v as thi- nobl" waterway which had caused so much devastation. The stream expands once more until Mangawara Creek, just below Taupiri. where the passengers land, is reached. But the majority of passengers had by this time become tired of i.he now dreary expanse, of How ing water. and their thoughts were mice more of the train. The boats arrived at the creek entrance at a-onarter pa.-t seven o'clock. The tune engaged in the journey between Mercer station and the landing, and including the stop at Hiinth . as -.-.-, hours.

A I). tin w.i.s in waiting near the Man-m----wtr.i (.'reek, and flu- wi.il; n[ transferrin* luggage and passengers. Ims immediately commenced. After a wait. of over half-ail-hour. the weary passengers reached Hamilton shortly after ten o'clock, hut, a number went further on. now »TAITIJtI tahkd. 'ill- flood waters about- Taupiri rose fairly high, and caused a good deal of damage, though -he township it.sell whs hardly alfect m!. .Nii.-i.-,. Bailey and Bollard's (Taupiri Sawmill ('.>mp:uiy! limb mill just above the railway bridge was flooded to a depth of seven.! f.if. Ib" wafer reaching i!s highest ..n We.in, -day last. Great efforts were made, to (-iive tie- timber, as the water r.i.-.' inpidiy, and in this the employe. ■; we iv successful, lint a stick ins; lost, '1 in- water also brought down about 500 logs from up the creek, and these Were also iii in! s«.cui\d. Aubrey and Co.'s tlaxmill a, Taupiri was also flooded, and a considerable amount of libre ha.- been washed away, The water reached its greatest height about ten o'clock on Wednesday evening last, ami at. this time the water surrounded the hotel. The township is now clear, and the water is receding fast, but a portion of the ba<k country is still inundated. On Wednesday evening the. water also rose to a level with the rails on the railway bridge, but no damage result: d to the bridge. All the traffic bridges in the district have \yen damaged, a number still being submerged on Saturday evening. The floods have seriously interfered with the working of the creameries in th" district by preventing the cream being brought in, because of the communication in places being almost cut off. Access is very difli'-ult to all parts of the district at present. As the district ■is principally engaged in dairying, the damage to crops has not been as serious as elsewhere. Notwithstanding the great height of the water in many places the lost, of stock is small. one man only being reported as having lost a few cows. As indicating the great, fall of the water at 'I'anpiri, the flood has gone down approximately 6ft since Wednesday evening, and the district at the present rate of fall should he clear in a couple of days. KXCTITXr: St'KXES AT XdAIM'AWAHIA. The own of Xg.illKiwahia i,, situated at the junction of lie- Waikato and Wsiipo, Ilivers. and about 7-1 miles fu.nu Auckland by rail. The town itself is pretty high ground, but the portion between the two rivers, known as the esplanade, is low. There are about 80 houses on the esplanade, and

the junction of the waters caused the whole to be flooded t<> a considerable- depth. about sft being the average. Among the places flooded was Mr. P. Jones' racing .stable, which is near the junction, but all the horses had ixen removed in plenty of lime. The Hood at Ngaruawahia exceeded by 25in the high-water mark of the Hood of 1875, which was previously the heaviest strain placed on the railway bridge. This measurement was taken on Wednesday evening last. about an hour before the writer stopped rising, and it is fair to assume that it was a little more. '1 lie current of water was tremendous, but t'ne railway and the old bridge over the Waipa stood the strain exceedingly well, and are intact. 'the water has fallen wry fast since Wednesday evening, but" so far as ..an be ascertained no

-lock lias l>etu lost, this being one of the most conspicuous features of the whole lineal. The crops, .specially potatoes, however, have suffered severely, and between Ngaraawahia and Whatawhata. which is mostly low-lying hud. the ground was covered with water, tatcl all crops dewas coveted with water, taxi all ciops utstroyed. A great deal of the wheat, however, has already began to shoot again. The'tkixmill belonging to Mr. M. Walsh. near Ngaruawahia. only had tin roof of the buildings showing on Wednesday and Thursday, and the water still halt .overs it. Three or four tons of note have b-.-c-n damaged, ami a little lo»t. The road to the Waingaro hot springs has been badly v. imaged by the water. and a large number of slips have fallen across i; About three miles of the road <,m be negotiated by boat even now. but a horse has (hen to* be taken, the journey being a difficult and dangerous one. dim road between Nga'U.iwai.da and Whnt.vwiuila is still blocked, water being over it to a considerable depth. The Ptikete to Whatawhata thoroughfare is i" tin- same condition, while a large number of culverts have been washed away ail over the district. and the roads seriously damaged.

Several rtrsc-iies from perilous positions were effected 111 the town and the district. i Two families residing on the esplanade ! had declined to leave their houses when all - the other residents had done so. During Tuesday evening, the water rose rapidly. j and Hooded the houses to some depth. I on i .-table C.ivaiiiigh, however. had apparently been on watch, in anticipation of the danger, for he secured assistance and went to the uniiilturuite people's rescue about halfpast tour o'clock mi the Wednesday morning, and effected tile rescue of the inmates of both houses. In one of the houses, besides the parent.-, there wire two invalid children. The rescue was effected just in time, to* the water rose verv rapidly after ! they left the houses. As 'there was no other available accommodation, the un--1 foituiiate people were allowed the use of j the courthouse. i In another case a woman declined to i leave her house on the esplanade, hut as the position was becoming serious she was taken from the boas- by her brother, and alter a short time placed in a wheellurrow j and taken beyond the reach of the- water. ! DEFECTIVE 'I RAIN ARRANGE- ; MFNTS. 1 The passengers from A.'-, laud on Saturi day morning arrived a; Ftankt-on Junction about ii-qu;uter pas', nine o'clock, alter a long and wearisome journey. Instead of a train being in waiting foi the Hamilton I passengers, they had to wait three-ouarters of an hour at ihe station. < plaint was rife on all sides, and ~ limited number, rather than wail, -e.uied i-onvcv.ti.c-s and , drove to Hamilton. The Railway Department tiie coping with 'i : >- ttaffic e\- f-ding-i i\ well, all things considered, and are to ' be given due credit, bit; such an unreason- ! ,1)!,' wail should not be inflicted on the I t-.ivcllillg public. Ii is hoped the [caitment will leniedv the matter in ftit ne.