GALES AND FLOODS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15613, 20 May 1914, Page 10

GALES AND FLOODS.

_ POSITION AT GISBORNE. | ■;: ". . .•> ■•:.- ■.. .••■:' -..-. ' LOW LAND INUNDATED ISIETTLERS : LEAVE HOMES.' 'iyATER INVADES TOWNSHIP'S 1 TRAIN SERVICE SUSPENDED. f ißr TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] ' : '.'. ' "■■■ Gisboekb, Tuesday. A; heavy ' south-easterly storm has been j sweeping the East . Coast since yesterday morning, v.': Extensive i rain fell during Uaturday, night, but yesterday / morning a. south-easterly, gale blew up, and at the hour'-of/ writing the 'storm' still prevails. Abnormal ; rain has fallen in the back , country, with? the result : that the rivers and creeks' are in high flood, and a portion of the flats has been inundated. Tho most critical stage to-day was at I p.m. when the flood waters were backed, up by tho , high tide and the heavy sea running in the bay: The Waipaoa River overflowed at midnight and tho 'water gradually spread '.over the Poverty Pay 'flats. ' . ~>:) ■ A Sea of Water

\A sea of water extends from King's Road :to v Waerengaahika and across country to Pouparae. . The settlers at Makaraka, Makauri, and Waerengaahika have successfully moved their stock, whilst a number of. residents, who live in the line of th<t flood/remoVed from their homes early this morning. : A boat was sent out at half-past two this afternoon from Makaraka to tho main road, and 'to Waerengaahika, and the boat's crew was instructed to look in at all the houses along the road. The water is over the top. of the ferries in places along the main road. The position at £he Willows, a settler reports, is rather serious. The river has broken over there in two or ; three places, and in some instances is running 2ft or 3ft oyer the road. ; Settlers Warned. V The settlers have all been warned to get away, and preparations are being made to remove their families. Some of the residents at Makaraka who suffered from . the flood in previous years have already moved to the hotel. The settlers on higher ground have been very generous in permitting others not so fortunate, to remove their stock to their properties. The men's camp on the GisborneNapier line on the town side of the river is under water, and the men have moved their families to the -Matawhero Hotel. In a number of houses the furniture has been stacked as high as possible, as it is feared that, the flood waters will get into the houses. At Makauri this morning the occupants of one house had to move into, the second storey, from which they were rescued at half-past two this afternoon. The Patutahi township was invaded, there being water all around the hotel and down past the, store. Many of the -settlers along the river bank were quartered in the township.:; ;■•::' .Further damage is certain to result to the temporary .low level bridge at Matawhero.;; Precaution was taken to erect stopbanks around both ends of the bridge to prevent . tho flood. ; To-day's -flood has caused : these v banks to'. burst, and the water, to-day wa3 scouring out around the bank on the Matawhero side, threatening damage to the Public Works Department's depot and adjoining stacks of crops, Hallway Service Suspended. '■.■ ;*

The railway service had to be suspended to-day. : The morning train 'was despatched as , usual but'' only proceeded as far as Ormond. v It was deemed advisable for the train to return to Gisborne as it was threatened with being cut off iat the dip 'near Ormond. :' At King's Road, when returning from Ormond the water was found to have risen about : Ift, and the sleepers of the track in the low area were awash. This morning there was,4ft of water in the Te Tunnel, whilst a series of slips were reported between Waikohu and Otoko, which will; probably take . several days to clear. :■"'■; Steamer Breaks Adrift. / Early ; last evening preparations were made to secure the vessels at the wharf.

Numerous extra lines were ; run out from the steamer Squall, one heavy ropo being taken from the stern of the vessel, and made fast to 'a , tree stump on 'the • roadside. Extra precautions were taken with the other vessels. '; Several ; heavy ropes were run out from fore and aft of the steamer Ngahere, and springs to ease the strain on the stem ropes were made fast. Shortly before 9.30 p.m. the prat, holding the lines from the stern of .the vessel

which was .pointing up stream snapped, and '.the Ngahere swung out" into \ the stream, the throe wire ropes acting, as springs and the ■ bow ropes breaking as if they were twine. The captain and chief officer were left on the wharf while the second officer was',, on the vessel. Quickly she travelled with the current

down stream, arid just as the bend of the ' wharf was reached one anchor was let go. This caused the steamer to swing , towards the wharf for .';>;'; moments, .1 arid : the chief officer jumped on board as .; • the vessel swung out again.. A second anchor wbb let go, J and this caused -her , to go over to the Kaiti side,; where- she was. caught by the backwater close to tho :.< wharf arid carried up against two of the Gisborne Sheepfarmers' Frozen Meat Company's lighters. So gently' did the steamer '• come alongside the small vessels that no damage was done. As quickly as possible additional ropes were taken ashore, ;• and i the steamer was made fast to the wharf, where she now remains. . ; ; ; Requests lor Boats. Referring- to ''■■■ the "* position 'this afternoon, a Matawhero settler declared that ; the water wad' threatening even the higher i ground to such an extent that it was difficult to know how to remove the stock. ; , Residents of - Makaraka telephoned to the Mayor to-day --. for boats, and he. arranged ! for: these .to be sent out from town at 3 p.m. )■:■- ■ -■;.■' •The flood was within 3ft: of the 1906 flood level, and ''within 41t;.0f the v 1912 flood level.;.:/.*-::'; '„'-;;:•■ ; ; '"i v" ; \-; At tho Taruheru freezing works the water. had entered -; tho . gas-engineroom,, and it had boon necessary to -put out the : fires." There was still a margin of sft beforo . the • water could; reach the freez- ; ing chambers, which have been • raised since the last big flood. •■-'', ', .-.■■ Tho river rose: this afternoon rlB inches within ant'howvand was still; rising at three o'clock, notwithstanding that there was ia* falling i tide. • • ' *, ?\- .".; i - The floods roached their maximum at high-tide during the early hours of this morning, and with the ebb flood they commenced to recede. ' .. /■'. ,'•" Mr. Frank- Read,-of rPoup'anie^;lost 400 sheep,; and.-Mr. A. J. ."Cameron, of • the same place,' also lost some. stock. Messrs, : Judd Bros;, 1 ■of ' r ;Maltturi; also sustained some• losses. J '.;..•. Tlio : storm has : abated somewhat, and indications point to a break in the weather. ; . . • . .ViV; : ■':"-,. i ■■•:.•■■!;•■■;■■.■■■:■■.'.■:■ •;■'■