FLOODS AT WAIROA.

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

FLOODS AT WAIROA.

. : GRAVE SITUATION. " HEAVY LOSSES OF STOCK. ;;■;' [BY, TEI.KOBAPH.--PRESS ASSOCIATION.] .Wellington, Tuesday. ■•':'■ Veryheavy losses of stock, through the floods, are reported from Wairoa, Hawko's Bay. Roads have slipped in many places, and bridges, havo been carried away . in various localities. , ; ■* ■,■ :At Wuihua the river rose rapidly. The Wairoa River, which is still rising, overflowed its banks.- Several piles of the town wharf were washed away, and, in consequence, the structure, dropped six inches,-. ■'■'.•.-' f-!- : ;;-.

'The Mchaka River rose to an enormous height last' night. ~; The post office was. flooded,.and the postmistress was forced to take refuge in the hotel. ; The Mohaka Bridge is-still sound, but great fears are entertained for its safety. • The harbour works are holding, but the contractor is a heavy loser owing to a part of the inner training wall and tramlino being washed away. The main works, as far as can be ascertained, are intact.

The tug Kina', which was carried, away yesterday, has-been washed up on the beach, having sustained extensive damage. : Heavy rain is still falling.

ROUGH TIME AT SEA.

GALES ON THE COAST-

DELAY OF SHIPPING.

A southerly gale of- an exceptionally severe nature has been experienced on both the East and West Coasts of the -North Island during the.past few days. The gale appears to have extended over a wide area, as vessels arriving at Auckland from ports beyond the Tasman Sea experienced a very rough time. The gale was most severe on the East Coast in the vicinity of the EasJ, Cape, and extending as far south as Napier. " : . The Government steamer Hincmoa returned to Auckland yesterday afternoon j .from the East Cape, after having experi-: enced a rough handling while off the cape. The Hinemoa was buffeted about by the gale for several hours, and it was Sunday morning before her crew succeeded in land- j ing stores at East Cape Island for the lightkeepers. Captain Bollons reported that a. mountainous sea was running all along the coast, and the work at East Cape was carried out under very trying conditions. Reports received by the Union Company yesterday from Gisbome and Napier indicated that the weather was still very boisterous all along the coast, and shipping at those ports was almost at a standstill. The Warrimoo, which left Auckland last Saturday afternoon for Southern ports, was unable to work : Tokomaru Bay, Gisbome or Napier. The vessel arrived off Gisborno on Sunday afternoon, but owing to the high sea running, it was impossible to ( land passengers 'or cargo, and she accordingly proceeded on to Napier. She arrived in the Toadstead there at 1 p.m. on Monday, but the sea which was running prevented any possibility of her berthing at the breakwater. The Warrimoo' proj ceeded on to Wellington, where she arrived yesterday morning. '/ The Wanaka, bound from the Bluff and Timaru to ' Napier and Auckland, arrived off the Napier roadstead yesterday morning. She remained there until 3 p.m., but as the sea was still, too rough for the vessel to berth, she left the anchorage lor Auckland. She should arrive here f tomorrow, morning, and will sail on Saturday for Napier to discharge her cargo /or that port before proceeding on to Oamaru and Southern ports. . " ' i It is expected that the Monowai, which left Auckland last evening for East toast and Southern .ports, will ..experience some difficulty in working Tokomaru Bay : and Gisborne to-day.- \ .V":The-'gale was very severe on the West Coast "on Monday afternoon. The steamers Corinna, Claymore,, and Rarawa, which anchored inside the Manukau Heads on Monday evening, owing to the dangerous ; Condition 'of the bar, . crossed outwards early yesterday morning, the gale and sea having moderated considerably during the night. The Rarawa arrived at New Plymouth at 5 p.m.' yesterday, and will remain there until this evening, when she sails on the return trip. She will arrive at Onehunga to-morrow morning,, and sail again at 3 p.m. for New Plymouth. The Commonwealth and Dominion Line's steamer Mimiro, which arrived at 10 a.m. yesterday from Liverpool, experienced a very rough time during the. last few days of the voyage. The Mimiro made a call at Las Palmas for bunker i coal on April 4, and made a non-stop run to Auckland in 45 days. The voyage up to May 15 was marked by the usual modefate to fine weather, but on May 18 the vessel : ran into a strong southerly gale, which blew with hurricane force for three days.- Mountainous seas broke over the Mimiro's. decks almost . continuously, and those on board spent a most uncomfortable time while the gale lasted. The j.Three ; Kings were sighted on Monday I morning, and after rounding the North | Capo , the vessel again- encountered fine weather. Although tho Mimiro shipped several heavy seas over her'bridge deck she sustained no damage to "her fittings. ,

STEAMER'S ROUGH VOYAGE;

BUFFETED BY THE GALE.

[by telegraph.—r-RESS association.]

Wellington, Tuesday. Though less rain fell: to-day, the wind was wild and the weather bitterly cold. The : steamer Whangapo arrived to-night from Westport after a.voyage which will be remembered for a long time by those on board. The vessel left Westport at , 3.30 p.m. on Sunday, and had good weather to Farewell Spit. Then she met the full force of the south-easterly gale sweeping through Cook Strait. * She buffeted her way across the Tasman Bay and spent last night in the sholter of Guard s Bay. Sho left at seven o'clock this morning, and took 14 hours to cover tho ;. 45 ;| mifos of strait to Wellington Heads. About ':■. 5.30 p.m., while somewhere abeam of Sinclair Heads, tho Whangape was in the grip of a fierce wind of. hurricano force, which raised mountainous seas that pounded resistlessly .■-■■ over,' the labouring vessel. So severe was the rolling' that four of the shin's cargo derricks were shaken adrift. Two went overboard, and the others are so badly damaged as to be worthless. : The steamer crept up to the wharf at half-past nine o'clock, after taking 54 hours to do a run usually occupying about 22 hours. The deck fittings wero, badly damaged.