TAUMARUNUI INUNDATED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18678, 7 April 1924, Page 10

TAUMARUNUI INUNDATED.

SUBURB UNDER .WATER. DWELLINGS abandonud. OWNERS QUIT ON HORSES. M.P.'S HOUSE THREATENED. RESCUE FROM AN ISLAND. (BX TELEGRAPH. — , CORRESPONDENT.] TAUMARUNUI. Saturday. A flood was experienced in the Tanmarunui district this morning. The rainfall was the heaviest since the deluge of 1915, and some express the opinion that it was the heaviest yet seen locally. Rain fell between the hours of 9 a.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to-day, the total fall being 5.34 in. The rain fell in torrents during the night*. An amazing feature of the flood was the rapidity with which the water rose and receded. The flooding of houses and streets on the low-lying ground at Matapuna and the flat took place between nine and ten o'clock. Shortly _ after midday the water began to recede, just as quickly as it had risen, all the residential areas being clear by about four o'clock. During the height of the flood practically the whole of the suburb of Matapuna was under water, the flood extending in most places well up to the railway line. Many residences became uninhabitable, and the occupants had to leave on horseback. A torrential stream of water became diverted from the river through the saleyards, passing at the rear of the school into the recreation ground, and covering half . this area to a depth of 3ft. in somfc places. The tennis courts were covered with water, and the football pounds were completely submerged. Considerable lengths of fencing -were swept away by the flood, and dead animals were seen floating down the river occasionally from other flooded areas.

A Hurried Departure. The combined flood "waters bf the Wanganui and Ongarue Rivers inundated the greater portion of Winter's Island, and the swing bridge, giving access to the mainland, was swept away. _ Mr. .F. Langstone, M.P., and his wife and family, who are the only residents on the island, were compelled to make a hurried departure by boat, this morning in view of the threatening position which the flood had assumed in the vicinity of their residence. A volunteer crew, including several natives, manned one of the river boats and rescued the islanders with the few necessaries they were able to collect.. , ' The Borough Council's new", hydroelectric plant at Piriaka stood tip to the severe strain exceptionally well, very little damage being done. The flood was at its highest at Firiaka shortly after nine ft'clock this morning, when the river had risen considerably. The power house floor, however, was above the level of the water, and no damage was done. Just before eight o'clock the machines were shut down automatically owing to the flood preventing a sufficient head of water to give the necessary speed to the turbines. Shortly aflter midday the river had dropped 3ft., and thus allowed i a sufficient head of water to enable the plant to be run again. Damage at Kakahi. >, 'At Kakahi there has been considerable damage to property, and loss of stock, All the lower levels are inundated, and Watkins Bros.' large bridge at the sawmill has been swept away. . Several smaller bridges have also disappeared iv the flood waters. The bridge on the Taamarunui side of Te Maire Bluff has been damaged '*y the flood, one of its three piers being washed away. ' A. Public Works I ', train winning from OkahUkura to Matiere was held 'rap this ' morning near the entrance to the Matiere Tunnel bv a large slip, which occurred there. ■ The passengers and mails-were transferred to motor-cars. It is under-" stood the line was clear this evening. Several small" slips . have taken ' place on th,e road to Ohura. The ' local train service was stopped by slips between T4umarrarai and Ohakune, bnt the obstructions were cleared by relief gangs, and the train left for the South late this afternoon.

BREAK IN WATER MAIN.

SLIP AT TITIRANGr, ■ PITY SUPPLY PIPES BROKEN REPAIRS QUICKLY EFFECTED The water supply from the Nihotupu dam to the Titirangi reservoir was temporarily cut off on Saturday night, . , as a result of a large fall of rock on to. the pipe line on the Exhibition Drive about a quarter of a mile beyond the reservoir. The fall, which came down at about 10.40 p.m., buried three of the large pipes, two of which—one at each end of the slip— ware broken. " The middle pipe was not damaged. . t . The falling rock caused a loud report, which attracted the attention of the nearest residents, about three hundred yards distant. ' This noise was followed by the roar of a rushing torrent as the water, released from the main, poured over the narrow roadway and dropped over a steep bank into the low portion of a paddock used for grazing purposes. Thence the stream found its way into a natural water-course and flowed away without doing any damage. A small bridge, spanning a portion of the roadway below the slip, was not injured. ' ' Information of the accident was convoyed by the caretaker of the reservoir to the city, and arrangements were at J once made for sending out a repair gang, | which was on the spot .by about daybreak. . Fortunately one full-length pipe was on the spot, and two; half-length •>ipes were procured from the reservoir for the purpose of the repairs. ' In the meantime the water had been cut off at the dam. The repairs were completed yesterday afternoon. The supply in the city was not affected by the occurrence. A large rock, about five tons in weight, fell at the same spot last winter, but no damage was done on that occasion.