FARMS THREATENED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18679, 8 April 1924, Page 8

FARMS THREATENED.

RIVERS MAY BREAK AWAY. WAIHOU AND OHINEMURI* f) > ... THE SITUATION AT PAEROA. MEAT SUPPLY CUT OFF. RAILWAY BRIDGE IN DANGER [BT TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] PAEKDA, Monday. The stormy weather which resulted in a portion of Paeroa being flooded abated, on Friday morning and the weather remained fine until mid-day on (Saturday. During the lull the rivers receded to almost their normal winter level and most of the flood water —except that impounded behind stop-banks —got away. On Saturday rain fell again and the weather has been very stormy ever since. During Sunday both the Ohinemuri and Waihou rivers began to rise, and at seven o'clock this morning the Paeroa-Waihi road was again submerged. Ihe water along that road is in places sft. to 6ft. deep. No road communication is possible, and the town is without meat, as the county abattoirs are isolated by the flood. The waters at the Puke are up as high as any previous record and are still rising. The Public Works Wharf at Ngahanga is well flooded, and at least sft. of water is in the goods shed. The Northern Company's Puke Wharf stands isolated, and over 2ft. of water is in the goods shed. The Komata and Hikutaia creeks are running over their banks, and a large extent of country is under water. At present the Ohinemuri River is dropping a little, but the Waihou River is rising. At the Puke the water is nearing the top of the temporary stop-bank, and great anxiety is evident among the farmers along the protected area. Should the water over-flow the bank enormous damage mast result. In the Paeroa town area there is practically no flood. The only part of the town seriously affected is that small residential area on the Waihi Road. The houses occupied by Messrs. C. H. \ incent, J. Couper and B. Sherriff arc all flooded out. The area will always be very subject to floods as the stop banks on the western side of the Ohinemuri River divert all the flood water on to the properties mentioned, and on to Mx. J. Ban-ett's farm and a small portion of Mr. Buchanan's property. The Railway Department is having an anxious time with the railway bridge at Paeroa. It is the department's intention to raise this bcidge as at any time it is probable that it will be carried away by flood. Large logs are coming down stream anl bumping into the bridge, and a team of men are employed in removing the heaped-up debris. At present there is a decided ''kink" in the bridge, and trains are negotiating it at a very slow pace. The storm is still raging, and, if anything, appears to be worse as the wind has veered around to the east, which is always our worst quarter.

NORTHERN COUNTIES.

SLIPS AND LOST BRIDGES. DAMAGE IN OTAMATEA. WHANG AT! EI MORE FORTUNATE. [BY TELEGRAPH. OWN CORRESPONDENT J ■ WHANGAREI. Mondir. , During the week-end the frequent heavy rains in the Whangatei district have been extraordinary, and flood conditions prevail. The Whangarei rainfall for 24 hours ended to-day was 2.11 in., while the total measurement this month to the time stated has been 6.11 in. Most of the damage seems to be in the Otamatea County although reports received late night indicate that damage by slips has been occasioned in Mangonui and Hokianga Counties. They exceed the limits of the 1917 flood. On the east coast of the Whangarei County the rain was not so heavy a's first, and consequently the Wairua River and others in the Hikurangi and Otonga ridings did not flood so soon or to the same extent as' in other directions. The Mangakahia was in high flood on Saturday night, and rose to within sft. of the stringers of the big bridge at Titoki, the height of which from the bed of the stream is 58ft. In the floods of 1917 the decking was covered. The Wairua, which has the reputation of being a slow-rising river, rose rapidly this morning. Advice was received .by telephone from the power station to the effect that the flood waters had risen by 10.30 a.m. to such an extent that the floor of the building .was flooded to a depth of 4ft. 6in, At three o'clock this afternoon, however, word was received that the immediate danger was over and that the water was falling at the rate of 3in. an hour. „

The Waiarohia and Waiariki streams were again over their banks last night, and there are indications that the water was well across the Whangarei Dairy Company's property. Motorists throughout the district have Had some unenviable experiences. Mr. Bert Sterling, with passengers .who were anxious to get back to Whangarei from tho Mangakahia, was held up on Saturday night by the fact that there was 6ft. of water on Fraser's flats, and the party spent the night in the car. The Houto route to Dargaville has been negotiable, but there were indications that difficulties might be met with in the Kirikopuni Valley. The large slip on Maungaru hill has been cleared sufficiently to enable cars to pass it. In the notorious Wheki Valley, some 700 or 800 yards of earth have slipped in various pistees, while on the metalled portion there is a large slip moving. That this piece, which rests on a sloping stone face between the site of the old road and the new, would slip sooner or. later was fully anticipated, and it is hoped that it will all come down at once. The sooner it happens, the better. Mr. R. Menzies of the Public Works Department, reports that only minor damage has been occasioned in the Whangarei County so far and that all bridge are undamaged. A different state of affairs, however, exists in Otamatea, where a great deal of damage has been done to both bridges and roads. The only fresh damage to the railway lines reported to-day from Huarau northerns is a washout on the KaikoheOkaihau extension, which will take two flays work to repair. No trains are running between Maungaturoto and Helensville.

There was no water this morning in mc mains on the higher levels in Whangarei Borough. A repair gang was despatched early to ascertain where the break in the chief main from the springs at the intake at Maungatapere had occurred, but the exact location has not vet, been reported. Luckily, however, the Whau Valley reservoir, recently enlarged, was brought into use, and the town was supplied with an adequate pressure later in the daj^