WAIKATO SURGES HIGHER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18680, 9 April 1924, Page 10

WAIKATO SURGES HIGHER.

ALMOST INCH AN HOTJE. j ~ INUNDATION SPREADING. ORE AT HARVEST OF KAURI. MADE POSSIBLE BY FLOOD. [BT TELEGRAPH. — SPECIAL REPORTER.] MERCER. Tuesday. The steady rise of the Waikato River continues, and the area of flood 'water in the great basin about Mercer is as steadily increasing. The latest measurement of the waters shows a rise of 12in. in 15 hours, and this is a fair approximation of the average rise It is expected that the flood will reach its maximum on Friday night, three clear days ahead. No alarming results are anticipated. The country is old in knowledge of the slow but mighty surge of the Waikato. Settlers are prepared, and stock are withdrawn before the face of the waters. Large areas in the great collecting basin around Mercer are, or will, bo inundated, but all are forewarned. And the present flood, residents are confident, will be a much smaller edition of that in 1907, probably not as great as that three years ago. It is curious to enter a township, already surrounded by great sheets oT water, to find the residents stoically prepared for events three days hence. The powerful current of the Waikato sweeps along the western edge of Mercer, and then the backwaters turn and insidiously creep upon the township from the rear. Many yards are already flooded, that of the Roose Shipping Company's timber mill being the chief. The mill was working to-day, Uut already water is under the floor of the mill, and a great fly-wheel is tossing up spray in its revolution. The workers cheerfully accept the fact that tomorrow they will not bo able to work the mill; in fact, the approaches are expected to be under water.

The Waikato has spread Itself, more or less, all over the flat land between Rangiriri and Tuakau. The Ranpiriri deviation is in parts under water. The tramline for the transport of metal from the Waikato to the road is reported as being submerged to a depth of 2ft. In any case the quarry is flooded. Most roads leading out of Mercer, except that to Auckland, are impassable. The flood is, however, looked upon with favour by the Rooso timber mill. Lying in the Awaroa Creek, in the Kawa country toward the west coast, are kauri logs already cut representing 750,000 ft. Such a flood has been looked' for in order to float the logs, down the creek, across Lake Whangr',pe,"into the Waikato at Churchill, and so to the mill. The timber is described as part of 4,000,000 ft. o"f the finest kauri left in the North. Some of the logs are 12ft. in diameter. They are already rafted by chains, and two steamers are going out to-morrow to guide them to the mill. The floods will also release large quantities of kahikatea in the Opuatia stream. The mailman who serves settlers on the Awaroa Creek reports that he cannot vet his launch up, as the fairway is choked with kauri. The solution of that problem owing to the flood, is now happily in sight. Other postal services from Mercer chiefly on the river by launch, are working without interruption.

THE NATIONAL PARK.

MANY SLIPS OCCUR. TONS OF DEBRIS FALLEN. The effect of the recent heavy rain on steep slopes of bush country is strikingly illustrated at the National Park, where a number of huge slips have occurred on a hill to the south of Waimaiino. Tons of debris, with large trees, have been carried down the hillside in one clean sweep, leaving great raw patches of earth, which will take years of growth to covet.