FLOOD IN THE NORTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18890, 12 December 1924, Page 10

FLOOD IN THE NORTH.

LARGE AREA /INUNDATED. DEBRIS ON RAILWAY. SOME BRIDGES WASHED AWAY. EFFECT ON THE MILK SUPPLY. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] DAEGAVILLE. Thursday. The rain eased off for a time early last evening, but commenced again at about 11 p.m., and kept on until daylight, when it ceased altogether. The .weather has been fine ever since. The worst of the storm appears to have been in the district between Mamaranui and Donnelly's Crossing, where the river at Maropiu robo 23ft. between noon and 2 p.m. yesterday. When daylight broke this morning it was found that the whole countryside from the 12-mile railway peg right to the foothills at Ahikiwi was one vast lake, tho rails being submerged iu many places and covered with timber, fences, gates, flax and other debris brought down by tho flood water.

The morning train took up a gang of men as far as Mamaranui, who worked at clearing the line of debris and attending to several small washouts in. the ballast. By 11 a.m. the lino was fairly clear, and the train proceeded 6lowly to Donnelly's Crossing, taking extreme care at the bridges, several of which were shaky and will require attention before it is possible to take a full load over them. A number of bridges and culverts were washed away, including a bridge on the main road between Mamaranui and Maropiu. This will effectively stop road traffic for some days.

Early this morning it was discovered that the water main supplying Dargaville was broken at Mamaranui, and that the town would have to depend on the supply in the reservoir and on tank water until repairs were carried out.

No great loss of stock is reported, but the river fiats have been badly silted, and are all covered with flood debris. This will have a bad effect on the milk supply, as the cows were at the flush.

Settlers who have been living up the Kaihu Valley for 30 years state that the flood equals any in their experience. They have never seen so much rain fall in such a short space of time, or ■ rivers 'and creeks rise so rapidly. Contrary to expectations the river did not rise to a great extent at Dargaville, and the flooding here has been slight. It is reported that a dairy farmer milking over 200 cows at Maropiu could not milk last night owing to not being able to get the animals to the cow shed. A number of fowls and sheep were found drowned up the line this morning. All the rivers have now subsided.