FLOODING RECURS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21278, 3 September 1932, Page 8

FLOODING RECURS

WAIRARAPA LAKE RISES GAPS MADE IN STOPBANKS FURTHER AREAS INUNDATED RIVERS IN DISTRICT RISING [DY TELEGRA PH—PRESS ASSOCIATION] MASTERTON. Friday The fates seem to be against the farmers in the Eastern Lake district. A drop of one foot in the Wairarapa bake waters had been recorded up fc> noon to-day, when a severe westerly gale sprang np, and the lake; rose again to its former high level, t As a result, further gaps were made in the lakeside stopbanks, and additional land adjoining tlie lake was flooded. There. should be no losses of stock, however, as herds had been removed from the menaced area.

The water this afternoon found its way through three lines of banks on the properties of Messrs. W. E. Bid will and J. C. Bidwill. Mr. J. C. Bidwill has evacuated his land in anticipation of flooding to-morrow, as he fully expects that. 800 acres of his property will be under water by the morning. The Papatahi bank has also suffered as a result of the wind, large logs having been thrown over it. The Kahutara Road is still impassable. Settlers agree that it is impossible to obtain any accurate account of stock losses until the water completely recedes. The stock of various owners -is hopelessly mixed up at present, and it will be some time before the exact position is known. One man is report-ed t6 have lost about 100 cattle and Pakio settlers are also said to have fared badly in this respect. The Wairarapa rivers are rising this evening as a result ot raiu in the Taraiua Ranges.

VICE-REGAL SYMPATHY LOSSES THROUGH FLOODING LORD BLEDISLOE'S MESSAGE [BY TELEGRAI>H —PRESS ASSOCIATION] MASTERTON. Friday The Mayor of Masterton," Mr. T. Jordan, this evening received the following telegram from the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe:—"Those who have suffered serious loss from the. floods in the Wairarapa district have my deep sympathy in their present troubles. TV ill you kindly convey mv sympathy to other boroughs and counties in the affected area ? MAN AWATU IMPS OVEMENT WATER DRAINING AWAY RAILWAY TRAFFIC RESUMED [by telegraph—OWN- correspondent] . PALMERSTON" NORTH. Friday

During the past 24 hours the water been steadily draining off the main highway between Tiakitahuna and Kangiotu and the flood is steadily receding. A marked change was evident to-day, when a further half-mile of the Foxton highway was clear of water. The road can now be negotiated. Areas in which large logs were floating two days ago arc now comparatively dry. •Railway traffic, which has been suspended since Monday, resumed to-day on the Palmerston North-Foxtpn line. There wa6 still water lying under the rails in the flooded area, but points where minor washouts occurred had been made safe. The Taonui Basin is a great sea of water and little, alteration is apparent c/ver the area as a whole, owing to the slow outlet. Damage estimated from £SOO to £7OO from loss of feed alone has been suffered by Messrs. Harrison and Lett, whose 860acre property lies at the southern end of the flooded Taonui Basin. "There are three inches of silt on the floor of the house and we will have to shovel out the mud," stated Mr. Lett, after going back to the house for the first time since it was evacuated on Monday. Considerable breaches are reported to have been made in the banks of James* Lagoon, near the river at the end of Hamilton's Line, down which the main volume of water swept into the Taonui Basin. It is considered that most,, of the banking has been washed away. Three years ago the settlers of the district made a united effort and repaired the breaks which had let in previous inundations and now they are likely to be faced with the prospect of having to undertake extensive work ; again.

When the flood first started to subside at the end of Hamilton's Line, the water poured back over the banks into the riverbed in a cascade chains wide. To-day there was quite a large waterfall, created by the outfall from James' Lagoon. The scour at this point has cut back tho ravine for a distance of two chains from the main bank and the soft- country is breaking up fast under tho waterfall.