SERIOUS FLOODS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22271, 20 November 1935, Page 14

SERIOUS FLOODS

AREAS IN BRITAIN MANY ROADS COVERED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE RIVER LEVELS RISING By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received November 19, 6.5 p.m.) British Wireless RUGBY, Not. 18 As the result of heavy rains extensive floods.have occurred in many parts of Britain and traffic has been dislocated. , The levels of several rivers are still rising to-day. Important roads in 14 counties were under water last night but the situation improved to-day when the rain ceased, although further showers are predicted. The most serious accident due to tho heavy rain was the dislodgment of thousands of tons of earth from the bank of a cutting on tho Southern Railway Company's line 100 feet deep, near Winchfield, Hampshire. In consequence of the landslide a section or the line was disturbed and the engine and 16 vans of an empty milk train travelling from London to Salisbury at a speed of 50 miles an hour were dorailed. The only occupants of the train the driver, the fireman and the guardwere severely shaken, but escaped without other injuries. Medway Valley a Vast Lake Rain converted the valley of the River Medway into a vasfe lake from Tonbridge to Maidstone, B.ont, A torrential downpour in Swanage, near Bournemouth, flooded some of the lowlying parts of that town to a depth of foui 4 "feet. At Bath more than 100 houses were flooded and thousands of pounds worth, of damage was done. The cricket ground in that city is under four feet of water. The Medway area is seriously affected at Maidstone, where the rising waters threaten the municipality's electrical generating station. Elsewhere along the course of the "river thousands of acres art) under water.

The Thames is rising and is causing anxiety to the Conservancy Board. The flow is J.,000,000 gallons a day. This is higher than the volume which the board regards as safe. Dangerous Rise Not Anticipated

The position is due to- the recent falls of rain which, over the last 10 weeks, have reached nearly 13 inches — quite an exceptional figure. More than four inches have fallen in the present month. v. The present flow of the Thames must be compared, however, with the volume reaohed in 1933, which was 8,500,000" gallons a day greater. The chairman of the board, Lord Desborough, does not anticipate a dangerous rise in the level of/?the river unless the weather continues bad for a long time. At a meeting of the board to-day Lord Desborough said the beneficial effects of the improvement schemes carried out in recent yeprs in' the reaches above Teddington could be clearly seen in the behaviour of the river in the present circumstances.