NIGHT ORDEAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23212, 5 December 1938, Page 10

NIGHT ORDEAL

PATH OF TOEEENT SLEEPING BABY SAVED PARTY MAROONED IN SHED LONG WAIT FOR THE DAWN Tby telegraph—own correspondent] DUNEDIN, Sunday Of the many stories of hurried evacuation of homes to escape from the flood waters that were told to-day, none are more graphic than those of Mr. J. E. Gillies and Miss D. Martin, who occupy adjoining houses on the main south road at the foot of Glen Road. Mr. Gillies had to wade waist deep through the water carrying his child in his arms, and Miss Martin and five other occupants of her house spent the night from 1 a.m. -onward perched on boxes and shelves in a shed. Miss Martin's store, to which her dwelling is attached, was invaded bv water which came rushing down thp glen during the afternoon and then flowed on to the front lawn of Mr. Gillies' property. When the water was lapping on the verandah, Mr. Gillies knocked several boards off the fence on the opposite side of the section and thus provided an outlet for the water, which flowed away. Water Lapping at Cot By this time, about 5.30 p.m., it was considered that, the worst of the storm had passed, but heavy and unceasing rain during the night caused a further onrush of water through the glen. It scoured out the road, depositing tons of rocks and other debris over the main south road and swirling awajf underneath the railway bridge and down toward Carisbrook. It was the sound of this torrent that gave the occupants of the two houses their first warning that there was danger. Mr. Gillies opened his front door and the water poured into the house. Defying all his efforts to shut the door again, it swept into the rooms, where it quickly rose to a height that made any attempt at saving furniture out of the question. The first consideration was to carry the babj' to safety. The water was lapping at the cot where he was sleeping, and Mr. Gillies hastily took the child out and waded to safety. Crouching on a Box

Miss Martin and the other occupants of her house received similarly little warning of the rising waters. Loaves of bread and other items of stock in the shop were floating in the water as they made their way out of the back door to the shed, which is on a bank at the back of the house. Here, two of the party crouched on top of a box, which was almost submerged, while the others disposed themselves on shglf along the side of the shed. '.They had a long wait for dawn. Every time that anyone stepped down to save something that was floating away they went down, almost chest deep in the water. When the house was visited to-day the furniture was found to be extensively damaged, but the flood waters had disappeared so completely as to make the events of the night seem almost impossible.

HEAVY LOSSES SOUTH CANTERBURY CLOUDBURST NEAR CAVE TIMARU'S WATER PLIGHT [BT TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION*] TIMARU, Sunday Exceptionally heavy rain fell throughout South Canterbury yesterday afternoon and last night, and serious flooding occurred in many places. Farmers in the Sutherlands district, near Cave, will suffer heavy losses as a result of a cloudburst. A farmer in the district, Mr. T. B. Hart, was working in his tool shed near a creek, the bed of which is usually dry, when he heard a roaring sound. He rushed out to see a wall of water Bft. high pushing a mass of trees and other debris down the gully. The flood remained at peak for about an hour. Fortunately no buildings or homesteads were in the path of the water. The greatest damage was done by the fringe of the cloudburst, which badly scoured many acres of worked land. Water undermined the railway to Fairlie, and surfacemen worked until an early hour this morning to get the train through. It reached Fairlie five and a-half hours latoj A downpour on tPareora watershed caused extensive damage to the water-raco leading to the reservoir from which Timaru draws its supply. Manj' slips occurred, and it will be a considerable time before an adequate reserve supply can be built up.

The position of the borough supply at present is serious and residents have been urged to exerci.se the greatest care.

WEST COAST DOWNPOUR SOME DAMAGE TO ROADS [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WESTPORT, Sunday Extremely heavy rain on Saturday afternoon, accompanied by hail, was responsible lor damage on the coastal ana Kara men roads, but both should be clear for trallic to-morrow.