HEAVY RAINFALL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1199, 22 February 1895, Page 41

HEAVY RAINFALL.

The weather, which had been particularly fine on Saturday night, suddenly changed on Sunday (February 10), when heavy rain began to fall, and continued with very little intermission during the day. About 6 o'clock in the evening an almost tropical downpour set in, and in a very short time, the sewers being unable to carry aAvay the volume of water pouring into them, many of the low-lying streets were flooded, and it was feared that there would be a repetition of the floods of two years ago. Luckily, however, when matters looked at their worst the rain ceased, about 9 o'clock, and the threatened danger was averted. The immediate cause of the floods was of course the fact that the sewers were unable to carry off the rain as fast as it fell, But the secondary cause was the unusually high tide, which backed up the water in the sewers. WATER KNEE-DEEP ON LAMBTON QUAY. About 8 o'clock pedestrian traffic along the footpath on Lambton quay from the National Hotel to Bowen street was impossible, as the water was knee-deep in some places, especially by Messrs Scoullar and Chisholm's and Messrs Warnoek and Adkin's, where ifc flowed into the shops, and even covered the crown of the roadway in front of the Police, Station. The water just reached the threshold of the National Hotel, but some of the shops lower, down the quay were not so fortunate, as it flowed into these, covering the floors some inches deep. The greatest volume of water had, however, accumulated from the Gear Company's shop to Bowen street. A considerable quantity of water found its way into Messrs Scoullar and Chisholm's premises, evidently doing considerable injury to some of the stock. Several of the employees were soon on the scene, and removed the goods to a safe position. The water flowed into Messrs Warnoek and Adkin's shop to a depth of some inches, and did some damage. The entrances to the Waverley Hotel were covered with water to a depth of nearly a foot. Not only was the floor of Mr Wighton's shop covered to a depth of 10 or 12 inches, but the water got into the kitchen and other apartments at the back. A quantity of goods which Mr Wighton had only deceived on Saturday were standing on the shop floor, and as the water had got in before it was noticed, he will be a considerable loser.

Mr Spiller's music shop had also some inches of water on the floor, and in fact very few of the premises in the vicinity escaped without a more or less quantity of water getting in. In nearly all cases the proprietors of the premises were present either baling- out the water or placing the goods out of'danger. A sheet of water extended at the opposite side of Lambton quay from Kirkcaldie and Stains' carpet warehouse to the Government Buildings. The police station was nearly surrounded by water, and it was only possible to get into the building at the l-ear, except by wading. There was a considerable quantity of water also lying about the Government Buildings, the footpath along Lambton quay being covered. By 9 o'clock the water began to abate A the footpath along the quay being passable except for a couple of chains eastward from the Gear Company's premises, A small storm-water sewer in front of Shortt's auction rooms, Willis street, burst early in the evening, but as the volume of water was not large, no damage was done. A MINIATURE LAKE. Two large sheets of water extended at either side of Victoria street from the Working Men's Club to Messrs Sargood, Son and Ewen's, the footpaths being covered, and the street impassable in some parts for pedestrians. The water was in many cases up to the sills of the windows of the lower stories and very probably it had got into some of the premises. The Reclaimed Land looked like a miniature lake, and some of the buildings there were completely surrounded.

NO ELECTRIC LIGHK*. As the moon was not visible, and thd electric light not turned on, a gocd deal of inconvenience was caused to pedestrians, who were unable to distinguish in many cases the roadway from the water, and did not sometimes discover their mistake until they found themselves in the flood. MANNERS STREET COVERED WITH WATER. Manners street was covered with water to a considerable distance over the footpath, but none of the shops were flooded. Taranalii street and the northern end of Courtenay . place also came off fairly well, but Tory street suffered considerably at the lower end, which, was completely inundated. A large amount of mud was washed down by the storm water, which spread right across the road from the Albion Hotel, while the garden in front of Mr Parsons' residence on the northern side of the street was covered with water to a depth of over a foot, and the muddy stream also entered the front portion of the premises. A tremendous volume of water poured down Majoribanks street, and the great pressure of water in the sewer forced up the cover of the at the corner of Roxburgh street, and as it ran off left a, deep deposit of mud, besides doing considerable damage to the roadway. The premises occupied by Sun Chueit Lee, at the junction of Majoribanks street and Roxburgh street, were flooded in their lower j)ortion, and a large quantity of mud was also washed in. The flood of water continued its course down the steep street, but finding nothing to oppose its progress in the wide expanse of Clyde quay, gradually ran into the sewers without doingfurther damage. Kent terrace was not so badly treated aa on the occasion of the former flood; but even so, more than one house had water in. it, and several yards were flooded. The. residents of the house occupied by Mrs Gooder were obliged to leave owing to the* water covering the whole of the ground floor; and the kitchen of Mr Oakes' house next door was also covered with water. The gardens attached to both of these* hotises were flooded, as were those of Messrs A. Hamilton and Adams, and another near Burns' coal and wood yard, besides which two paddocks fronting the Terrace were also under water to a considerable depth. IN CUBA STREET. In Cuba street there was practically no damage done, but the water covered nearly the whole of the street, and made matters very uncomfortable for pedestrians.

The moon being obscured by clouds, the street was almost in total darkness ; but this difficulty was obviated to a great extent by many of the shopkeepers, who lit the gas in their shops, and thus rendered valuable, service to those who were abroad. The Polhill Gully stream, fed by thev heavy rain and numerous smaller streams, was converted into a roaring yellow torrent, and the stream of water which ran, down Epuni street, Aro street and Wordsworth street was almost eqixal to it in volume. Eight down the road the flood, rushed along, sweeping away the metal in large quantities, and leaving in its place a deep deposit of yellow mud, but fortunately it did not reach such a height as to flood the houses on either side of* the road, as has happened on former occasions. At the junctions of Abel Smith street and Ghuznee street with Willis street, the roadway was torn up, the metal being strewn about for a considerable distance. There was considerable alarm amongst the residents of Grainger street, as it was feared there would be a repetition of the flood of 1893. There was a large quantity of water on the northern—the lower side of the street —but fortunately ife did not find its way into the houses. In many of the houses which were threatened the occupants made full preparations to quit, but, Luckily, there was no necessity for them to remove their effects. The gardens and the passages between many of the houses were submerged.

A STREET QUICKLT BECOMES A SMALL SEA.

The effects of the storm were severely felt in Alfred street and the neighbourhood of the Caledonian Hotel. About half-past 8 p.m. the covers of the manholes in Alfred street were lifted up by the pressure of the rushing water, and the street was quickly converted into a small sea. The houses occupied by Messrs Worth, jun., and Malmberg were flooded out, and the water rose so quickly that the latter had barely time to get the carpet up in one of the rooms. The residence of Mr Worth, sen., adjoining Mr Malmberg's,'escaped, as it.is a little higher than the others, and the water alsofailed to reach the inside of two new houses belonging to him. The back yards of many other houses were also invaded.by the water, which also made its way into the kitchens of several of them. FLOODGATES ACROSS, A HOTEL DOOR. Adelaide road beween Alfred street and the corner o| Sussex square was submerged., and the Caledonian Hotel was threatened. Profiting by the experience of the last flood, Mr Cloggie, licensee of the hotel, had small flood gates placed across the doors, and thus prevented the water from entering the hotel in any great quantity, A small portion, however, came through the ventilators into the bar. A STREAM OF MUD. In Tasman street a large quantity of water and mud rushed over the brick embankment, which is about ten feet high, from Mount Cook on to the street beneath. It was quite a small river of mud, and an eye-witness says it came over the embankment like " porridge pouring out of a pot." After the storm there was a deposit of several feet of mud across the street. Thero was also an accumulation of water on the northern side of the Basin Reserve, the roads there being inundated. AT THE THOENDON SIDE. While the downpour was at its height such a volume of water sought an outlet down the long slope of Hill street that th§

channels on either side of the roadway broadened out into turbid streams. With the exception of a slight obstruction at the intersection of Guildford terrace, -which led to the formation of a small pond there, the water-courses were free from impediment and after the rain abated the street speedily regained its normal condition. TINAKORI EOAD. The upper part of this thoroughfare discharged very rapidly the water which poured down upon it, and wayfarers were confronted with no difficulties. Many jteople were filled with forebodings as they thought of the'flood which some two years ago beset the denizens of the congeries of tenements that lie at the base of the Tinakori hills in the natural basin between Saunders' lane and George street. Contrary to expectation, however, this place successfully weathered the deluge. The storm Water surged down the ravines of the hills with a ceaseless roar, but the improvements which the Corporation had made to the drainage system of this district proved fully equal to the emergency, and the water found ample means of egress. In the evening, after the rain had ceased, the whole extent of this locality between the hills and Tinakori road was, comparatively speaking, as dry as a bone. The lower part of Tinakori road did not fare quite so well. A large pond was formed at the corner, which is bounded by the galvanised iron fence of the Thorndon "bowling green, [and from this point for several chains southward the western footpaih of Tinakori road was covered with water. As soon as the rain slackened however it gradually drained away, and the pond contracted into small proportions. A great quantity of storm water poured down the steps at the foot of Feathorston terrace, bringing with it a good deal of debris, but it ran off without material obstruction. The western end of Thorndon quay received such volumes of water from the lower end of Tinakori road and the slopes on its own residential side that it was soon

f submerged, but not to any appreciable depth. After the rain ceased the water flowed away through its usual channels, but several long ponds remained on the reclaimed land between the quay and the Manawatu Railway Company's sheds, and bore silent testimony to the extent of the rainfall. All day on Monday shopkeepers and householders were busy cleaning up their premises, which in some cases were covered in their lower portions with water, while most had a large quantity of mud in them. The Corporation officials also worked hard to get the roads and streets cleared, and they have now been restored to their normal condition. The rainfall for Sunday was 3-39 in, while at Petone 3*69in of rain fell.