FLOODS AT WANGANUI

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1683, 1 June 1904, Page 20

FLOODS AT WANGANUI

PART OF THE TOWN SUBMERGED. GREAT VOLUME OF WATER IN THE RIVER. INTERRUPTED RAILWAY TRAFFIC (From Our Special Reporter.) WANGANUI, May 26. Wanganui is flooded. The river is a surging torrent, and is bringing down quantities of drifting timber. T'aupo quay, which runs‘along the bank of the river,-presented a remarkable scene this morning. From an early hour the natives, who had been driven by the flood from their usual place of residence on the river-bank, paddled to and fro in canoes with loads of their friends who had to quit lodging-houses and take up safer quarters. From the end of the Quay near the Courthouse to the other past the railway station, the thoroughfare was a sheet of dirty water which had overflowed from the river, which in the foreground ran past at the rate of eleven knots an hour. .

As seen from the city side of the Quay, the sight was one not likely to be forgotten by those who witnessed it. Boats of all kinds were on tbje~water—single sculls, pair-oars, a sailing boat with canvas set, pleasure-boats containing family parties, Maori canoes doing good work, and nondescript craft manned by small boys. Throughout the morning business people living across the river were ferried over to the Quay at the bottom of the Avenue. A number of visiting sportsmen and others took excursions from the Avenue to the bridge and back. The carriers did a roaring trade carrying people who desired to see the water roaring under the bridge. The water was running level with the top of the wharf.

The captains of the Glonelg and Huia, which were at the wharf, had an anxious time. The Glenelg at as held fast by half a dozen hawsers and an. iron cable: The river at flood-tide was a foot or two above the mark painted on one of the girders of the bridge—H.F., 13/2/91 —tlie previous record flood.

In the railway yard the trains were running through two or three feet of water. Passengers by the early south trains and horses which competed at the race meeting could only get as far as Foretell, and they returned about eleven o’clock. On the south side tlie Palmerston train could only geo as far as Turakina. Travellers from Wellington by today’s express drove from Marton, arriving here this evening. They state that some of the piles of the Turakina railway bridge have been washed away, and it will not be serviceable for a fortnight.

The principal damage has been done on the Taylorville side of the river. About fifty yards above the town bridge the bank was washed away, andthe encroachment carried with it a twostoried house nearly completed and an bid wooden structure. These quickly disappeared in the strong current, and just cleared the bridge, which has stood the test well. The houses sailed away towards tlie heads, roof upwards. At the Heads a good deal of tlie south spit has been carried away by the current.

Through passengers from Auckland could only get as far south as Wanganui to-day. The railway authorities expect that through communication with the south will be resumed to-morrow.

There was a great scene here last night and this morning. Visitors staying at Foster’s Hotel, on Taupo quay, after visiting the performance of Williamson’s Opera Company, had to he taken into the hotel on horseback, the thoroughfare being completely submerged. A number of ladies had to return to their lodgings by this means. Among the passengers by a Maori canoe this morning to visit Foster’s were two well-known Christchurch and Wellington men, who were practically brought right into the hotel in a canoe. The camera fiend lias been much in evidence.

North of Wanganui no damage has been done to the railway, though the Patea river this morning was very dirty and swollen, and heavily laden with driftwood. The Ngapuhi, from Auckland, was a full ship, most of the passengers being for south, and all these people are weather-bound at Wanganui. The river steamer Wairere had an exciting passage from Pipiriki, being in great danger from, drifting timber, of which there is a large quantity coming down, and she .was considerably damaged. Tlie ferry punt at Kennedy’s was carried away. The road* across the river from Wanganui to Easttown is under water, as well as the grounds of the houses there. The Hunterville line is blocked between Porewa and Marton, and it is reported that a bridge has been carried away. All rivers in the district are in high flood. At Wangaehu the hotel is flooded, and two bridges over the Manga,wliiro river are reported to have been carried away. Rain is still falling. WANGANUI, May 27. The flood in the river has subsided, and the streets are now free of water, tffoug Taupo quay is covered with seveiax inches of slimy mud. Railway traffic to Wellington was Burned this morning, the broken pne on

the Turakina bridge having been strengthened. Traffic on the Hunterville line is still disorganised, owing to the washout at Rata, and the bridge swept away at Silverhope. Thousands of tons of timber were brought down by the flood, and are strewed along the river and sea-beaches. The Waitotara river is running bankhigh, and the lower portion of the township is flooded, residents having to leave their houses. Slips on the road inland from Wanganui have stopped traffic. A fire-engine was brought into requisition to-day to pump the water from the uotel and warehouse cellars on Taupo quay. Gangs of workmen are clearing the mud off the streets. Later. Tho weather has cleared up, and the flood in tho river is falling. Considerable damage has been done to the surrounding district. AROUND THE MANAWATU. PALMERSTON, May 2(5. Tho heavy ram which has fallen for the past three clays abated this afternoon. All the rivers on this coast are in flood. The most serious damage is reported from Wangaehu and Turakina Valleys. Both the rivers rose with astonishing rapidity last evening, especially at Wangaehu, where the railway line was five to six fe6t under water. This morning both the named valleys were heavily flooded, the water lying in great stretches over the country. It is impossible as yet to gauge the extent of the damage. This morning it was reported from Turakina that the approach to tlie railway bridge had collapsed. It is feared that tho Wangaehu bridge will b© rendered unsafe for traffic. There is a large wash-out between Turakina and Wangaehu, which, with the damage to tho bridges, will cause serious delay in railway traffic between Marton and Wanganui. In consequence of the flood, die pi am service has been somewhat disorganised, but the usual time-table will oo adhered to to-morrow. No bookings, however, are being taken beyond Turakina until the line is cleared. On tlie Main Trunk section the wash, out between Hunterville and Rata has not yet been repaired, but arrangements have been, completed for transhipping passengers end mails. The flood in that locality is stated to be the largest experienced for over twenty years. In Hunterville itself the main street was under water, and a number of residents had to be removed from tlieir houses. In Manawatu the flood has done but little damage. The Manawatu rose to within about Oft of the railway bridge at Longburn, but is now subsiding. There was a small slip in the Manawatu Gorge this afternoon, which caused a short delay to the incoming train from Napier. The flood was the cause of a break in the line of water mains in town this afternoon, which resulted in the water supply being cut off for about an hour. FLOODS ELSEWHERE. TAIHAPE, May 26. Slips on. the Taihape-Mangaweka road blocked coach communication, and the coach was obliged to return. The heavy rains caused severe damage to various roads in the district. MARTON, May 26. Two days’ continuous rain caused floods in the Rangitikei district, but the extent of the damage is not yet known. The Hunterville train,. with many passengers, was forced to return to Marton last evening, owing to the line being under water for a great distance near Rata. Tho small streams in the vicinity of Marton were flooded, and one side of the town was practically under water. PAHIATUA, May 26. Heavy rain fell yesterday. Tim rivers are in. flood, and the lev -lynig portions of land under water. No serious damage has been reported so far. The weather is still threatening. STRATFORD, May 26. Tlie weather lias been fearful during the last four days, and the rivers are in high flood. Heavy slips are reported on the Wliangamomona road, causing coach traffic to he suspended. On the Tututawa, John Brown, formerly of Palmerston North, while sleeping in a tent, was buried by a slip. He was employed in building a bridge.