Destructive Gale.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XVII, Issue 5203, 9 February 1892, Page 3

Destructive Gale.

GREAT DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. It is impossible to estimate, in even the roughest manner, the damage which has been caused by Sunday's gale. The country is practically cut off from communication -with the town owing to damages to the railway, and the consequent disorganisation of the service. A notice was posted at the station last night to the effect that no trains would be despatched from Oamaru this morning, unless further notice were given. A later notice notified the despatch of a train for Timaruat 7.20 a.m. The only country train despatched yesterday afternoon was to Ngapar.-i, the small break at the 14mile peg having been rectified, and this train also returned at night. The train from Christchurch,' which was due in town at 5 o'clock, was delayed by the break at Wailiao, and the passengers had to walk across the break to a train in waiting at this side, and reached Oamaru at 8 o'clock. The passengers had to stay in town overnight, and were sent on to Dunedin this afternoon. A ballast train was sent down the line this morning to clear the way. The express train from the South did not arrive at all, being stuck up at Palmerston, unable to cross the Shag River. A train had been despatched from Oamaru to" meet the express, but only got as far as Reidston, it not being deemed safe to cross the Kakanui. The train remained there until after eight o'clock, when it was ordered back to Oamaru, where it arrived at about nine, bringing with it a passenger who had left by the early morning train and got no further than Reidston. The beach along the esplanade is strewn with the carcases of sheep washed up from the Kakanui, and they are being skinned and removed as opportunity offers. The gale has brought up hundreds of tons of seaweed, which is lodged high on the beach many feet thick. It is likely that trouble will be experienced with this as it must necessarily contain the bodies of sheep, etc., as well as quantities of shell-fish and other animal matter which will begin to decompose shortly. Quantities of grain are also washed up. The full extent of the damage in this respect is yet to be ascertained and will, doubtless, be available in a few days. The weather to-day has been eminently unsatisfactory. It fined up this morning but was close, hot, and muggy—the very worst possible weather for the crops, as it will cause the damp stooks to sprout. A heavy shower fell about noon, but the weather then cleared again and remains as earlier in the day. Quantities of drift-wood, of all shapes and sizes, are being thrown up on the beach and children are collecting it in great heaps for firewood. During the day the carcases of numerous other sheep and cattle, including three Ayrshires, came ashore. THE SOUTH LINE. The Kakanui river fell rapidly last night. George Rait, the man who was imprisoned on a fence in the flood, was rescued shortly before dark in a very exhausted condition. The men imprisoned in the meat vans were also rescued as the river fell. The shingle at the month of the river was broken through by the rush of the water, and the mouth is now clear to the sea. The loss has been very severe in the Kakanui Yalley—more so than in any other district. Most of the crop was in stook on the flats and has been swept away bodily. The names of those who have suffered roost are, of course, not yet available, but Messrs Gemmell, Stevenson, and Thomson must be among the heaviest losers. What looks very like a casualty is reported to the police. It is stated that a man named " Harry " (surname unknown) was camped on the flat with two other men. About 1 a.m. on Sunday, finding the water rising, the men decided to leave with the exception of the missing man, who determined to stay by the camp. The two who left succeeded in getting ashore after wading waist-deep through the flood, but the other man has not since been seen, and it is almost certain that he has been drowned. The bridge at the Kakanui mouth is damaged, a portion of the approaches being w r ashed away and several of the piles being loosened. Mr Elder is also a severe sufferer by the flood. The Waiareka began to rise as the Kakanui fell, but was never dangerous. KUROW AND DUNTROON. No mails, of course, have arrived from the Kurow owing to the breaks, and the train service is suspended temporarily. A portion of the island between the Kurow and Hakateramea bridges has been washed away, which is primarily the cause of the break. A PLUCKY RESCUE. Many instances of pluck are recorded in connection with the flood at Kakanui, but one which has come to our knowledge is specially worthy of being chronicled. Mr W. Muldrew, of Maheno, who was lying in bed when the flood came down suddenly, recollected the fact that a party were camped on a little knoll near the Island stream. He got up and, procuring a rope, went towards the camp, only to find it surrounded by a raging flood. He stripped in the darkness, and swam off to the camp with the rope, and rescued the men one by one, making four trips through the flood. Not satisfied with this, lie next proceeded to the flax on the flat near Newland's, where he effected the rescue of a cropper who was also surrounded. But for his efforts all five men must have been drowned. It is difficult for anyone who has not seen the Kakanui in flood to estimate the amount of pluck required to venture upon such a work of rescue, especially upon such a wild, stormy night as Sunday night. WAIMATE. Our Waimate correspondent writes : About three o'clock on Sunday morning rain began falling, and has been steadily continuing up to the present time (noon). Any farmers who have got some of their stacks up consider themselves very lucky, as the rain looks as if it had set in properly for two or three days. All the wheat about here which is in stook will, if the rain keeps on, start to sprout, and be consequently ruined. There is also, to make matters worse, a fairly heavy wind blowing, which is bound to shake any crops that are ripe. The rain is one of the heaviest that has fallen here for the last three years, and the harvest has been a most unfavorable one, there being wet weather about every second or third day. Later. The heavy showers of rain are stillr (Monday afternoon) continuing. There has been a steady rain here for nearly 40 hours. The Waimate Creek, which has contained hardly any water for the last four years, is now in flood, and in some places is three or four chains wide. WAIHAO. February 8. Our AVailiao correspondent writes : Rain began falliug here on Saturday, about midnight, and kept coming down more or less heavily all Sunday and. Monday till near mid-day. From that time the weather has been, and continues to be, close, misty, and muggy. On Monday morning the Wailiao came down in full flood and its waters spread wide, and in some places deep over the adjoining fields. Mr Hill, one of the surfacemen, had to leave his house and take refuge with a neighbor. Mr Fitzharris, a settler near the river, is said to have lost all his crop, and a good deal of damage has been

done to the stooks on both sides of the river. Several culverts on the railwayline have been injured and no train from the north reached the Waihao station on Monday. One train from the South arrived about 6.30 p.m. and took on passengers who had come from the North about 5 p.m. and had been detained at damaged culverts. The bulk of the crop is, unfortunately, still in stook and it remains to be seen how extensive the damage will be.

(by telegkaph. )

DUNEDIN February 8. The damage by the floods on the Taieri is very great, crops, cattle, and railway all suffering, while unfortunately two lives have been lost. One of the victims, as already stated, was Walter Swanson, a groom at Outram. It is now certain that a man named "Old Harry, a groom at Kirkland's was drowned. The damage to the crops is very great, and sheaves are floating about everywhere, and are being carried to sea. Boats were sent out this afternoon, and it is feared they will be wanted, as the river is still rising. The train from Invercargill, with Lady Jersey on board, could not come further than Milton. The water is now over the line in many parts of the Taieri, and the damage will be considerable on the road between 'Mosgiel and Outram. The approaches to the Silverstream have been swept away, and this bridge, and also one at Outram, are in danger. It is still raining, with no signs of clearing up. At Sliand's, 200 sheep were drowned, and a number of sheep and cattle elsewhere. The Governor returned to town tonight, and tried to proceed by the s.s. Hinemoa, but the weather was too rough. The Taieri and Outram bridges are expected to go during the night. February 9. The bridges at Maheno, Otepopo, and Bushey have been sufficiently repaired to allow the express to get through to-night. All trains between Dunedin and Christchurch will resume running to-morrow, excepting on the Kurow branch between Borton's and Hakateramea. The Dunback line is expected to be ready for traffic to-morrow. To-day's train for Middlemarch is expected to get throuarh without difficulty. The Outram branch is still under water, and this morning that portion between Riverside aud Gladfield is submerged Bft, the roof of the Riverside Station being just visible. The water is still over the line between Owhiro and Henley. The river bank between Otakia and Greytown gave way during the night, and the coach with the mails, which left Milton for Mosgiel last night, was unable to get through owing to the break in the ordinary road, and consequently communication by vehicle is also cut off to the south, and nothing can be done with this portion of the line until the water subsides. The line at Clarkesville and Waitahuna was cleared this morning for trains to pass to and from Lawrence. CHRISTCHURCH. February 8. The rain ceased this morning, and it is now fine. There have been floods north of the Huruuui. One of Derrett's coaches was upset attempting to cross the stream a quarter of a mile from Culvenden. The driver and horses had a narrow escape. The Hanmer Plains coach driver came through to Culverden on horseback, being unable to get the coach over the river. He had a narrow escape, and lost three mail bags. INVERCARGILL. February 8. The Dunedin express was three hours late, owing to the floods in the Taieri. A good deal of rain fell in the district, and the crops are laid a little, but as they are scarcely ripe they will recover. It has been fair all day, with a cool wind.