Destructive Gale.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XVII, Issue 5205, 11 February 1892, Page 3

Destructive Gale.

THE TAIERI PLAIN. (from oub own correspondent.) Saturday was as bright a day as ever shone on New Zealand, and so hot and sultry that all who knew its effects were crying out for a shower-bath. The very thistles drooped their heads under the oppressive heat. Sunday brought the rain, and anyone could get a shower liath who cared to take it at fresco. All the day it rained and all the day it blew, so that the very thistles drooped their heads under the oppressive blast. Towards eveniiig people said, "If this continues, there will be a flood." It continued all night, and the river rose, filling its inner natural banks. When daylight came on Monday the current was too strong for the inflowing tide, which, nevertheless, served partially to dam back the water, so that it began here and there to seek its way into the lowlying paddocks within the embankments. Still the rain fell hard, and those who knew the signs began to remove stock, and soon the roads were swarming with troops of galloping colts and fillies, mares and foals ; with herds of lowing kine and rushing oxen ; and with bleating flocks hurried on by shouting shepherds and barking collies. And all wee. very wet ; for it was a damp, damp day. " What think you of the outlook ? " we asked an intelligent drover with two thousand sheep before him ; and he said, " I think we're in for a big flood,'' and he shook the rain from his beard and passed on. By Monday night the low fields all over the plain were lying deep with surface water alone. Within the embankment the river was rising, and at high tide it was threatening to submerge the cultivated fields beyond. During the night the water from the upper Strath came down in increasing volume, and finding a weak point soon set itself to deluge the whole plain. At daylight, much of the plain was still clear of the river water, but as the day lengthened the muddy stream advanced, damming back the clearer rain water, filling all ditches to overflowing, invading pas hires, and insinuating itself among the growing crops, which gradually subsided to the watery weight and now lie unredeemable. Thus, not only is the unripe grain laid down to rot, but winter feed is lost for thousands of animals. Where potatoes, turnips, or mangolds have been successfully cultivated, their further growth or ripening has been retarded or stopped by too much wet, which will remain a long time in the flat lew-lying land. Those who can get away, and know where to go, have left homesteads and houses and sought shelter with friends and relatives on higher ground, where their cattle also have, for the time, been made welcome. We, at the lower part of the Plain, hear of few casualties connected with the flood. So many took time by the forelock, and had their stock on high ground long before the bank broke. One farmer did not believe there would be a flood—'twas thus even in Noah's tune —and on Tuesday morning he found several of his cows drowned and the remainder of his beasts bellowing on the embankment. Towards the lower end of the Plain the water is flowing over into the river, and there the bank is being further broken down to let the water out. Over Maungatua the rain clouds still roll, but all over the Taieri Plain the sun shines on flooded fields, and isolated buildings, and it will be many days before the status quo ante can be expected. W AIM ATE. The Waimate Times says : —" The creeks, which had been comparatively dry for years, rose rapidly and were speedily flowing from bank to bank with a rushing torrent. During their freedom from flood the water courses had become filled with growth, and thus the free flow of the fastaccumulating waters was seriously checked. This caused the water, in not a few instances, to make a fresh course for itself, with disastrous results to the property along the banks, which soon became overflowed, and considerable quantities of grain, which were standing in stook in the paddocks adjoining, were washed away. This was particularly the case with the Waimate Creek, most of those who owned or farmed thelandalong its banks suffering considerable loss in this way. Messrs Studholme lost- about 300 sheep in their paddocks at Poignd'estre, where they had several thousands grazing. The water rose very rapidly, and it was with considerable difficulty that so many were shifted to a place of safety. Messrs Kean and Riddell saved a mob of between two and three hundred, which had got hemmed in on a slight rise by the water. In the town itself, beyond the discomfort from the driving rain which found the weak spots in the various buildings, no damage was caused. To the north of Waimate no damage of a serious kind has been reported. It was stated that the Otaio bridge was partly swept away, but the report turns out to be untrue, the traffic over it never having been stopped. Beyond the washing away of some of the earthwork at the approaches to several of the bridges and slight damage to culverts, no other damage has been done, and as soon as the water subsides the County Overseer has gangs of men ready to make the neaessary repairs. In faot, considering the very heavy flood, very little damage has been done to any of the bridges or culverts throughout chc county. [by telegraph. | ASHBURTON. February 10. Saturday was the only fine day for a week. Rain set in last Thursday morning, and continued till Saturday morning, and began again on Saturday night, and there was heavy rain all Sunday, with a driving sou'-west wind, and rain at intervals ever since. The county grows about a third party of the colony's wheat yield, and only from 20 to 25 per cent, is in stack. All the rest is in stook or standing. The grain is sprouted badly everywhere, not only in the stook, but in standing corn as well. Harvest operations, which were in full swing last week, are completely suspended, and hundreds of men are about town idle. The results of the storm will be most disastrous to farmers unless favorable weather follow from now. In the latter case the depreciation will be about 4d per bushel on the unsecured crop. The sky still looks watery and unsettled, although the weather is fair and the temperature high. There are no floods in the rivers or any damage to roads, etc.