FLOODS IN DUNEDIN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5347, 9 April 1879, Page 6

FLOODS IN DUNEDIN.

, . After a considerable lapse of time Dunedtn ha< »b":H'n '»-ea v£-tted hy an extensive and dis-a->trousflnod. On Thursday, the 27 h, the weather was .sgml y, r-tthir heavy showers .f rain fall- >"£ oojasiuualltr, aud towards evening the faaro meter indlca ed h-)avy weather, and the rai i fs:l mula steadily. At about 11 o'clock tin r..in fell heavily, aad shortly after miduijht it cm ■ down in torrents. The t|uantity of rain wl.ic'i tdll brtvvceu thj hourj of 12 (ualnigbt) ond 2 o'clncitintlninoming must have beeni-ivumou', ifc b«n S more than has ever been known to have falieu w.thin po short a space of time in Dunedin. TLe rainfall swmtrd to exc;ed in violence the tropical "downpour" which is familiar y described an fa'ling in buck.-tsfu'. As may bo supposed, the siretts forme 1 on or near th> old wateicoutsss became delu<f-d, and lla°umed rathir the character of rive s. Tue wa:tr uisbe 1 down the steep streets from tt.e ''''^ •" bro.i'l Bh ; et^, and with bu h force at to tea? 3 kerhin,' and channelling stonss Ir.im "'•'« bed, anl carry them along liku pobblei. Madajrjjan street, llat ray strict, High street, Ca-o g ite street, and in fact all the s-tre c's leadi w from the hills, were thus changed into ■vatereours <.?. Much damage was doce to the sirens themselves, but this is ts trifling to the aio<>uut of 1-mm which has been caused by the fl lodiug of a.'j.ceut prt-nvsea. EaVriy &tfeet, from tt.e Sautation Hotel to its junction with M-iclng^au stivet, has b-enltft in a very ! rokeu condition. The channel ing and asuh lit has been dislodged iv many places, and large hiJes ia Uih stre3t have been scooped out by tun action of the water, while the road metal ar.d debris was carried down with the oirient, and lodged ia Bom; cisas in cellars, and in others n hillocks on the more level portions of the street. Jlaclaggau street does not appear to have sustained nearly sj much damage as Upper

Eattray street; but this street, High street, and many others show very plainly the effects of the Btorm waters. The damaje caused by the flood on Friday morning wat of two classes—damage to the street*, aud damage to property by landslips and by tne flooding of cellars. What the immediate cause of the damage occasioned to private property may have been, will, we understand, be brought before a judicial tribunal to decide, and r.he evidence of eiperts will ba obtained thsrvoa. This being so, the mo*t prudent and just course id to refrain from expressing an opinion as to whether the Corporatioa officers are in any way to blame, or whether the storm was of auuh a character that the damige and loss must have resulted whatever practicable pieciutions had bean taken.

It is somewhat difficjlt to give an adequate idea of the damage done by tin flood. Probably a sum between L 20.000 and ISO,OOO would represent the total actual damage, but even the_ largest sum named may not be sufficient, without taking into con-iideration cmting^nt losses. In all casea the estimates mado weie only approximate, and in many instances no estimate at all was formed of the dam <go done, its extent being beyond the knowledge of the parties concerned.

A considerable amount of damage has bean caused to the stock stored in the cellars of Messrs Sargood, Son, aad Bwea's warehouse in the lower part of High street. It is probable the damage here would not be more than covered by a sum of LIO.OOO. No estimate was made of this loss, howeftr, the representatives of the Press being informe 1 that until the gnodi were unpacked and exanincd it would be impossible to say precisely what the loss would have amounted to. The 8 ior of the cellar 'was coverel to an average depth of nine inches, over a space of quait;r of an acre of ground. This is, we are iuformed, the first time the cellar has ever be3n fljod^d, ait'i<m-,di heivy fl.iorls liave urenrred in the city since the erection of the warehouse. Its flood ing on th? present occasion is by some attributed to the new system of drainage Carrie i out by the Corporation, battbeaoßaracyof this opinion remains to be tested.

Messrs North aad Scoullar have suffered from the heavy rainfall. The water rushed into Messri North and Sooullar's cel'ar, carrying a larje amount of travel with it. Although provision had beeu male recently for draining the cellar, whea the warehouse was opened yesterday there was found to be 18 inches of water in it. In the cellar a large quantity of goodi—consisting of chairs, bedsteads, matting, oilcloth*, &c --was stored, and raacll of which were damaged. Some of the chairs were complete'}' buried benea'h the debris that had been wa-ihed from the road. Mr North e.timates the loss at LSOO, and has taken steps to bring an action against the Corporation to recover damages for the injury sust lined by the firm from the flood.

Another Jan lsl p took place at the rear of Mr E. Pritchard's premise?, and damaged the smithy to such an extent that work was suspended on Friday. Mr Pritchurd had surveyors examining the place on Friday, and also, we understand, will seek the assistance of a solicitor, and again claim compensation from the Corporation.

Considerable damnge was caused by the flood at the Shamrock Hotel, as well as much inconvenience. The water flooded the cellar, but the damage them is trifling, as the principal part of tbe stock was stored on the ground fl.jir. On the ground florr, silt to the. depth of three inches wa3 lodged, the carpets were destroye 1, and s une other losses were occasioned. Mr Philp, by piling up the mud against the doord of tbe hotel, prevented the damage fr*m being so serious as it might have been otherwise, and he also made a trench across the path to help to divert the course of the stream. His loss he estimates at L3OO, and he has also taken the initial steps for eni-ring a suit at law for the recovery of damages against the municipal authoii'ies.

In Maclaggwi strest, the cellar of Messrs M'Farlane's grocery store was flooded to a denth of about afoot, but as tlieirgoods were store don trestles very iiltls damage was oaused to them. The damage time in the cellar of the adjacent premises, which are occupied by Mr Patrick (butcher), would be covered by from LlO to L2i), These weie, we believe, the principal business placei in Maclagg*n sire^t in which damage or ii.e.mvfnienc3 was experienced from the flood. In the lower portion of Battray street, Mr R. K. Murray (confectiouer) is the greatest sufferer. He estimate* his loss at L7OO, and it would have been greater, but fortunately on Thursday eight loads of confectionery were removed from the cellar. At 7 am. oad Friday the water stood at a depth of four feet in his cellar, and the damage which hi 3 stock would suffer would be of a very serious kind, llr A. Mtrctr (grocer) considers that L3OO would not more than ompenaate him for the damage he has sustained; and Mr Isaio (chemist) expressed the opinion that the action of the wa?er on his stock has depreeiatel its value to the extent of LIOO. In Mr Solomon's shop the silt lay on the floir two inches deep, and. even found its way into the safe. On the north side of Rattray street the damage wa3 not a? great. The damage to Mr 0. Zielo's stock was trifling. Mr Reany's (saddler) stock was damaged, he estimate^ to the exteut of LIOO. Mr W. Couston (ironmonger) 13 a lo3er to the extent of L3O by the flood ! Mr Butter (saddler) also had Eomegoods damiged, but nottoaserious extent; and the loss caused to Messrs .T. Slucn and Co. would be covered by a few pounds. Mr Court had his cellar flooded, but his less has not been estimated. The occupiers of all the business premise? in Rattray s re t have exp»rienced more or le-s inconvenience from the flo d, most of the premises having received on their floors n thick coating of mud, even where no serions damage was caused.

The cellars of the premises occupied by Mr T. Dudson. (Empire Hotel), Mr M. Mendershausen (tobac onist), Mr Pirie (hairdresser), and ths City Butchery Company were flooded, but the damage is not very extensive. Mr Men-devhau-ien has lost probably L 25 by the flood, but has djclinecl to j >in in bringing a test claim againt the Corporation.

Messra Esther and Low (eroc-ers) are simngst the sufferers in Ge »™c street from tie flo >rf, and are the heaviett 10-iera by it. Pour feet of water was found in their cellar yesterday morning, and of course a large proportion of the go idsstorcdtheMhavebeendestroyed. Thei<-l«s is estimated at LIOOO, or ab mt one-fourth the value of the go ids in the cellar. It is somewhat remarkable that the g.iods in the tin-lined hox« farad no better than the goods packed in wooden cases nnly. In every instance in which the tin-lined boxes were opsnei their contents were found sodden and completely destroyed. Mr Ja-uoa Irvine (gr-icer) and Mr J. Wilson (grocer) have in a slmiUr w*y sustained damage, which is fs'.imate 1 At L3OO and LSO respectively. Mr Palmer (china merchant) also Ws LIOO by the fl >od.

The cellars down George street have all been flooded, and wherever goods were stored in them damage has been caused In the cellars there wiw from three to five feet of water, and the opinion has been given that the water wa3 the r<*ult of the backwash from the pewer. Mr Evans (draper) and Mr Lo Keong (fancy gools dealer) have sustained lossej by the flood. Mcsrs Keast and M'Carthy (brewers) had their premises in Cumberland street and the brawery in Filljul street flooded, and at the brewery there wai also a considerable landslip, the onsequences of which may prove very serious. Mr Coombs' t-inuery, At'L»od Broa.' s.iapworks on.l house, an>l Air Driicoll'fl premises in Cumberland sfcroeh, as well as a tmm* ber of small shops ami private house', were fluoded, but no tsiimate of the damage thus camed hai been made.

The flood fell ra-.idly on Friday, and in tbe afternoon nearly all tae ce'lars were emptied, and a number of them Ws-re vi-iited by gentlemen employed to value the goods and form an estimate of the amouat of damage, with a view to ulterior proceedings beiug taken against the Corp ration;