FLOODS IN THE NORTH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13856, 20 March 1907, Page 5

FLOODS IN THE NORTH.

WELLINGTON WATER SUPPLY. MAINS CARRIED AWAY, a sehiocTpositiox. {Pep. Ukitrd Press Association-.) WELLINGTON. March 19. A Hood m the Hurt River ev.cpi. away last night a portion of the pipe brid"es used to carry over the Wniiniioin.ila iho mains which convey the water fov tlio chief supply to the city. About 100 ft of Zim mains wore carried a.way. 'J'liis morn"}g the burden of the water jupplv for the City was placed on the quite inadequate ■supply at .Karori. Two spans of the bridge, oach 56ft in length, have been swept clean away. The portion of the bridge thiit has gone supported nine 12ft pines. Between the two jagged broken ends was flowing this morning a great, quantity of muddy wafer, borne along With the strong current and carrying en its surface debris largo anil small* it is into this eastern channel that all illwaters of 11m Hull; Kivoi- have recently won diverted by the River Board's protective works at, Clear Island, wliicn linvo (lamninil Iho wostorn channel at both ends and constructed a stop bank down nearly (he whole lcnqtli of Gear Island. The main channel for Iho flow of wafer in the eastern branch has for a., long time been towards (he bank on ihn island side, and it is litre whore (lie watov is deepest ami (he flow has always been jjreatesi. A complete sweep has been made of 112 ft of the narrow bridge. There are si ill eight wain spans of structure left slanding on ;hn racecourse- side. The piles of ilie widgc, it is said, were driven 15ft below low; water. To-day at the 112 ft gap. over which at one end droops disconsolately one short plank of Hie dec-lung, there were no signs of piles, framework." or decking in their proper position, and it. was thought by several experts, (bat the piles had been torn right out of the ground by the force of the water, assisted, no doubt, by the scour and the weight of the huge" Io»3, tree trunks and roots that probably accumulated rapidly against Hie .structure, ft has b»cn known for some time that the life of the two bridge? was ncnring its close, and a scheme of the city engineer for the construction of a. now' bridge, to nlso carry traffic was under consideration. Ilie flood of last night was the second highest that has boon exnerinnced in the river since tho River Board's protective works wore completed. The highest flood was in June, 1905, when Iho gauge on Hntt bridge, recorded Bft 6in. At 6 o'clock this morning, when the fresh was at it« highest, the reading showed Bft. So far as height of water goes, there has been as much water in the eastern channel on several occasions. Probably the last person to ■ cross the hrideq before it collapsed was Mr Clayton, the River Board's foreman of works, who, knowing there was ii heavv fresh in tlio river, inspected the new works about midnight last night. At that time there wore some enormous logs comimr down the river, and (ho wafer was- flooding Gear Island till checked by the new stop bank". After completing'his inspection and finding everything uninjured, he went to cross the now demolished bridge, but it was being so buffeted, and undergoing such a severe strain, that he hesitated for a few moment,?. His bicycle, however, was on tlio further side, fo'lio decided io go over. Ho lost no timo in getting across once he started. The bridge was then "wobbling" perceptibly, and'tho midnight traveller was not, very greatly surprised when, on returning about 6 this morning, he saw that portion of the old structure had gone. The impression that tho damage was caused by Hie protective works carried out near Gem , Island by the Unit Hivor Hoard is disbelieved by (ho engineer of Ilm boi.vcl. who expresses the opinion that the damago was caused by floating Jogs against, tho pipe bridges, which had been unstable for roino time, and when a slight earthquake occurred only a few days ago many of tho Joints of the pipes were leaking badly. With tho Wainiiiomat.a" supply cut off tlio Kiii'ori reservoir (which lias'a. storage capacity of 46 000,000 gallon?) now becomes an important factor in sunplying the. need? of the city. . Fortunatolv, ' fears for the immediate present arc dispelled, .for the water was running to waste over the byewash at Karori to-day, but only two days ago the storage supply wa? running out. being: cm Sunday 6fl below the norm.il line. Tlio rain that caused tho damage in tho Hult has filled tho Karori dam to overflowing. If more rain falls more damage may bo dono to the pipe bridge, it will alfo keep Karori in full supply. The Wainuiomala watershed is (he main source of tho city's supply of water, for it has an area of 4155 acres, as against Karori's 110 acres. Tho distance from the Wninui dam to the cily is 17 miles, and there are 100 miles cf mains carrying water. As it is reckoned that the daily average consumption of water in Wellimrlon is 80 gallons per head of the population. Ilie problem of keeping up a simply is difficult to solve. The metro readings for last March chow that, for 20 hours daily 150,000 gallons ner hour passed through the mains, whilst during' the summer the Wainui yields two find α-lialf milljon gallons and "ivnrori only half u million daily. Even Ibis comparatively small withdrawal front Karori during the present summer season seriously a fleeted Iho storago in that reservoir "owing to the continued dry weather. Tim citizens are urgently requested to exercise every care and economy in the use of water. Users of an' extraordinary supply are notified (hat. it may bo found necessary to cut, off their siipnly. "We will be lucky," said one of" tho city's officers this morning, "if wo can cut down Iho daily supply to two million gallons, but a big effort 'in that direction will havo to be made." Tim Railway Department, which draws upon Wellington's water supply, was requested by the corporation to use the Petone supply as much as possible until repairs havo been effected. The work of repairing will be carried on night, and day. but will lake at, !ei>st three weeks under the most favourable circumstances. The town clerk stales that if caution is used bv tho citizens there is no fear of a wafer famine. Since the rain sot in on Sunday (ha total fall has been 5.85 in. Tor the 21- hours previous to 9 a.m. to-day tho fall equalled 4.21 in. Tho city engineer hopes to be ablo to meet, tho difficulty arising from tho break in the water mains by (urniiiß on the supply from tho Karori auxiliary reservoir to the higher levels during certain hours of the night.

CFboji Oi'R Own Cokbkspomdest.)

WELLINGTON, March 19. Tlic Petono Boacli vras a sight- worth seeing this morning There were assombled in proiins a snytil arniv of men. women, and children, who, with (ho aid ot drays. trans, wheelbarrows, bov-rni-ls, " pram's. ,, and many other moans of conveyance, wore engaged ill pavryitiK iioins driftwood. A iromoiidmß c)tiantity liail been brought-, down by the fresh, carried out to soa. ami swept up on the beach by the southerly' sea. The debris ranged from fine kindling wood to luijjo logs that would bo of value to a sawmill, nntt groat massive, block rcmiiii.irent of n butcher's shop: Tim whole length of tlio beach was covered with Ihn debris, which, by the way, also included timber from the flood-riiinc<l pipe bridco. Some men remained away from their usual work to share in the harvest. Ono man. evidently of inininer cxi»ri«nco. hnil pcggcil off a "rJoim": wliothor his "claim"' was respected in his absence was doubtful.

FLOODS AT PAHIATUA.

RAILWAY COMMITNTOATIOX INTERRUPTED. O?ie United Pkess Association.) PAHIATUA, March 19. As a result of thn heavy rain during the past Iwo days the river? in this district are iii high flood, the Jlantratainoka River runninnr l,anlc high. For the. 48 hours up lo 9.30 this morning: 55in of rain foil. Railway (■omimmicaiion is interrupted owing to slips near Kkctahuna.

HEAVY RAINS AT KKETAHUXA,

SLIPS ON , TI-IH RAILWAY LINE. 10KETAHUNA, March 19. In this district. 7.41 in of rain have fallen ill ilie last three days. Last nieht iha "wiicl cat" train (a fast goods train) from Jla=U:rton to Woodville had reached about four and a-half mile*, below Kkctahuna when a slip fell on the truck?. The engine was detached, and started for Ekctahmia to report, but met another large slip, and a further slip came down behind it. Theengine is now separated from the rest of thetrain. It is estimated that 1000 lons of earth have fallen. an<l railway traffic is suspended, as tlio trains are unable to conncct._ Every available man is at work clearing the line, but the continuance of tlio service is considered impossible beforo this evening.

t In cold weather try WOLFE'S SCHXAPI'S not, with lemon.

LOW-LYING CODXTRY UNDER WOODVILI.E, March 19. Aftei' 48 hours' rain all tlio rivor* in (he •list not are in heavy flood. The whole iif the low-lying country around Woodville is under water. Tlie Jlasterion road is under water for nearly a mile. No serious damage is reported, I hough the approaches to several email bridges have been washed away. The rain has ceased, but the weather is still gloomy. The oniy mk>i-vup-tion ic railway communication is that wilh llaslurtoii. ■ IUVKRS LV 11101 l FLOOD. MA.STKRTOX. Mai-eh 19. The rainfiill for ilie previous 24 hours was just over Nearly all ilie rivers aie in' higher flood iliau they have been for ii. lonjj time. TRAIN'S BI.OCKKD. CARTKRTOX, .Mar.-h 19. Ikavy rsins caused (he rivers io rise, and the itimmaliaiißa- is higher than it has boon sinco, 1895. when bridges worn washed away. The lowlands at Daleliold am under water. Tho rjoodt; train was bloeM in the snujh by a. ,«Up between the Summit and Kaiioke, and in the uorih by a slip belwwn llauvicovillc .-illll uuiluw. Tlu'. Wellington train this morning was stiir.k up at, Kaitoko. THK RAINFALL AT I-LVSTINGS. HASTINftS. March 19. The weal her is showing signs of clearing. The ■ rainfall yesterdav . was 2.35 in, tlio liOiivicst sinco July, 1905. rROTKCTIVG WORKS UAMAfiED. I'ALIIKRSTOiV N., March 19. The Maiiawatu was. in heavy flood this morning, -and' con?i<lorable -damage was done to tho Hokowhitu protective works. The main was broken 'in two places at Tiritoa. head works, .and small bridges wero iiway. Tho town supply of water is cut oft', and ,th<> service is now supplied from a. small wsorvoir. It, is expected (ho damage will be repaired in a few days. Slight damage k' reported to properties along the river near I'a.lmcrston A'orth,