FLOODS IN SOUTH OTAGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19066, 11 January 1924, Page 14

FLOODS IN SOUTH OTAGO

Some Severe Inundations.

LARGE AREAS AFFECTED.

In a normal season a trip through South Otago would convey to a visitor the impression that the district is one in which peace and plenty abound and that the settlers must be on tire high road to prosperity, if they have nob already reached that stage. It should not be forgotten, however, that these people had encountered severe trials at various times in the shape of floods—trials that would probably have discouraged them if they had not possessed the indomitable spirit that made them determined to carry on and achieve success in spite of all obstacles. The first definite record of a flood on the Clutha is that of one which occurred in January, 1851, and which is described by one of the pioneer women in the district as being quite as bad as that experienced in 1878. This lady’s statement shows that Inch Clutha and the land on which Balclutha now stands were then all under water. The report of the Rivers Commission, which was presented to the Government in 1919, stated that heavy floods had been recorded in 1851, 1866. 1878, 1912, 1913, 1917 (two), and 1919. It stated that the 1878 flood was the highest known since settlement occurred, but it added that physical evidence of a still greater flood was observed by the early settlers, showing that the water stood something like 6ft above the highest level reached by the 1878 flood near the top of Inch Clutha. The commission stated that it was quite impossible to form any idea as to how long ago the flood occurred, although there was a Maori tradition as to its occurrence. The above statement would appear to indicate that the flood in 1851 was not the first experienced in the district. In 1864 there was a severe flood, but it appears to have been confined to the upper reaches of the river, where considerable damage was done, many of to miners losing a lot of property. Another flood was experienced in January, 1866. The Otago Daily Times of January 15 of that year records that news had been received of an extensive flood in the Clutha River, by which serious damage had been done to the property of the settlers of Inch Clutha as well as in the, surrounding districts. The river, which had been rising for some days, came down very heavily one morning, and continued to rise until all the lower banks were completely covered. The whole ot Inch Clutha was under water except the upper end, and considerable damage was done to stock and crops. The loss was estimated at £IO,OOO or upwards. The greater part of the village at Clutha ferry was submerged, and the passage across the ferry was impracticable. At one time the water rose sft in the Bank of Otago premises, but it gradually subsided during the forenoon until there were only a few inches. The house's on the level of the upper terraces escaped. The flood appeared to have been one of the most serious since the settlement of the district. The Dunstan correspondent of the Daily Times stated that heavy rain, which started oi a Monday night and continued until the following Wednesday morning, caused such a flood as had never been seen before in the Molyneux. The water rose 6ft above the level of the great flood in August, 1864. The river was flowing at least 10 miles an hour in places where the river was wide and tolerably straight, but in rock-bound gorges the tumult was described as appalling. Hill’s bridge, at the Kawarau, was washed away, and buildings in Lower street, Alexandra, became untenable. Tiro Ferry Hotel was submerged to the roof, and was prevented from being washed away only by strong mooring ropes. The great dam at the Nevis was washed away, and every claim was under water. The workings at the Manorburn were also under water. The Clutha Feiry correspondent of the paper stated that several families were rescued from danger by means of a boat. Inch Clutha, usually designated the Eden oi Otago, was absolutely a sheet of water. There were several narrow escapes from drowning. A heavy fall of rain on February 3, 1868, caused severe floods in all/parts of the province. At Tokomairiro a good deal of country was flooded. A young man named Draper, who was a builder by trade, was drowned while attempting to cross the river, his horse being washed away as well as himself. It appears that Mr Draper was in the employ of Mr Isaac Wyber and that the two pere proceeding on horseback to look to the safety of some cattle. Mr Draper crossed a lagoon, which was in flood, and in endeavouring to recross it a little lower down he got into a whirlpool, which seemed to engulf him and his horse. He was seen endeavouring to urge his horse to the bank, but without success. Mr Wyber was unable to assist him, being in danger of being drowned himself. The family of Mr J. Forsyth was isolated for some time, the whole place being surrounded by water. An attempt was made to get away in a small canoe, but it was nearly attended by fatal results, as the canoe was upset on two or three occasions. The occupants were obliged to return and bad to take up their abode in the wool warehouse, where the water was about 18 inches deep. A horse belonging to Mr M ‘Gill was drowned, and a good many cattle and pigs lost their lives. The Tokomairiro river and the various creeks in the district are said to have overflowed with remarkable rapidity. Near Waihola the water was over the fences in many places. In some places a boat was' rowed against the top rails, which were displaced. The mails were conveyed by boat for a distance of nine miles to Waihola, In refering to this flood the Bruce Herald stated: "We have had another serious flood of the Tokomairiro River, attended by more than ordinary destruction of property, and with one fatal accident. A downpour of rain commenced on Monday afternoon, and towards evening it increased very considerably, continuing without intennis, sion until early on Tuesday morning, when apparently it came down with ten-fold violence. At 3 a.m. no unusual rise of the river was expected, but by about 6 a.m. it had reached a height, we believe, only once attained, several years ago.” The low-lying lands contiguous to the river were flooded to a considerable depth. No coaches arrived at Tokomairiro from Lawrence or Balclutha. At the Clutha ferry comparatively little damage was done, and the settlers on the Inch Clulia did no suffer much. The punt was borne away by the flood, but was secured by the residents of Inch Clutha, and was quite repairable. Shortly before midnight on February 4, 1877,* heavy rain started to fall, and it continued-until after dark on the 6th. Considerable damage was done in Dunedin and many other places in the province. Writing on February 6, the Balclutha correspondent ot the Otago Daily limes reported that the river had risen Btt by about 4 p.m. The rain bad just ceased. The river was then on a level with the upper end of the island, and was about 4ft over the Stirling road beside Y, v Crawford Anderson’s property at the old manse. An enormous quantity of debris in the shape of sluice boxes, cradles, wheelbarrows, sawn timber, logs, and scrub had passed down the river during the day. Stirling and Kaitangata were quite safe at that time. A 7.40 p.m the river was still rising, and was brea_king into Balclutha in several places. The lower ends of Charlotte, and Renfrew streets were flooded, and several people had removed their furniture and goods. On February 7 the correspondent reported that Balclutha was flooded hy back water 3ft or 4ft deep, and that the water was still rising, the town being in great danger. No mails had been received from Dunedin for two days.

On March 20, 1877, the Bruce Herald stated that the damage done to crops in the Toknmairiro district was estimated at nbout £5*700. Two cattle were drowned. In the Clutha district no cattle were lost, but it was estimated that 1710 bushels of wheat, 3190 bushels of oats, 210 tons of potatoes, and 200 tons of potatoes were destroyed.

The flood of 1878, which is generally spoken of as “The Old Man Flood,” was the result of a very severe winter, during which the fall of snow was greater than in any previous year, followed by warm weather. On September 24 of that year a warm rain set in, and it continued for 36 hours, while previous to that warm winds had prevailed for some days. On this occasion the Molyneux River rose to its greatest height, and caused the most destruction. It was 6ft higher than during the flood in January, 1866. Not long before the flood a farm of 100 acres at Inch Clutha was sold for £3O per acre, and within a week before the flood the owner of 1000 acres was offered £l6 per acre for the whole of his holding. The whole of this laud was covered with water, and over the greater portion of it a cun ent iff exceeding swiftness ran. Bad as things were on the Wednesday and Thursday, they became worse on the following Sunday (September 30). In the interval very heavy rains occurred, and the fall for a period of 12 hours was described as torrential. At Balclutha, n-ere residents had left their houses during the earlier flood, as much as 2ft and 3ft o£ water being in some of them, in addition to being over the main road, the river rose close on 2ft higher. The liver fell very slowly, and the residents who had for the second time been compelled to leave their houses, were just beginning to get into their homes again when, on October 10, a third rising began as the result of still more rain in the upper reaches. The town was for a third time deserted, numerous residents betaking themselves to Dunedin and other places in a kind of despairing disgust at the turn affairs were taking. On October 20 many of the people were still out of their homes, and all business in the town was at a standstill in Balclutha, Stirling, Kaitangata, and Inch Clutha. Only two of the road bridges on the river—one at Cromwell and one at Inch Clutha—were undamaged. Five bridges were washed away, including one which had been erected at Balclutha in 1867-68 at a cost of £17,000. Balclutha, Stirling, and Kaitangata suffered very severely. Balclutha was described as a perfect wreck, a body of water from 2ft to 4ft deep, and with a tremendous current having been running over it for a great part of the time, cutting holes and channels and destroying property in every direction. In many places acres of land recently sold at £IOO per acre were washed away. Farms above and below Balclutha and at Inch Clutha presented a deplorable picture. The crops had just been put in, and in the paddocks the grass was beginning to look excellent. There was a heavy loss of stock, and eight or 10 houses were undermined and destroyed.

As the result of almost incessant warm rain for two days portions of the Clutha district were flooded on October 16, ISI2. At 7 p.m. that day the river was lift above ribraial at Balclutha, hut a rise of 3ft more would have been required before the town would have been endangered. Barnego was all under water, and there was from 3J,ft to 4ft of water in places over the Greenfield road in this locality. Parts of the BalcluthaStirling road and of Inch Clutha were inundated, and some of the settlers had a strenuous and anxious time in removing stock to the higher levels. On October 17 the water was as high as the fences in some places on the bottom part of Inch Clntha, and a few families had to remove from their homes. Reports from Pukeawa and other up-country districts stated that the flood was the biggest since that experienced in 1878, but that it did not come within Bft of the level reached on the earlier occasion.

Exceptionally heavy rain was experienced in many parts of Otago from the evening of March 27 until the morning of March 29, 1913, with the result that serious floods were again recorded. On March 28 the Molyneux River rose with alarming rapidity from a little over 2tt above normal to 10ft above normal. About midday on March 29 it rose 13.4 inches in 25 minutes, and two hours later it had reached the 12ft mark. At the traffic bridge—a height generally recognised as approaching the danger level, at 7 p.m. the water was well up to the 13ft mark, but it then started to recede, and by the night of March od it was down to the 10ft mark, all danger being past. On the 29th more than IUO men gathered to assist in stopping a leak in the bank behind the town, where the water was rushing through. After a strenuous task the bank repaired in less than an hour, but at 6 p.m- an alarm was sounded as the result of another broach, and again the residents fought strenuously to effect repairs. Shortly after 11 p.m. the fire hell was rung, volunteers being reauired to stop leakages in the protective embankment. At the southern end of the town the water was up to the door steps of several houses, and a few families had to leave their homes. A dairy farmer named Dippie. who had resided at Barnego, had an exciting experience on March 29. A strong current washed his horse and cart off the road near the Balclutha traffic bridge into deep water. The horse was drowned, and the empty cans floated down the river. Mr Dippie was got to land by means of a rope. Inch Clutha did not fare as badly as might have been expected. Considerable damage was done in turnip and potato fields, but all the stock were removed to safety. Heavy losses of stock were reported from Riverside, on the way to Port Molyneux. It was’stated that one man had lost about 400 sheep. The next trouble with flood? was experienced at the end of May, 1917. Rain set in at 8.30 p.m. on May 26, and continued without intermission for more than 24 hours, the total fall being 296 points. The Molyneux River rose very rapidly, and at 8 a.m. on May 28 it was 15ft above normal. A number of residents in Balclutha bad to leave their homes on the afternoon of May 27, and others were compelled to make a hasty exit during the night, some being removed in vehicles, while in other cases women and children had to be carried out by men. The river overflowed the embankment at Barnego, and all that locality was submerged to a considerable depth. One family there had to take refuge in the loft of a barn all night. Mr Holgate lost 350 sheep, valued at°ahout £SOO. At Stirling a great deal of damage was done. The low-lying business part of the town was covered with 4ft of water. Several families had to take refuge on the roofs of houses all night, and were rescued on the Monday night by a boat and taken to Balclutha. The whole of the Otanomomo swamp, extending right to Port Molyneux, was one vast sea owing to the flooding of the Puerua and Waitapeka Rivers. The railway line from LovclTh Flat to Benhar was under wafer. At Kaitangata many families had to leave their homes. There was 4ft of water on the Kaitangata-Rtirling road, and the Kaitangata railway line was washed out in several places. The low-lying land

on the Tokomairiro Plain was also flooded, large stretches between Milton, Tokoiti, Clarksville, and Glenore being under water. At the height of the flood the Waronui Valley was a sea of water from one side to the other. A few people in the Tokomairiro district had to leave their homes.

Another flood was experienced in September, 1917, but not much damage was done in South Otago. At the end of “January, 1919, another heavy fall of rain was experienced, and this had a disastrous effect in some parts of South Otago, especially Stirling, Inch Clutha, and Kaitangata. Balclutha escaped very lightly, but enormous damage would have been done there if it had not been for the protection afforded to the town by the works erected by the Government in 1880 and strengthened and raised, partly at the expense of the Balclutha Borough Council and partly at the expense of the Government, in 1910. At Stirling and Kaitangata the low levels were covered with water to a depth of several feet, a great deal of damage being caused by a break in the bank of the Matau branch of the Molyneux River, near Stirling. The valley between Bal-. clutha and the sea was also completely submerged. Seventy homes in Kaitangata were flooded, and in the opinion of many people the flood was as bad as that experienced in 1878. At lower Inch Clutha several families were without bread for two or three days, but eventually supplies were got to them by boat. A good many people were rescued by boats, and for several days the only means of communication between Kaitangata and other places was by boat. The height of the river during successive floods, as recorded on the gauge at the Balclutha traffic bridge, was as follows:—1878 (estimated, -as the gauge was not then erected), 16ft; 1912, 12ft; 1913, 13ft 6in ; 1917 (May), 15ft 6in ; 1917 (Sept.), lift 6in; 1919, 17ft.

The evidence of witnesses shows that the level of the water was approximately 2ft lower at Inch Clutha during the lbt>6 flood than it was on the occasion of the flood in 1878.

After the flood in 1878, railway traffic on the south line was interrupted for a considerable time, and in 1919 it was dislocated for eight days. . On both these occasions and also after the flood in 1917, the Kaitangata line was out of action for a considerable time. The private lino from Taratu to Lovell’s Flat also suffered severely.