THE HAWKE'S BAY FLOODS.

Otago Witness, 14 December 1893, Page 17

THE HAWKE'S BAY FLOODS.

Napier, December 7. The flood waters are rapidly subsiding in all directions, and a better view is now obtainable of the great loss the settlers at Clive, Meanee, Papakura, and elsewhere have suffered. Travelling through the districts which were flooded, nothing meets the eye but dead sheep, cattle, and destroyed crops, to say nothing of the ruined homes of the Clive settlers. The body of Mr M'Farlane, who was drowned at Maraekakaho, has not been recovered, but in connection with this accident a Maori naniGd Harawea committed a heroic act by swimming in the torrent-rushing waters and rescuing one of the men who were trying to save the bridge. Another Maori went in on horseback and rescued a third man. Regarding the drowning of young Clare at Maraekakaho, further particulars to hand show that he was seen floating helplessly dowa the stream on horseback, and the last that the terrified spectators at an accommodation house saw of him was a man rolling over and over until he eventually disappeared from view. Yesterday afternoon there was a serious interruption in the railway traffic, but the lines were this morning and the trains have resumed running to Hastings. The thousands of cattle that have been drowned represent great loss to both large and small owners, but it is doubtful whether the loss to crops is not a larger 0113. Up to noon £550 had been collected for the fl:od sufferer?, exclusive of the country li3fcs. A large number of boxes of clothing of all kinds, bread, tinned meats, &c. have been sent out to relieve the temporary wants of the people, but a great deal will have to be done to put the settlers on their feet again. Many people who took to harvesting to bring them in a little are also sufferers. A Maori rode into town this morning, staticg that 27 Natives at Matahiwi are thoroughly destitute, as their stock and crops are destroyed. Being in actual want, a cart-load of food was despatched. Their condition could not) previnnsly be ascertained, the roads being impasßable. At Clive to-day the work of burying the dead stock is busily proceeding, bub owing to the great quantity of sheep and catlle drowned it will take some time before all can be cleared away. Later. The youth Clare, who was supposed to have been drowned in the Ngaruroro, has turned up safely. A largely-attended meeting was held to-day at which a small but very active committee, with Mr Swan as chairman, was appointed to disburse the money raised for the relief of the sufferers by the flood. Already about £900 has been collected, but at least £2000 will be needed to meet immediate requirements. December 8. The flood relief fund has now reached nearly £1500. Amongst the donors the largest amounts are R. D. M'Lean, J. H. Smith, and H. S. Tiffen, £100 each. The Executive Committee proceeded to Clive and Meanee today and got an estimate of the individual losses of the settlers. A very heavy slip has fallen in the Wansted Gorge, which will block the read for a fortnight, and the mails will be packed from the Waipukurau road to Taupo. Tourists suffer no inconvenience, as the coaches now take through passengers from Hastings to Waipukurau, connecting therewith the Wellington train. The passenger traffic to Waipawa by railway will not be resumed before Monday. Dacember 11. Collections were made in all the local churches yesterday in aid of the flood relief fund, and a substantial sum was raised. The flood relief fund amounts to about £2000, including £210 fram Wellington and £200 from his Excellency the Governor. The body of the Rev. S. Douglas was found to-day. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict that no blame was attachable to anyone. Wellington, December 7. A public meeting, at which there was a fair attendance, was held in the City Council chambers this afternoon to consider what steps should be taken to afford relief to the sufferers by the floods in the Hawke's Biy district. The Mayor (Mr H D. Bill, M.H.R.) presided, and considerable enthusiasm was shown. Fall arrangements were made for canvassing the whole of the city for subscriptions, and a meeting of ladies was arranged for at an early date. Over £100 was subscribed in the room, Hr Bell headiDg the li&t with a donation of £20.

From the Napier papers to hand no reliable estimate can be made of the actual losses, bub ib would appe ir that ib is albogebher impossible for the residents of Hawke's Bay to cope with the distress that must prevail amongst thoso who have losb their all. Tne papers agree thab there mu3t be an appeal to the rcsb of the colony. The disaster is so terrible, the dis'ress so widespread, thab it will require a very large snm of money bo enable bhe relief committee to deal ever so lightly with the most pressing cases likely to come before them. The Telegraph's Meanee correspondent states that most of the soiiill farmers are practically ruined. A few will, of course, be able to weather the storm, but others who have depended on their potato and h»y crops for a living, and who expected to have a good supply of vegetables for home and other use, are without anything. The potato crop is entirely gone, and that is the particular industry of the district. It would not be so bad, only last year and the year before were poor seauns, and the flood now has put a climax on thoir misfortunes. With regard to the hay crop, there has been a great loss. Taking one instance — Ihtt of G .rant's estate at Pakowhai— out of 4-00 acre 3 there is only one small paddock that will yield any result. Three parts of bhe grass and hay crops are spoiled in the disbricb, which, of course does nob include Taradale. The Chinamen ab Meaneo have had their gardens spoiled, and their lose may be set down at from £4CO bo £500. That is speaking roughly. Among those who have lost their crops of potatoes are Messrs Atkin«, Mostn, Kerr, Harris, M'lntyie, T. Gilligan, J. Giltigan, A. Smith, H'Cauley, English, Lausdowne, J. Scullion, J. Marshall, Cosier, T. Daly, Thomas and M. Downey. Tuen Mr Willan is believed to have lost all his crops und rome sheep, and Mr Beaman his crops. The principal losers iv hay are Messrs R/iner, Powdrell, T. D.tly, J. K. Cameron, and Grant. Mr Stothart, of Brooknelds, has losb all his sheep, bub his cows are all right. Mr R Neagle losb a few co.vs, and R Harris, cf Papakura, lost all his hay and potatoes, while a nutribar cf others have also lost their crops, including V. Erickssn, who has nobbing left. Ab Mr Kibtow's, Korikipo, the cows had bo be dragged oub on bo bhe road. All the crops were destroyed, while Mr Hollis also sustained los 3. At Pakowhai bhere was a bank known as " Grant's bank," erected a long time ago for bbc purpase of projecting properby. Lasb year the sum of £4-00 was spenb in repairing ib, and now ib has broken away. Ib is about 50 chains in lengbh albogebher. Mr George Milligan, of Mtanee, had pobaboes iv ab Puke* fc&pu, Ha&tings, aqd Meanee, and it is surmised

that the whole lot, which comprises bO acres, is gone. Those who had to take refuge at the Mission Station and Mr Doney's Meanee Hotel, owing to the water entering their houses, were (with familes)— Messrs Abwell, Jenkins, Collins, O'Shannassey, J. Saunders, Kerr, Moody, Farrar, Young, M. Ryan, T. Daly, and Skidmore, while there were a great many people who suffered severe loss, and whose houses were surrounded by water. At Clive the story is the same — loss everywhere. Some had not lost much, it is true, but what they did lose was all they had ; while others lost from £30 to a few thousands. All talk of the fearful night they passed in their homes when the flood broke out. One old lady, who was rescued by a relative who lives next door, was sitting up to her waist in water with her grandchild, and was powerless to do anything had not help providentially arrived. One man got out his big wooden bath tub and made U3e of it as a boat, ferrying his family, one at a time, to another house 50yds away. He says the tub didn't make a bad boat, and was about as safe as any other method of locomotion under the circumstances. Mr Cushing, the market gardener, has suffered a great loss. His magnificent garden is quite destroyed, and he estimates his loss at aboub £500. He had nine acres of potatoes in, besides other things. Another man, who lost aboub £250 worth, said he now didn'b own half a crown in the world. The vegetable garden upon which one family gained their livelihood has been swept away, and a number of apple trees in the orchard, which is differently located, are torn up by the roods. AS the Grange 300 sheep were lost, besides crops of potatoes, grass seed, and mangles, comprising over eight paddocke. Then the fences are down, and deposits of mud left on the grounds. The loss there is estimated at a great deal, bub it cannot be correctly arrived at. Mr H. Pulford has lost all his crops, Mr Orr 200 sheep and 10 cattle, Mr J. Miller all his crops and other things, Mr J. Higgins 500 sheep, Mr J. Kelly 1800 sheep, Mr M'Greevy 500 sheep, Mir Midglcy 2COO sheep, Nelson Bros. 9000 sheep at Mangaleretere and ib is said 10,000 ab Chesterhope, bub accounts on this head are conflicbing. There has baen a big loss suffered by Messrs Jollie, Fulton, and Co. A bridge which cosb £100 to erect has been washed away. The big wool drying stage thab originally cosb £700 will have bo be bakeu to pieces ; 215 sheep have been swept away ; the whole of the wool-drying plant and sheets, valued at £150, are gone, besides 13 pigs, 140 fowls and ducks ; 11 bales of wool were swept out to sea, as well as 2000 sheepskins and casks of pelts ; 65 bales of wool very badly damaged, also furniture and personal effeebs. The damage albogether is about £2000. AtEdenham Mr J. N. Williams's loss in Bheep is 1200, and bhe Rev. S. Williams, ab Te Aube, has losb aboub 3500. Although the inhabitants of Ciive are the more immediate sufferers, yet it is impossible to fully estimate the loss ab present. The thousands of head of stock of all kinds thab havo been drowned represent an enormous loss both to large and small owner 3. But it is to be doubted whether the loss of potatoes and grain is nob a larger one. Mr M 'Hardy, of Longlands, esbimates his loss of produce at from £700 to £900. Captain Russell's Ics3 of stock is small, but his loss in crops is enormous. One small farmer who had 17 acres of land sown with potatoes in good progresg, and with late prices a valuable property, has lost the lob. He estimates his loss at nob less than £300.