(From Our Own Correspondents.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2167, 5 September 1895, Page 36

(From Our Own Correspondents.)

Arrow town, August 29 A violent thunderstorm broke ovm- this distibfc last nighb at about 11 o'clock and continued for the greater part of the night. Heavy rain fell all tbe time and the rivers were soon in flood. Fortunately the snow on the hills is frozen and «omea away only gradually,

or a di»aitrons flood must have occurred. As it is, much danmgo has been done, although nob to any very alarming extent. The weather still looks threatening, but it is anticipated that the worst is over.

Cromwell, August 29.

There was a heavy thunderstorm, accompanied by a warm rain, last night. It was raining very hard this morning and seems likely to continue. The temperature is high and the rivers rising fast. There are heavy slips on the QueenstownCromwell road near the Rowing Meg oresk. The coach is unable to get through. Gore, August 29.

The Mataura river, bank to baak, is rising rnp : dly, aud there is every danger of a flood on the lotr-lying ground near the bank if the wa'crs do not subaide soon. There- is a large amount of debris coming down. Invercabqill, August 28. The rivers are rising rapidly to day, and the temperature being high heavy floods are expected, there being a large quantity of snow on the ranges. The air has been full of electricity for several days, and warm rain is now threatening.

Wellington, Augast 28.

In view of the likelihood of floods occurring in the Molyneux, Taieri, Mataura, Oreti, and Aparima rivere, the Post and Telegraph department has made arrangements to have the state of the several rivers telegraphed on the occasion of impending flood* and during flood time. In the ca-e of the Molyneux river, tbe postmasters at Queenstown, Cromwell, Alexandra Sauth, and Roxburgh will send warnings to the offices lower down the river as often as necessary. The officer in charge at the Hyde railway station telegraph office will collect particulars from tiw offices at Patearoi, Hamilton*, Kyebum, and Nas-by, and telegraph them to the principal offices ou the Taieri river. The principal postmasters on the Mataura, Oreti, and Aparima rivers will telegraph warnings to luvcrcargill, whence they will be distributed. The P«Mtmtster-gener«l has also directed that when necessary the offices are to reopen twice on Sundays and holidays, if warnings are likely to be required, for the purpose of reporting. The height of the Moljn^ux river was taken at nooa on the 13th inst., aud at the same time tha local .bodies were requested to establish flood register!.

Messrs Howden and Moncrieff received a wire from the manager of their property near Alexandra sfctting that the place was under water on Thursday, and that the bridge over the Mauulvrikia river had been washed away.

An luve f C»rgill telegram on Thursday stated that th« rivers were rising rapidly, and the temperature being h'gh heavy fl.-ods were expected, there being a large quantity of snow on the ranges. The Clutha river was steadily rising at B*lclutha on Thursday. The Cromwell Argus says:— "When the river was at its lowest this season, about a week ago, it was asoertained by measurement at tbe Cromwell bridge that it was 60ft lower in the perpendicular than at the time of the 1878 flood."

A Cbmtchurch Wegr*m reports :— " The Wfiimftkariri ri»er hai been in heavy flood during the pasts few days. Tbe low-lyiog land in tho vicinity of K*Upoi has beca submerged, and but for the precautions taken "White's bridge would probably have betn washed away." Mr Fonlin's forecast at 8 o'clock la?t evening was as follows :—": — " Light t> moderate 8. W. to S.E. and E. winds and heavy rain ; indications btoreay and electrical ; barometer unsteady." Mr Pftulin writes :— •' In connection with the ununual amount of electricity that has accumulated over the southern portion of this island, thi« is moat likely caused by the great Amount of vapour that i« being generated by the melting 6nowover tbe Central Ot» go distriot, and as this vapour will increase daring the next four or five weeks that part of the country will l>B visited by electrical disturbance* of an unusually severe nature, and will at times extend further south. The large disturbances of subterraneous gases in the North Inland will not improve, but, I think, help to further increase the electricity over the South L-Und."