ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2251, 22 April 1897, Page 19

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

Hastings, April 19. At 6 p.m. on Friday the Ngaruroro River

burst its banks at Roy's Hill, flooding the districts surrounding, and about 7 p.m. the water was jn evidence at Hastings, aud several fami- | lies were calling for assistance Rescue parties ; Were formed, which were kept busy through the night and the next day rescuing families ■ in boats from the houses. The residents of low- : lying district s are in a terrible plight. Hastings in parts is 10ft under water. Railway communication between Wellington | and Napier is completely cut off. The express ro Wellington with 250 passengers was stuck beyond Jfakipaki, where the rails have bo°n washed away, and returned to Hastings at 6 p.m. The passengers had no food except fish cooked at the engine boiler and a few sandwiches. The [ express from Wellington was stuck at Mako- ! tuka and returned to Palmerston. The line I between Napier and Hastings is terribly damaged, and the railway bridges have been washed away and the rails torn up and deposited ' yards away. There is a washout 25 chains loDg north of Pakipaki and another a chain long near Longlands's. The LoDglands bridge is severely shaken. From Hftvelock to Pakipaki ia a sheet of water, aud the Te Aute road is impassable. Settlers will lose heavily. The bridge over the Ngaruroro River at Havelock is strained, and tons of debris are piled against its south side. Fears are felt for the safety of Clive, which is all under water. In the lower parts of the township only the tops of a few of the houses are visible, and several have been washed away. Communication between Napier and Hastings is stopped, and the question of the flood is serious. LOSSES OF LIFE. A man named Broadbent ig reported to have been swept to sea on his horse. Tomoana is a sheet of water. .There is 4ft on the bridge. Nelson Bros.' freezing works are here. All the sheep ou this side of the river are safe, but about 15,000 at the Chesterhope station, belonging to the same firm, hava been lost. Cunningham, one of the shupherds, was drowaed. Toe Omahu bridge has been washed away. Enormous damage has been done to the crop} akd fences. The residents of Fernhill had to leave their houses, and the hotel is the only place out of the water. Two Maoris were seen to be washed off their horses while attempting to cross the river, and have not been seen since. Napier is reported to be under water, with boats in tho principal streets. Some tan well-known citizans of Napier were out as a rescue party Co CSivo with two boats. They launched them in the Waitangi River, and have not bsen seen since. Ib is supposed they were washed oub to ssa and drowned, as the boats were found capsized in the sea. Tliay were all well known and respected in Hawke's Biy. The following are the names of those who were lost : — Arthur M'Artney, of the Albion Hotel, T7ho leaves a wife and three children. Sergeant O'DouOvan, a, wife and family. Constable Stepheuson, a wife and family Joseph Brierly, « wife and family. Fred Cassiu, clerk, a wife. Prebble, married. Rose (a commercial traveller). Hobden, Ansel!, and Chambers, ' ' The Harbour Bjard'a steamer is searching for the bodies, but so far with no re&ult. News is to hand that Mesnee is under water, and loss of life .'s reported there, but there are no particulars. KedclifiE.i Bridge was washed away, also the Petane B'idge. LOSS OF STOCK. There are thousands of pounds' worth of damage fco stock, &0., at Maraekahaho, the property of Hr R. D. M'Leau, M.H.R., and houso3 were overturned, but no loss of life is reported up to the time of writing. Pakikura is several teet under water. Tho house of Mr Baker was washed out to sea._ The loss of stock throughout the district, is incaloulable. Mr J. N. Williams loat 700 sheep, Mr T. Tanner (Riverslea) 1000, Messrs Nelso-i Bros. 13,000, and Messrs T. Crcsse aud W. Bridgm»n ara heavy losers. This does nob represent anything approaching Iho ioss, but no further particulars are to hami. Carcasea are floating through the country. It is feared the loss of life will be considerable. It would have been more only that Friday night was bright and moonlight. The water was at its height at 7 p.m. Yesterday reports from Wairoa district Ebo'v that there has been loss of stock and thas bridges have been swapt away. Great damage has been done to the railway bridges- afc Takapau and Waipawa. The -waters are subsiding gradually. The effect of the flood to settlers and inhabitants generally will be disastrous in viftw of the coming winter.