WAIKOUAITI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2505, 26 March 1902, Page 31

WAIKOUAITI.

March 24 '■•n.ice TliursUj\ last the veathci has beer \ei> broken, and on Saturday niglit heavy ram set in, continuing till about 9 on Sunday morning. The :reek ruumng intc tlie lagoon carried dowr> an immense volume of watei, which o\erno\vcd th. flats, v.a-lung away a good numbei oi ■-tooks oi oj's and wheat, which had been standing foi somr> oays waiting foi fine weather before being stacked. The rain s>e»med heavier to tin rorth. and the Pleasant River was running 1v highei flooe' thai on the notable occa^on lfc \ears ago, wher two men were diov. ne<s. The Waikouaiti River ran bank high m Ihe afternoon, a= the water came lushing Sown iron 1 the back country, and Mr M'Brick too> the precaution oi clearing his sto;k aif th» Cherry Fanr n\tt& before night came on. Mist fell all Sundaj, chanpmg tc ram again at night, and this morning the river had risen aLou'. 18in. and was flowing over the fiats all round th" homestead. A young man named Bc-r* Waul, in riding along tht main road wheif flooded, had a .narrow es.cj.pe ot drowning, his horse plunging and throwing hirr> o\er the side into deep water, from which he was rescued with difficulty Ram is bti'l falling "bcavi.y, and the outlool i-fe c crioiis

Anniversary.— After all the preceding un=ettlfd weather, the day turned out fine for our Bixtysecon/ anniversary* and the attendance of the

general public was very good. Prom a careful comparison made there were more people present on the ground m the afternoon than on the former occasion, and at night the •attendance at the social was just about the same as that of last year. This -was fortunate for the committee, foi owing tc the very low charge made — viz., 6d for the social (including refreshments') and Is to the dance, there were only a fe.v shillings left over after paying all expenses.

Renovation. — At s> meeting of the committee ou Monday evening last tenders were opened foi the proposed renovation of the interior of the Waikouaiti Presbyterian Church, that oi Mr R. Templeton for £68 7s being accepted. It is hoped tc get the work finished by the 27th April next., when the R-ev. W. Hewitsou, of Knox Church, is to officiate at the services.