HEAVY RAIN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 15

HEAVY RAIN.

GENERAL THROUGHOUT OTAGO. SLIPS ON RAILWAY LINE. TAIERI PLAIN SUBMERGED. RAILWAY COMMUNICATION INTERRUPTED. After a particularly mild spell a falling barometer and an overcast sky on Friday heralded the approach of bad weather, and by midnight heavy rain had commenced to fall. The temperature remained mild. *Heavy rain fell continuously all Saturday, and there was a light south-westerly wind in the forenoon. Towarda evening the wind ceased, but the 'rain continued well into .the night. Sunday morning broke with a oloudy sky, but the rain held off ( until evening. Light rain set in about 8 o'clock which by 9 o'clock had changed to a steady downpour. The barometer was then rising slightly. All outdoor sports were postponed, and the coursing at Forbury Park was also abandoned. THE TAIERI. OUTRAM LINE INUNDATED. At East Taieri the river reached the sft mark before dark on Saturday, and commenced to overflow the banks at what is known as the break in Gibson's paddock. The back water poured through the .break all night, and, as the river rose on Sunday, it increased in breadth and depth till there was a fast-flowing stream 100 ft across and 2ft to 3ft deep, running from the Taieri to the lands at lower levels adjoining. The water spread itself over a very large area. It is still flowing through the gap, and will continue to do so till the river falls below the sft mark. A considerable length .of the 0-utram railway is inundated, and it is not certain whether the trains will get through this morning or not. Thanks to the efficient system of flood warning, and particularly to the trouble that was taken to obtain information and to see that it was forwarded by the postmasters at Middlemarch arid Mosgiel, everyone concerned' has received timely warning, and all stock was removed from the inundated land. POSITION ON MONDAY. (Otago Daily Times, August 19.) Since Friday .night heavy rain has been falling continuously, with the exception of an interval between the early hours_ of Sunday morning ,and the same evening. The rain set in again before 8 o'clock that evening, and continue'd all Monday and into the night without any sign of a break in the steady downpour. The effect in the city is most noticeable, particularly in the low-lying parts of the Flat, where the accumulated water of two days and three nights of rain is. lying in miniature ponds and lakes. Lindsay's Creek broke through its banks at Mr Lethaby's property, near the Gardens, yesterday afternoon,. according to reports last night. In the afternoon there, was over 3ft of water in the upper channel, and about 5 p.m. the Water of Leith was running nearly 3ft deep lower down near the harbour. It was reported to be falling about. 9 p.m. The water was overflowing the North road to a- depth of 3£ft at Bushey, and motor cars were therefore unable to get through. Some dozen or more cars, conveying patrons from the Grand National meeting, had perforce to return to Oamaru. The car conveying- the through mails from Christchurch was among those which were unable to get through. AT WAIPORI. The city electrical engineer (Mr M. Henderson) advised us last night that the Waipor?" River was 6ft _ over the weir at 8 p.m.-. The same height was reached in January last. It rained very heavily all afternoon, and the river rose very fast between 5 and 8 o'clock last evening. After 8 p.m. the rain changed to a drizzle, and as the level of the water was less than half 3 the level_of the highest recorded flood at. Waipori, Mr Henderson was pot at all apprehensive. COUNTRY REPORTS. The following reports -were received at 9 p.m.:— , Naseby.—Kokonga and Paerau report that steady rain continues. Taieri still rising. Creeks in high flood. Middlemarch. —Paerau reports river very i high. River, at 6 p.m., 6ft high, and. still rising. Creeks at Paerau in high flood, and carrying large bodies of water. Steady rain at Kokonga. Steady rain at Middlemarch since 4 p.m. River rising at present. Hindon. —Heavy rainl_ Unable to report gauge, but anticipate river risen well over previous flood mark. THE RAILWAYS. A slip on the Otago Central line, between Hyde and Kokonga, took 3£ hours to clear, and made the downward train to Dunedin four hours late in its running. The passage through the gorge had to be made cautiously in the darkness, and further delay was caused by another slip on the line, on the Dunedin side of Hindon, near Mount Allan, which the train came up with about 10.15 p.m. The railway authorities expected it would take two hours to clear the line, and the train's arrival was pot looked for till after midnight. The up train had to wait at Waipiata, and was 3 hours 20 minutes late in its running from Ranfurly. The morning train on the < Outram line just got through in time, with the water up to the carriage steps. Shortly afterwards the line became "flooded between Gladfield and Riverside, and there was no afternoon train from Mosgiel. The railway authorities advised last night, about 9 o'clock, that the line was two feet under water, and that they would not be able to get a train through to-day. A slip occurred on the north line near the Upper Port station, after the train from the north had gone past, but it was cleared by 6 p.m.

PLIGHT OF TAIERI SETTLERS. BIGGEST FLOOD ON RECORD THREATENED. ■ (Fkom Oub Own Correspondent.) MOSGIEL, August 18. . Rain commenced to fall again last night about 8 o'clock, and has continued steadily ever since, consequently a good deal of flooding has taken place". The postmaster at Mosgiel kept all the farmers on the Plain well advised of any messages received, with tho result that the bulk of the stock was removed in good time to higher country. Many of the farms are covered to a greater or lesser depth in tho district between Momona and Otokia. Duck Creek has overflowed. The following properties are mentioned as being under water: Reid's, Nichol's, Moynihan's, and F. Johnston's. The station road at Otokia is covered, and a good depth of water is lying on the farms of Messrs Palmer, Bryant, Cross, Douglas, Harvey, Sprott, Snoll, and -Mitchell. The Otokia manse is also surrounded with water. Some of the settlers have left their houses, and have stated their intention of driving their stock to the yards at Burnside on Wednesday, as there will bo no dry. ground for them for many weeks to come. Berwick Flat and the lower portion of the Taieri are all flooded, and it is feared tho plight of the settlers here will be a sorry one when the Otago Central - waters reach that part of the plain in the morning. Tho Outram train got through to Mosgiel this morning with difficulty; but the rise during the day prevented a return journey this afternoon. An attempt will be made to send the mails via Allanton.-iu the morning; but this is doubtful, as it is feared the flood waters will be across the road at tiie Ailanton station before There is quite a big flood in the Owhiro Creek, the waters from which are over the road~ at the Owhiro railway station, as well as on various portions of Gladstone road, which runs parallel with the crock. A serious position might have arisen here but. for relief that was afforded through some of the, flood waters of the creek finding- an outlet near the centre of Mosgiel. The water flowed along the side of Wyckliffe street and into one of the borough drains. One of the most likely places for trouble is in the vicinity of- the Ailanton railway station. At this point there was scarcely oft of margin between the flood waters and the decking of the traffio bridge, and water was lying on both sides of the road—this with a fairly low tide. The tide would be full about 9.50, and, as more flood water would be down from Middlemarch by that time, it was feared the road and bridge, and possibly the railway line, would be submerged. The report that the Silverstream had burst its banks at Mr Blackie's property, near the Mosgiel Dairy Factory, lacks confirmation. . , No losses of stook were reported to-day, timely warning having been given to farmers In this respect Mr B. B. Couston, MiMason (Middlemarch), and the postmasters at Middlemarch'and Mosgiel lent valuable assistance. Quite a number of properties are covered in the Riverside district, particularly Kirkland's, Nimmo's, Gamble's, and Anderson'sThe residents of Mosgiel town are suffering great inconvenience in many cases with surface water lying around their' houses. All low-lying patches are covered, and some street corners are impassable. At the junction of the Gordon and Gladstone roads pedestrians are obliged to keep to the railway track, the last-named road being flooded near Low's corner. The rainfall as registered at for the past four days is as follows: —80 points, 118 points, 44 points, and 85 points. 9 p.m. The general opinion expressed by farmers in East Taieri is that one of the biggest floods the Taieri has ever known is threatened. The marks of all minor floods have been, passed, and the waters are quickly rising. In the vicinity of Elm Grove Estate, East Taieri, all the roads are under water, and boards are freely used to . obtain access to the farmhouses. The Taieri is higher than the Silverstream, the latter draining into the former as it does at normal level. The Taieri is at the same level at Kirkland's as in the January flood of this year. Mr Kirkland has all his cows in the buildings to-night, as he expects there will be no dry ground in the morning. A report was received from North Taieri at 9.30 p.m. that the Silverstream during the afternoon had reached its highest mark on record, but that the rain had slackened off, and a drop of a few inches able in the stream at the hour- mentioned. The rain is still falling thickly, and a slight wind is blowing. LATEST NEWS. TAIERI PLAIN A SHEET OF WATER. THE WEATHER CLEARING UP. -" The steady "rain changed to showers during Tuesday morning, and these became lighter until the weather cleared about daylight. The Taieri Plain on Tuesday morning had the appearance from Saddle Kill of an almost unbroken sheet of water. Many homesteads were completely surrounded by water. TSfo loss of stock has been so far reported. The Taieri River fell slightly during the day when the tide commenced to ebb. A very large area in East Taieri is inundated. It was hoped South Taieri would escape serious damage, as the water was only level with the top of the embankment. At Hindon at 2 p.m. the water was at the 14It mark and the weather had cleared. As regards the railways, the line south of Dunedin was flooded at Ailanton, Otokia, Henley, and Clarksville, the maximum depth of submersion being 3ft at Henley. The through train from Dunedin was not despatched, and the through train from Inveroargill will come only to Clinton. The Outram branch line is under" water, which in somo places is over sft in depth. On the Central Otago line a bad slip occurred between Hyde and Kokonga.