THE FLOOD AT NAPIER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 809, 14 June 1879, Page 2

THE FLOOD AT NAPIER.

The flood at Napier on Sunday morning early was at its height, and some fear was entertained -lest the protective river work at Merritt's corner, N&aruroro, should not prove sufficient. Mr. W. J. Miller, the railway manager, accompanied by Mr. Werry, Undersecretary of the Railway Department; now on a visit to Napier, proceede.d ■yesterday morning along- the Hue. It was found that the Ngarurbro was not within three feet of its banks, and that the stone embankment at Merritt's corner was answering itsf Punflje' admirably. The floods m Ngarurofo and Tulci Tuki rivers were fully two feet lower than in 1877 — the last big flood — owing to the mouths being open. The new bridge across the Ngaruroro at Farndon no doubt also, lessened the obstruction to the overflow of the swollen waters, it having much wider spans between the piera than the old one had. West Olive, therefore, escaped any aeiqpus visitation. The railway bridge stood the flood well, but it was thought advisable to have a gang of men out on Saturday night, for fear of floating timber, &c, obstructing the waterway between the piers. At Taradale the embankment protected the district from the Tutaekauri overflow which, lower down, freely spread over the low lying ground in the neighbor-, hood of the Meanee bridge. Tareha's" bridge and the old Meanee road were completely under water, as was also the floor of the bar room of the Shamrock Hotel. In Napier, Muroe, Baffles, Stamford, and Sale streets were under water, as were all the lower ends of Dickens and Thackeray street, causing much inconvenience and no little discomfort to residents. The wind, which had been blowing hard throughout the rain from north-east, chopped round to so.ut-west on Sunday ; the weather then cleared up, and towards night there was •a, very perceptible difference in the state of the floods. — Telegraph.