THE FLOODS IN HAWKE'S BAY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7664, 26 June 1896, Page 2

THE FLOODS IN HAWKE'S BAY

» RAILWAY TRAFFIC INTERRUPTED. WAIPAWA BRIDGE PARTLY WASHED AWAY. Napier, to-day. The rivers continued to rise rapidly until noon yesterday, and a great extent of the lowlying ground was several feet under water, fortunately the rain then ceased for several hours, and though it started agaiu in the evening, it has cleared up again and promises to coutinue fine. Great damage has been done to the roads and bridges throughout the province. Road traffic in many places is quite suspended, and the late trains last night could not get through owing to the water on the line at Clive. No large losses of stock are, however, reported so far, as the rivers rose slowly and settlers had time to remove their stock to higher ground. At 10.30 a telephone message from Hastings reported that the Railway Department had received an intimation that part of the Waipawa railway bridge and the approach to the bridge on the other side of the town had been washed away and the express from Napier could not get through. Pour other trains are stuck at Ormondville, Waipukurau Waipawa, and Whakatu. Part of the line near Waipawa is washed away. At a late hour the Railway Department decided to cancel the railway time table for to-day owing to the lines being in a dangerous condition through the floeda. Later. — The "weather has now broken, and reports from'the country state that the rivers are falling rapidly. The ordinary railway time-table has been suspended owing to the line being damaged in various places, but the department is expected to carry out the full time-table arranged for the Jockey Club's races to-morrow. Mails for Waliingford, Forangahau, Wimbledon and Herbertville, could not be delivered yesterday, while the ordinary ronte to Moawhango is also blocked. Heavy slips occurred on the Omahu and Okawa roads, completely blocking traffic. Slips are also reported from various parts of the country. The principal damage seems to be to the permanent way, and private losses are not severe, as the stock was driven ou to the high lands before the flood came. Woodville, to-day. Railway communication is entirely suspended. There are several slips on the line, and an approach to the Pohungina bridge has been washed away. A punt and a boat were carried away down the gorge, so that mails from Wellington and the West Coaßt must come via Wairarapa.