FLOOD IN THE WAIMATA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9408, 7 April 1902, Page 2

FLOOD IN THE WAIMATA.

A SINGULAR OCCURRENCE

A singular occurrence is reported from Ihe Waimata Valley, where the river rose suddenly on Saturday afternoon, the flood waters coming down in what is described as a great bank of boiling, bubbling turmoil, five feet high. The flood had one particularly unfortunate result. Mr William Young returned to Gisborne from his honeymoon trip on Saturday and borrowea a buggy from Mr Howard.Kenway for the purpose of taking his wife home to their new residence at the property lately occupied by Mr Harold Dods. MiYoung was returning with the buggy at about midday, and as he was negotiating one of the crossings one of the horses he was driving jibbed. The water in the river had suddenly commenced to rise and, seeing he was in a difficult predicament, Mr Young got out, and was releasing the traces of the jibbing horse when he observed a wall of water coming down upon him. There was nothing for jt but to jump clear out of danger, leaving the horses and trap to their fate, and it was fortunate for Mr Young that he did so, for the flood waters came down * and engulfed the horses and vehicle, which disappeared from view, and were not again seen. Search was made yes- " terday afternoon for them, and again to- —; day, but so far they have not been re- ""* covered, and there can be little doubt that the horses have been drowned and the buggy wrecked. The loss is a con- *, siderable' one, for the buggy was a very fine vehicle. fmd *Hie horses a splendid pair. ;, vThe flo6d is the more remarkable by the fact that there jiad been no rain to speak of in the locality where the accident took place. The creeks running into the river were all low. At Messrs. Barkers' Glenroy station, however, there was a phenomenal downpour of rain, so heavy that it is thtfight to have been the result of a water-spout. It was this that . evidently caused the river to so suddenly rise to such a height. Some three or • four hours elapsed before the waters sub- / sided to their normal level. Whilst the _-,r* flood was in progress a number of people travelling along the valley were detained. Mr Maidment, the Presbyterian Church minister for Ormond charge, had an exciting experience. He was travelI ling to Waimata to hold service on Sunday, and had negotiated several of the crossings, which were quite low, when suddenly, at another turn near Mr P. Kenway's, he found the river" in high flood, and his horse swimming. Fortunately, he got through without accident.