FLOODS IN THE SOUTH.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12815, 15 July 1912, Page 3

FLOODS IN THE SOUTH.

(Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, last night. Tbe lain ceased yesterday in 'the greater p'-ii-t of Canterbury. A, flood at ! Flaxton this morning was the biggest experienced for many years'. The flooding was caused by the combined for.es j < * th. Eyre and, Oust rivers at their K. .'*it reach, and was, if anything/ worse than yesterday. ' The main road and the i...iw y line at the side of the road at Flaxc.a were not safe for traffic. All the country is v perfect sea, iind although the' outfall into the Waimakai'iri was fairly good and that river at. the Kaiapoi bridge went down tln-ee feet at low tide, it will be some days before the floods get off some hundreds of acres of arable land. The Eyre and Oust rivers, drain possibly 800 or 900 square miles froni a level ."of 788 ft at Oxford to tbe lower altitude above the level of 12ft at Flaxton. In' connection .with the levels, the height of the Eyre overflow towards Ohoka is Bft higher than at Wilson. 8 siding, on which tiie. heavy j current impingned, and from Xears' cor-j ncr to the outfall of the Kaikainui creek, m which another escape from the Eyre took place, the decline is from 15ft or 16ft to 7ft. These two streams have covered some hundreds of acres more than the last December floods or of the previous July. In fact, they equalled the deluge" of the Jubilee year flood on July 6. 1887, and stood a fair comparison" with the Easter inundation'*of 1374, as well as that of September, 1890, on which latter occasion railway traffic at Flaxton was suspended practically for a "fortnight. Last evening's train passengers for Ohoka and Bennett were conveyed by a three-horse drag from Kaiapoi to Wilson's siding. At Waverley ' there was over 3ft of water on the' road, and this entered the floor of , the vehicle. The •strong force of tr.e currents and floating logs and timber made the journey m the dark, lightened up by the two lamps on the drr,-;, a somewhat adventurous one. a— —■——»»—— ■s