SCENES OF DESOLATION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16122, 10 May 1923, Page 7

SCENES OF DESOLATION.

THE FLOOD DISASTER,

PHENOMENAL FALLS OF RAIN

HEAVY LOSSES ItEPOItTED

. .tlfar t>rcss Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, last night. The flood waters arc receding in Kaiapoi, and to-day the residents have been relieved of much of the anxiety of the previous 48 hours. Though the water has subsided on the Cam side, access to the houses cannot yet be gained without the aid of boats. Charles street, where snndbag protection was erected yesterday to keep back the water, is how clear-. With the overcast sky to-dav tile town bore a dismal aspect. The parts froni which the water had drained away were covered with silt, driftwood, and debris of all kinds. Most of the houses which were flooded hrc not habitable yet, arid it may" lie Sonic days before the flood is down sufficiently to elt'ttble the owners to return. Traffic through quite a number of streets is possible only in drays or boats.

The damage to the Kaiapoi Woollen Company's mills was very extensive, and it will be some time before the full effects of the flood will be known. Throughout most of the building the depth of the flood water was tibout two feet. There were over 2000 pairs oC blankets in the finishing department, and when the water was at its highest it overflowed the tableß on which tho finishing work was done, causing considerable damage. A great deal of destruction was caused to the stocks of acids uutl ammonia at the factory, and much of the machinery will bo seriously affected. Mr. Bennett, Superintendent of Telegraphs, stated that this morning there were still no wires to tho North Island via tho East Coast, but an improved circuit, had been procured from Christchurch, via Grcymouth, Nelson, and Blenheim direct to Wellington. By this circuit the telegraph office was now enabled to work the multiplex last printing machine, which was doing splendid work, and was practically coping with all the work coming to hand. Things were at normal,- and would remain so as long as the circuit held ud.

Hanmer Springs at the present time, Mr. Bennett said,- was absolutely isolated as far as telegraphic communication is concerned. HOMELESS PEOPLE.

Approximately half the population of Kaiapoi was rendered homeless, but accommodation was found for all, some splendid work being done by various bauds of workers in rescuing people", often at considerable risk. The efforts of these helpers were now being realised when there is time for consideration of events of the past two days. Towards Bangiora the flood waters are receding fast. At Woodcnd thcro are whole farms inundated still, arid it wilfo take some days for the water to drain off. Forlorn looking groups of stock can be seen clinging to the highest points of farms. Tho losses of stock have been heavy.

LOSSES OF STOCK AND CROPS,

Some heavy losses have been sustained in tho Coldstream district of North Canterbury, where there is scarcely a house that is not surrounded by water. In some instances houses are submerged to a depth of two feet, their occupants having been removed to safety. With regard to losses of produce and live stock, a farmer who had 2000 bushels of grain stacked five sacks high in his shed, had the lot; surrounded with water, which caused the sacks to burst. A well-known grazier between Saltwater Creek and the Ashley river had 100 head of cattle washed out to sea and a Waikuku settler lost 50 pigs. A Flaxton farmer is the loser of 110 valuable stud sheep.

-' Considerable damage has been suffered in respect of the potato crops. .In a paddock at: Coldstream, there are 000 sacks submerged to a depth of two feet, and in an adjoining paddock a large hftmber of sacks are not visible at all. There are largo quantities of potatoes not yet dug, and it is considered that these will be of no use at all now, as they will rot. Owing to the municipal gas works being flooded there was no gas available in tho borough of Rangiora last night, consequently those whose premises were not connected with electricity had to fall back on kerosene lamps and candles. EXPERIENCES AT WAIAU. Incredible as it may seem to those outside the locality, the fact remains that from the lime the rain conf*' mence.l on Friday morning up" to !' a.m. to-day, the rainfall recorded in Waian township was 10.78 inches, and at "Keinton Combe" the still more phenomenal fall of 00.81 inches. On every hand are scenes of desolation and ruin. The lower lands around Waiuu, township are covered with' silt, to a considerable, depth. Masses of debris of every description on fences and trees bear eloquent testimony to the height the flood waters reached. River flats which for many years have been good grazing lands are now bare, every vestige of vegetation having been swept off.

Fanners have come in to Waiau township on horseback, the only way of transit for any distance at present, and all testify to the tremendous alteration in the configuration of tho country in the different parts, but all state that they have not yet had an opportunity of ascertaining their loss in stock, though all agreed that the losses must be heavy. CHANGED LANDSCAPE'.

No description in words can cpuy.cy any adequate idea of alterations in the landscape; only tho actual sight of it could convey a true picture. On Lyndon No. 2 settlement fences have boon swept away in ill directions and small watercourses have become river beds. Old watercourses, which perhaps 40" years ago carried water in times of floods, but which for as loug as the dldest settler can remember, have boon dry, and in which cabbage trees and willows have been growing for many years, liavo been scoured out, tho cabbage trees, two feet in diameter, have been torn out by the roots, and a bed of shingle some chains in width remains. To give some slight idea of tho volumes of: water that swept across the country it may incidentally bo mentioned that one farm residence stands some twenty feet above a stream. At the highest point of the flood, a rise of another two feet would have brought the water into the house.

THE BLENHEIM DELUGE.

MAN AND BOY MISSING. (Per Press Association.) BLENHEIM, last night. In connection with the flood, fears are entertained for tho safety of Mr. E. E. Itobinson, secretary of the Spring Creek Koad Board, and a farm boy, who left Robinson's farm, Lower Wairau, last night in a dray for Blenheim. A search party discovered the dray on the roadside in deep water, and the horses roaming free with broken harness. Subsequently a vest, presumably that worn by Robinson's companion, was found, but no signs

of tho missing ones have been discovered. Some of tho grain and produce stores have been invaded by the flood With serious results; TJitjiisaiuis of bushels ,bf pea seeds and grain are irretrievably ruined, and there is much loss by the saturation of bale:? of wool. In one case 20 tons of sugar literally melted away. Ono dealer in produce estimates his loss at £IOOO. The railway line at. Spring Creek is severely damaged and the permanent: way washed out over a distance of one hundred yards. The damage done to the roads and bridges throughout tho province is enormous, The Bleu-lioim-Ktilkourti roitd is ihipaSSablti. Tito approaches to the Urc bridge were washed away., It is reported that Flilxbburhe bridge has fjoiid; Two" sjiims of the Clarence bridge ami two cylinders Were carried away. The teiegnipnie lines have feohc, breaking communication btStwcbii the two islands;

HEAVY RAIN IN HAWKE'S bay

(Per Press Assor'ation.)

NAPIER, last night

From Thursday last till this evening, between four and five inches of: rain were recorded here. This afternoon the falls were not. exceptionally heavy, but now there arc indications that this district is to receive a sharo of the Wtttef at present being distributed over the coUntr}-. The rivers in the lower tenches are not yet above normal, but In tho back country they ere reported to be rising. There is a good deal of surface water about, but nothing serious us the result of the rain is lit present anticipated.

DRAMATIC SCENE.

RESCUE OP RESIDENTS

'Special to the Herald..'

CHRISTCHURCH, this day.

At Kaiapoi there was a dramatic scene during the rescue of Mrs. Thomas Stevenson, a lady over 80 years of age, who has been bedridden tor two years. On Monday night she had taken refuge in Mr. AtteweSi two-storeyed house, and on Wednesday had to be rescued by boats. The old lady was tied with ropes to a stretcher, and lowered carefully from an upper window to the boats below during pouring rain. Two punts were placed side by side during the rescue, which was carried out by five volunteers. Mrij. Stcvonson seemed little the worso for her adventure. In a number of instances the rescues were carried out with difficulty, owing to the women becoming hysterical, but the whole work was done thoroughly and systematically without mishap of any kind. No difficulty whatever was experienced in finding accommodation for the Kaiapoi refugees. Tho people in the unaffected parts of tho town freely offered to look after as many refugees as they could possibly accommodate, and every available public building in the town was at once placed at the disposal of the homeless. Wherever necessary, blankets for the refugees were supplied by the Kidapoi Woollen Company. . Supplies of food were delivered to a number of houses by boats, and last night it was reported by the authorities that there were no known cases of distress.

The residence of Mr. H. C. Itcvcll. which is one of the oldest houses in the district, was built on foundations at the level of the highest mark that was reached by the water in the ISOX flood, but yesterday the water was three inches above, the floor, and fully fifteen inches abovo tho IS6B level. The house, which, is a single storey structure, was built so as to bo safe from any future flood, it being considered at the time that tho flood of 1808 was the worst that tho district was ever likely to suffer from.

SOUTHERN FLOOD DAMAGE

RELIMINARY ESTIMATE £200,000

isiwrta: «n ihfl H^ralfi'

WELLINGTON, this day. Telegrams have been pouring in upon tho Minister of Public Works from local bodies who have suffered tlirough tho floods in Marlborough mid Canterbury. From these indications the Public Works Department's officers, who know the cost of the principal bridges and other public works throughout the Dominion, have advised Mr. Coates that already' flood I'amago to roads and bridges in Marlborough and Canterbury niuy be roughly assessed at £200,000. Tho Minister has given instructions I hat. the District Works engineers inspect the flood areas when this be-

comes practicable, so as to secure a i lore authentic estimate of the amount '-■quired for replacements. Local bodi s will be expected to bear a share of the cost, and tho Government will t"iimutheticaHy consider requests for ;-.pecial grants.