GONG ALARM

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19601, 5 April 1938, Page 7

GONG ALARM

ROUSING CAMP

KOPUAWHARA DISASTER

PEAK OF THE FLOOD

BRIEF PERIOD ONIA

EARLY MORNING SCENES

(Per Press Association.)

WAIROA, this day

The inquest concerning the victims of the Kopuawhara flood tragedy was continued before the coroner, Mr. V. E. Winter, to-day, further depositions being made by James Thomas Doreen, one of the survivors.

Questioned by Mr. Willis, the witness said that he was in a row oi tents at the upper end of the camp. The water was still in the proper channel when he got up at about 3 a.m; By_ the time he had dressed the water was coming into his tent. The water did not come in one wall, bul gradually and quickly. From the time when he got up tc the time the water appeared to reach its maximum height would be about 10 or 15 minutes.

He saw something that gave him an idea that the water was dammed up when he saw logs. It struck him that there had been a timber jamb further upstream. The flood was at its peak for only a very short time. In his opinion, if a flood of the same dimensions had occurred before, the camp would no'. have been where it was. Thomas Dunlea, said he had been living at No. 4 camp for about 15 months and occupied a tent. On February 18 it rained nearly all day. He spent the evening in the Y.M.C.A. hut and crossed the bridge leading from there to the camp at about 3.30 o'clock. It was then raining heavily. He crossed the stream with a man named Bill Ault, but they never gave any thought to th£ possibility of a flood occurring that night. The witness said he had seen it rain as heavy as on this particular night. There was no flood on the previous occasion although it rained all night.

Noise of the Stream

He went to bed at about 8.35 and went to sleep almost immediately. He awakened at about 2 a.m. and lit a cigarette. It was then raining heavily. He could hear the stream roaring and making a great noise, but he did not take any notice of it. He did not go to sleep again, but at about 2.50 o'clock lie got out of bed. A few minutes later the light went out. He wandered outside and looked at the stream, and could see that it was not far off coming over the bank. He went to the cookhouse and rang the gong, but did not see any movement. He then went towards the other end of the camp with the intention of waking his mate, but met him before he got that far. By this time the water was up to his knees. He then noticed several men moving about, but he could not say who they were. Climb on to Roof The witness stated that he and his mate decided to go to the cookhouse, and while making towards it met a man named Cronin. The witness then left these two men and eventually succeeded in getting into Cameron's living quarters, where he found both Mr. and Mrs. Cameron. They stayed there for some time and then climbed on to the roof, where there were about five others. They all remained there until rescued. The witness stated that during the time he was in the camp he always regarded it as being quite safe, and that there was no danger from the stream.

He did not notice any logs coming down the stream before he went to bed. and did not consider that the rain would bring any logs down or do any damage. He did think, however, that the rain when he woke up in the morning would bo heavy enough to bring logs down. During the time be had been at the camp he never experienced rain to approach it for intensity. To the coroner, the witness said that the water rose very rapidly.

In reply to questions by Mr Willis. he said that the bridge was still standing when he wont to sound the gong, but he did not see any blockage. His purpose in ringing the gong was tr> warn the others, so that they could get out if anything happened The water then was not very high, but it rose very swiftly. The lloori washed away the whole <>( the soil on the site at the upsltoa.-n end.