Waikato River Rising at Mercer

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 416, 26 July 1928, Page 15

Waikato River Rising at Mercer

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FLOODS ELSEWHERE SUBSIDE Floods in the country districts are now subsiding, except in the Mercer district, where the Waikato, which is now receiving the back-country water, is still rising, and the flood has now reached the level of the railway platform. The Waikato River is still rising and at Mercer it is expected to reach, its maximum height at midnight. The railway line at Mercer is covered with water and this morning the flood was up to tlje level of the station platform. Trains are surging their way through the water. Motor traffic can still negotiate the road at Mercer, but about a mile north of tho township motorists have to secure the aid of a horse to get through a bad patch. Houses in the lower portion of the township are tiooded and the occupants have been forced to seek temporary shelter elsewhere. Settlers have moved their sheep and cattle to the higher ground In case the flood develops more serious proportions. LINE WASHED AWAY On the Te Aroha line at Waitoki several sections of the railway have been washed away. It is expected that the first train between Paeroa and Te Aroha will run this evening. On an unprotected area on the Wailii Road three houses have been flooded out and one completely isolated. A portion of the road ls covered to a depth of about 7ft. The Paeroa postmaster arranged for the carrying of mails to Auckland bv service car this evening. The service has been kept running, and a couple of transhipments have been necessary, the passengers and luggage being carried by drays over the deep, flooded parts of the road. A mail was also sent to Auckland via the Thames steamer. The railway service between Paeroa and Waihi was restored yesterday afternoon, and although the damaged portion of the line had to be slowly traversed tho train was able to get through.

At tho Nether ton ferry, where the Paeroa-Pokeno highway crosses the stoDbank at the end of Pekapeka Road and foliovvs the old route for a few chains, the road is under water to such a depth- that cars could not get through. On Tuesday afternoon the old main road from the ferry to Carter’s Corner was under water all the way and was accordingly closed by the Public Works Department. FAMILY DRIVEN AWAY At Waihi tho flood waters invaded the dwelling on Mr. J. Say’s farm and the position became such that the occupants, Mr. J. Atkinson and family, decided in the early hours of yesterday mornipg to vacate the building and seek higher land. There is some improvement in the position at Te Aroha, where the flood waters are subsiding. Yesterday was spent by many in clearing away debris as the Hood receded. Carts and lorries forged through the waters to the wharf stores, salvaging skins and other stores. INJURED IN LANDSLIDE A big landslide occurred at Mr. Clark in’s stone quarry yesterday, causing great damage. Mi*. Fred Clarkin, a son of the owner, was clearing away wreckage on the top of the face when the whole side started to slip away. He could not reach safety and was overwhelmed, falling nearly 60ft with the slip. He was buried up to the waist, but miraculously no bones were broken, although he was badly bruised and received minor injuries. In the fall, about 3,oooyds of spoil came down into the quarry, on which the business relies for its output, and the damage is very serious. A party of 30 unemployed men engaged by the Railway Department to work at Tirohia, after wading through water for miles, had to return, as it was too flooded for them to work, In the Thames district the flood ha* subsided sufficiently to allow vehicular traffic to Paeroa to be resumed. The slips on the sector of line from Omokoroa through to Tauranga were cleared last evening sufficiently to allow trains to run through. It will be some days, however, before the line is thoroughly repaired, but by tomorrow the train services should be back to normal.