GREYMOUTH.

Colonist, Volume XV, Issue 1501, 13 February 1872, Page 3

GREYMOUTH.

[Bx Electric Telegraph.]

Gbeymouth, February 10, 2"45 p.m.

There is tremendous flood at Greyinouth, flooding the whole town and causing great alarm. It is the greatest calamity that ever befel the place. The protective works gave way. The water burst in at the top of the town, spreaddestruction everywhere. The lower end, from Stolund's drapery establishment downwards, has been washed to sea.

Many buildings have been washed to sea, including the Customs Shed and Wharf which are gone.

The front of the street was four feet under water.

The river cut a fresh channel through Mountstreet, at the rpar of the Custom-house, carrying away bridges/ Kilgour's tramway, boats, and buildings, as also tho houses, with their contents, right before it.

Hundreds of men, woman, and children are rendered homeless. They were taken off the tops of the houses by boats. Some of the buildings went bodily, the inmates barely having time to escape with their lives. Sad to relate a boy named William Hall was drowned. Several other lives have been lost in the district, and there has been innumerable narrow escapes. The Star printing office had five feet of water inside, whilst the Argus hands were working in two feet six inches. The largest cargo boats were at work in the streets. It is feared that the township at the Little Grey junction has disappeared, news having been reoeived that the whole township, covering an area of 12 miles, had gone to sea, except one store. One man was seen going down the river on a snag, yelling for help, which it was impossible to afford. All roads and tracks in the Grey Valley have been swept away, suspending all communication with the reefs.

A large population at the Inangahua are in danger of starving.

Wellington, February 12, 8 p.m.

The following telegram was put into the Greymouth office at II120 a.m., and was only reoeived here at 530 p.m.:—

The accounts ol the floods are in from the country. The Brunner coal-mine's stock, &c, to the extent £700, has been destroyed. The only building standing at Brunnerton is the Commercial Hotel.

Watson's and Mallock's store-houses and dairy cows are lost.

J. M. Campbell's store, stock, and horses have been swept away. M'Kenzie's land and crops are washed away. At the Grey Valley, Ferguson and M'Hardy's crops and fenoing suffered severely. At Little Grey Junction, George Barmon'a store has been carried away, and all the crops damaged. The river broke away the old road, inundating several farms and destroying the crops. At the terminus, Hardy's store was swept away. Doolan and Dear's farm is flooded.

At Moonligh*- Creek, Davey's store and hotel has gone bodily. The stock garden has also disappeared. At Middleton, Gatli Aiken and Margin's stores have been destroyed, the stock being mostly saved. At Eeefton, immense landslips have taken plaoe above the township. Several houses, including the brewery have been washed away. Most of the people of the town of Greymouth passed Thursday night up trees. At Greymouth, over 70 houses and stores haye swept away, including the following:—

From Johnston-street to Arney-street. —Aneeline's Golden Age Hotel; Hildebrand and Weber, butchers; Hicks, fruiterer; two-storey building, occupied by Mrs. Anderson; Joyce's old store; Foxcroft, tinsmith; Enniskillen Hotel; old Australian Hotel; building, occupier unknown; Geisking, store ; Ship Hotel; two shops ; cottage ; Cove of Cork Hotel.

Arney-street to Chapman-Btreet.—Alcorn's old store, occupied as a dwelling-house $ private dwellinghouse ; Moutray's bakery; Whitmore's cordial manufactory and private dwelling; Muller's European Hotel j two cottages; fivo small dwellinghouses ; boat shed, and couple of cottages adjoining, powder magazine. Arney-street.--Dale's cottage, and house adjoining Martin's stables.

The people of Greymouth, through their Mayor, uk the Bid of their fellow coloniiti.

t^The following telegram was transmitted from Greymouth to Mr. Mackay, the Native Commissioner Friday, by Mr. Greenwood, the agent for the Native Resenres: —

The heaviest flood ever known by Europeans op Maoris, took place here last night. All the lower half of Richmond Quay, with buildings and protective works, were washed away. The protective works at the upper end, opposite, were quite wrecked, also the Wharf, from the Transit Shed to the Custom-house.

Another such flood before the works are reinstated will ruin Mawhera Quay, and make the tidal creek a river bed.

A meeting takes place to-morrow night, to relieve the sufferers and protect the town.

Will the. Native Trust help the works ? I 'would suggest a thousand pounds at once. Much damage has been done to the Native township already.