SUMMARY.

Colonist, Volume 2202, Issue 2202, 8 March 1877, Page 5 (Supplement)

SUMMARY.

NELSON DISTRICT. THE LATE FLOODS.

The following additional particulars have Come to hand respecting the disastrous floods which had just taken place when pur last; Summary for Home readers had been published:—

Many who were affluent and from their toil had reaped what they considered would have been a ; compe'ency for life are now, when the best of their. days are past, at one fell swoop deprived of all they had, and it comes none the less hard that their loss has fallen upon them in the midst of their rejoicings, • " for there bad not heen so full a harvest these many. years." At Kain Valley, the farm of Mr. J. E. Barnard, has been almost destroyed. An avalanche: of earth, rocks, trees, and water so suddenly struck the house and crushed it that Mrs. Barnard and one of her daughter (Miss Nellie Barnard) received injuries in endeavoring to escape; thi former having several of her ribs broken, but the young lady w»9 not so severely hurt, Mr. Barnard, junior, went to Stanley Brook for assistance, and the sufferers ufter camping out one night on the hillside, were gently conveyed on stretchers by a band of their fellovvBettlers to Stanley Brook, where they are being attended to. Besides the houss and its contents being almost totally destroyed, th 9 trees in the orchard were either levelled or buried, and the flnt land was converted into a shingle bed. The land slips were most numerous in the neighborhood. Mr. Slanley, iv the came district, estimates his loss at iome hundreds of pounds, including the destruction of pasture lai d and five hundred sheep. The water flooded the lower portions of Mr. Stanlny's honse, compelling the whole family to take refuge upstairs. Mr Needlmm, of Tadmor, has lost the whole of his crops and has had much of his land destroyed. Mr Henry Holland, of Motupiko, has had a large stretch 0/ land washed away, and an equal quantity covered with sand and stones. Indeed, in some places at Tadmor, sand and gravel cover the land to a depth of two feet and upwards. The flood was all across Motueka Valley, wliioh was one sheet of water, and which rose to the level of the houses on the terraces more than eight feet above the river. Mr Gee, of Motueka Valley, who till the flood had somewhat subsided, feared he had lost 200 or 300 sheep, fortunately found them all but about 20 ; they had been washed into a patch of manuka, where numbers of them found refuge in the forks of the bushes, whence they had to be taken down, and tha majority of them are lamed. Mr Gee succeeded yesterday in crossing Spoouer's range by Norris's Gully with a cart, but it. was with the utmost difficulty. Mr Morrison, of Fox Hill, lost two or three aores of land and part of his hedges were destroyed. Pretty Bridge was in great danger ; it was shifted by the force of the water nnd all but gone. Mr Alfred Baigent of Pigeon Vailey losi some land ; and beyond Bell Grove up the Wai-iti Valley, oirt tratlic is now entirely stopped. Of the Motueka district the following graphic account from Mr Grant speaks for itself:—

" I left the Moutera ou Thursday, the Bth, being my third attempt to go up the Motueka river having left Motueka on the previous Friday. My desire wgs to get into the Orinoco Valley, thence to join the road to the junction of the Motueka river. The first obstacle that we had lo encounter, for as yefc we were on horseback, was at the Waiwero bridge, whioh was washed away, and only a few pieces ol wreck left; the water waa up to the saddle-flaps, anJ it was with difficulty we could get over, the houses not liking the looks of it. It still raiaed hard and was cold, the snow lying thick on ifount Arthur in front of us, for I hud a fellow traveller who I had persuaded lo share the risks of the journey. After we got past the Post-office, and down into the low land by the Orinoco river, we observed a dog and two horses tied to a fence, one of the horses we knew to be Mr. Tarrant's, the Secretary to the Kuad Board, and expected to see that gentleman not far distant, but why the horses were tied up there we could not see until my friend, who waa ahead of me, got into the silt and mud up to his horse's belly, and we found we could proceed no further on horseback. Having tied up our horses we went down the side of the road, sometimes getting over our knees in mud, travelling on pii-ces of treeß and gravelly-sand. We were not prepared for the sight that met our gaze | when we came to the Big river ; timber, sand, mud, etc, were scattfired at intervals in incalcuable quantities, so much co as to almost put an impassable barrier to further progress even on fooc. We got across the Orinoco on a large tree that the river had brought down, and scrambled round the cliff towards Mr. O'Brien's farm, the water having cut a great chasm in the middle of the road, and had washed away the road round the cliff. Entering on Mr. O'Brien's farm, we had to pass over about four feet of sand interspersed with trees and every description of rubbish, tne flat ground along the river being completely Billed up and entirely ruined, tbe debris filling the road, and destroying a fine qui'k hedge over four feet high, also the vtduable shrubs lately planted by Mr. Goulstone. The best part of the land is rendered worthless, the creeks running from the Green Hill vomiting forth their coatents to the solid rock, trees barkod, stones, boulders, etc., mixed io endless confusion. We got on'but slowly, walking being very tiresome. We passed on after reaching the outbuildings,at Mr. O'Brien's with comparative ease, till we came to t.he next, bluff, where the river had washed the road away, and left great holes and cavities in the solid rock. I forgot to mention that Mr. M'Gaveston, who lives on the opposite bank to Mr. O'Brion, also had his land silted up, besides losing his trap and dray, and having' his garden damaged. After getting round the bluff, we met a party coming down, who told us wo ought not to attempt going further up as it was getting late, and we could by no chance get to Mr. Wright's hut thnt night, but being wet and cold we determined to go on. Over mud, strn's, quicksand, etc., on the onue level plain belongit g to Mr. Charleß Green, we came to his whare, where some diggers had taken up their abode having been washed out. The country was more awful to behold. Where the sheep are to live it is hard to tell, except they take to the hills, and there there is little or nothing to eat. Mr. Young had 150 sheep washed aw»y, and damage done to a great extent, the river making his land into an island. Mr. Salisbury also had his land washed away, but further up the scenes became more harassing. Mr. Haycock's place is entirely gone, the only vestige that we could see was part of a threshing machine, the flat being covered with boulders, trees, mud, and gravel to a great depth in BOtae places. We could not get round the river any further, bo wb crossed what tbey call the G-ap, belonging to Mr Parkinson, and here at the mouth of the gully there are millions of tons of all sorts of trees, stones, everything cleared out to the solid rook, his house having a narrow escape from a slip. We discovered the track, and by greatjexertions reached Mr J. Wright's hut, where we slept for the night, drying our clothes; whioh were torn and none the belter for ■ the trip. Next morning I got up and looked ac the place. I saw it less than a week before, and 1 nould hardly believe my own eyes. There ml front of the-whole the stockyard was, and is, but lies buried, with ten feet, of Band on the top of it; you could hardly tell it wbb there. ■ This was a fine place a week ago, 800 acres of good ground worth £2000 ; now it is covered with gravel and trees many feet thick,'and the road is all destroyed there being no communication at all. Mr Lynes rented the place, and has lost a great many sheep; there they wera, sticking in the gravel amongst logs and trees, three and four together ; he has also had a finn crop of barley completely silted up. I now learn that not only had the rivjer been terribly high, but that the creeks must have been dammed up by slips from the hills, thus forming reservoirs, whioh suddenly bursting, had thrown oub on the flats such boulders and trees ac would hardly be thought credible. I had lost my timber waggon'; it would have been safe enough from the river, but the extra force of water pushed it in, and I doubt not many more thing* found their way into the river through the same cause. Mr J. Wright's hone escaped after swimming about on a log for a long time. Mr Malp&i, acrou

the rirer, lost a mare and foal. A digger of Ihe name of Fraier got hurt in his baok from a slif, and two others bad a narrow escape. We pursued our way amongst, logs round to the mouth of the -' <ove ; here the same destruction was to be seen. From Messrs Turner Brothers' pUce all round ,by, Mr! Rose's farm to the mouth of the Dave is utter deapli}-! >ion. Several settlers on the other side of the river; I have lost everything, and had to oamp on the ' hills nil night to save their lives. Except the roads are inadu passable for packing, some of the families must he starved, as it is impossible to get flour up otherwise. This place I passed through a week ago, and it looked thriving and well. Alas ! Now the work of years is gone! Hone fled, and many would gludly leave the district if they could find the means wherewith to uo so. We crossed into the Orinoco Yalloy ngain, and were glad to see thut those at the (op had lost but little, Messrs White and Gower Iteing the greatest sufferers in the district. I could hear no tidings from the Baton, but it was supposed that the people there were in want of provisions." [Fbom a Moiueka Coeeespondent.] It is thought by not a few persons that a hundred thousand, pouuds sterling would not have purchased the properties totally destroyed by the late deluge in this district. What some of the sufferers will do it is hard to tell. What few sheep and cattle have been saved must be parted with at a sacrifice, as sand and stones have taken the place of grass, and I saw a farmer to-duy "feediug his cattle on hay. Nearly every one in Motueka who owns a horse and cart have been engaged in carting firewood that hus been washed on the river's bank and sea beach, and of which there are thousands of loads on some farms. Ie is hoped that' the Government or public will substantially recognise the bravery of Messrs.. Jones and Wilkie m reecuing Mr. Glover's people, it was tru'y a plucky deed and deserves bringing before the notice of such institutions as the Nelson Caledonian Society and the Koyal Humane Society in London. The accounts you have published have not in the least exaggeruted the terrible disaster. Mr. Robert Shallcrass is over here gathering information for the Government, and no doubt his report will show how best any relief can be bestowed. One thing is the imperative duty of the Government, that is immediately to see to the repairing of the roads, or to give the Road Bourd every aesistance to accomplish the work. [Fbom a Eiwaka. Coere-pondent.] Brooklyn Stream, which comes down a narrow valley, and has a few acres of level ground on either side has committed extraordinary ravages. From the hill sides there hove been numerous landslips, one of whioh must certainly have been a mile in lengfcb, and- these slips had the effect of damming back the water until it had accumulated in large volumes, when, by its weight, it broke through tha obstruction and in a wave, some feet high, rushed over the lower lying land, sweeping onward in its course big trees, stones, and indeed everything. Trees 40 or 50 feet long were tumbled over und over lengthways, and in the water, ma<le the denser by the stones, &0., borne along by it, trees of two feet diameter were snapped in two like carrots. It was uot till Tuesday morning early that any eerious damage was anticipated by thoae at Riwuka, for although it had been raining heavily since the la?t Saturday, the banks of the siream, had not till then beer carried away, but between 7 and 8 o'clock, on looking up the valley, a dense body of water was seen pouring down between the hills, and its roaring was heard with dread ; but the fuct that some warning was thus given before the worbt of the flood came down upon i hem enabled those in danger to hastily seek places of greater security. Alarm was at once fell for the safety of a settler, Mr. Barrows, whose house was situate about two miles up the valley, and it was known would be the first endangered, but it was not till Wednesday evening (tut a relief party could proceed to the spot, «nd in doing this they encountered the greatest difficulty, haying to wade through water, along ridges from the aide of which the earth liad heeu washed to a great depth, through slips, in which it was very difficult to avoid sinking, and they had little hopes of discovering other ihan that the house and occupants had been washed away. Fortunately, however, this was not the caae, for although no trace was left of the house, and all their worldly belongings had been swept away, Mr. and Mrs. Barrows and their Beven children, who were entirely destitute of provisions of any kind, till Mr Barrows procured some from Mr. Duncan, had taken refuge on the hills and were so (ar safe. The following day, Messrs Cederrnan, Pattie, and M'Lean proceeded up the valley and brought the ohildren down. The next house that lay in the pith of the flood was that of Mr. Mickell, and which adjoined his water mill. At about two o'clock on Tuesday morning, Mr. Mickell, observing that the water was on a level with the banks of the stream, removed his wife and family to the house of a neighbor which stood on somewhat higher ground, but the water falling a little towards daybreak he and some of the children returned. It was not long after they had done so, however, that one boiling mass of water, mud, trees, and stones came pouring down upon their house, aud all attempt at escape was bopeleßS. It is impossible to picture the heartrending anxi6ty of Mrs. Mickell, who from her neighbor's house could see Her own, with her husband and children therein, in such frightful danger of being carried away any second. How it escaped is truly marvellous, and althouga the stream was thick with trees aud boulders, but one tree struck the house, and it, fortunately, was driven against a door whioh it knocked from its hinges. The house was silted up with drift and sand about 4 feet deep on the outside, and the contents were much damaged. The adjoining mill, too, was also silted up, the leads and tail race are completely blocked up, and it will be impossible to again use the mill, at all events in its present position. Much of Mr Mickell's land is covered to a dapth of some feet with sand and drift wood, and an orchard, which belonged to him is Bilted up above the tops of the trees. Messrs. Duncan, Mason, Bausfield, and Trewavia, the latter of whom also lost one horse and seventy sheep, are all losers to a large extent by reason of their land being covered with rubbish and rendered alinoat useless, certainly for years. The damage done at Riwaka by the Motueka river, is, fortunately, not so great as that by the Brooklyn stream. The greatest suffarer was Mr. Croucher, a small farmer, whose loss will prove mo9t diaaatrous to him. He owned some land on the banks of the river, and, owing to its encroachments last winter, had to remove his house, and he then had about four acres left, and of this he has now lost anacre and a-half, which was down in potatoea. A stack of wheat, a stack of barley, aad a barn were also washed away with the land. Mr. Croucher and Mr. Barrows will feel the losses which they have subtained far more than many of their neighbors, who may have lost actually more, for these two have lost their all and are left entirely destitute. The former is a widower with tea. or eleven ohildren. Mr. Askew lost a stack of wheat and a field of barley, which was estimated to run forty or fifty bushels to the acre. The greater part of the potato crop of the district bas been lost, and a great deal of the feed has been destroyed for the preseut.

the river, lost a mare and foal. A digger of the ' Btvept away .. .. •• 200 ; name of Fraier got hurt in his baok from a slij, Mrlnwood—nearly all stock, house gone.. 150 \ and two others had a narrow escape. We pursued Mr Sutherland— do. "do. .. 150 ■ our way amongst, logs round to the mouth of'the ;Mr T. Grooby—some atook, a little shingle • ''ovej here the same destruction was to be seen. on land .. •..••• ;. '■■•• 150 ; From Messrs Turner Brothers' pUce all round .by, Mr; Mr George Spicer—house gone, all land a , Rose's farm to the mouth "of the Dave is utter degptii-l shingle bed r ' .'. .. .. 250 > lion. Several settlers on the other side of the river! Mr Wm. Spicer—some stock, some shingle' _ ; have lost everything, and had to oamp on the ' hills on land .. .. .. ... 150 ( .ill night to save their lives. Except the roads are Mr J- W- Parkes— do. do. .. 150 ■ made passable for packing, Borne of the families must j}J r 10wles— do- J°- • • "jj , he starved, as it is impossible to get flour up other- r~r „ , , ', , , " -.An wise. This place I passed through a week ago, and Mr E Tucker-land washed away .. 100, it looked thriving and well. Alas ! Now the work Mr 3- Burrow—part stock, a little land i of years is gone! Hone fled, and many would _, damaged.. .. .. .. 15U ; gladly leave the district it they could find the means Mr B. Grooby, ditto, part land gone, and . "herewith to uo so. We crossed into the Orinoco where house stands becomo an island 100 Vallay ngain, and were glad to see that those at the %t Cassidyjtto shingle on land .. 100 . top had lost but little, Messrs White and Gower fj r go^ S^.,?'* o.^ S£ being the greatest sufferers in the district. I could JJr JKft '£t ' £5° '"i "• V hear no tidings from the Baton, but it was supposed Mr Cifford ditto, t ditto, barn injured, that the people there were in want of provisions." shifted two chains .. .. 100 [Fbom a Motueka Coeeespondent.] t H b Motueka CalXmity.—The Government has It is thought by not a few persons that a hundred decided to grant to settlers whose land has been thousand pouuds sterling would not have purchased destroyed .by _ the recent floods the option of exthe properties totally destroyed by the late deluge in cJ angm8 present holdings for land to be this district. What some of the sufferers will do it ?J? Se£ hy. the,V™^ t Crow» and? .m is hard to tell. What few sheep and cattle have .*N ■ .Provincial distnot, when they may either take been saved must be parted with at a sacrifice, as an aCre. age to -.the quantity of their present sand and .tones have taken the place of grass, and I Possessuf< °^ an extent of land amounting to the saw a farmer to-day feedingP his cattle on hay same fi vf ue. as thafc °f uP°n theirs at the time it n*,,,^ *„ • vr *■ w v v j was first taken up. The Premier telegraphed to Nearly every one in Motueka who owns a.horse and MrGurtis that Mr • Hursthouse recommended that cart haveteen engaged in carting firewood that has the.Government should allow settlers the privilege been washed on the river "bank and sea beach, and of exchanging for other Crown lands or should be of which there are thousands of loads on some arms. granted land b on deferred pa y mentS) and asked Mr Ie ,s hoped that the Government or public will sub- Curtig for his opinion O n that, and also as to stantially recognise the bravery of Messrs, Jones and whether it would be advisable to set apart a special Wilkie ra rescuing Mr. Glover s people, it was truly block for the purpose. Mr Curtis replied, acquiesca plucky deed and deserves bringing before the i ng i n the first proposal, and the Premier then telenotice of such institutions as the Nelson Caledonian graphed that the Ministry were willing to grant the Society and the Koyal Humane Society in London, request if the Waste uands Board concurred in its ihe accounts you have published have not in the desirability, and that they would trust to the House least exaggeruted the terrible disaster. Mr. Robert passing an Act for the purpose in the next session. Shallcrass is over here gathering information for the The Board met as soon after receipt of this message Government, and no doubt his report will show as possible, and unanimously recommended such how best any relief can be bestowed. One thing grants, and this resolution having been telegraphed, is the imperative duty of the Government, that is Mr Curtis received a message from the Government immediately to see to the repairing of the roads, or yesterday that the Board would be instructed to to give the Road Bourd every aesistance to accom- issue grants to those who elect to make exchange plisu the work. of their land as soon as possible. There is no TR-T^r » -rt-tt.^-. rv.-r,,,,,-,,™^™™ t doubt the General Assembly will pass the necessary Id BOM A KIWAKA. UOERE-PONDENT. 1 ~. n 1-4.1, a «. iTil r\ t ■ J Act to legalise the present step of the Government, Brooklyn Stream, which comes down a narrow for which prompt and equitable concession, to say valley, and has a few acres of level ground on either side the least, the Ministry of the day is deserving of has committed extraordinary ravages. From the every credit, hill sides there hove been numerous landslips, one ■- of whioh must certainly have been a mile in length, A PUBLIC MEETING was held in the Proand these slips had the effect of damming back the vincial Ha jj N e l ßon on Februapv|l9th, for water until it bad accumulated in large volumes, .1 n -j ■ i • . when, by i, B weight, it broke through the obstruction c Purpose of considering the beat means and in a wave, some feet high, rushed over the lower of assisting the sufferers by the floods, when lying land, sweeping onward in its course big trees, his Worship the Mayor (Mr. E.Everett), stones, and indeed everything. Trees 40 or 50 feet Mr. V. Curtis, M.H.fi, the Bishop of Nelson, long were tumbled over and over lengthways, and in fche Eev. Father Garin, Mr. J. Sharp, M.H.K., the water, rnaue the denser by the stones, &0., , 1 ■■• t ti i 1 »* t J,i i 1 borne along by it, trees of two'feet diameter were ijl.o, Kev\ f Beckenhatn Mr. J. ShepharJ, snapped in two like carrots. It was uot till Tues- bishop belwyn, Judge Broad, Mr. A. J. day morning early that any eerious damage was an- Kichtnond, M.ri.K., and Mr. Pickering took ticipated by thoae at Riwuka, for although it had pare in the proceedings. The following beer, raining heavily since the la«t Saturday, the reso lutions were passed :- banks ot the siream, had not till then beep carried away, but between 7 and 8 o'clock, on looking up The BrsHOP OF Nblson proposed " That this the valley, a dense body of water was seen pouring meeti°g hereby expresses its sincore sympathy with down between the hills, and its roaring was heard the lnhabif»n'; B of Motueka, Riwaka, and the neighwith dread ; but the fuct that some warning was thus bonng Valleys, in the destructive calamity that has given before the worbt of the flood came down upon overtaken many of them, in the complete demolition i hem enabled those in danger to hastily seek places of thelv hoa»e3< land- ar>d other property whereby in of greater security. Alarm was at once felt for the many Itiatances the result of many years' labor had safety of a settler, Mr. Barrows, whose house was beeD BweP fc away in a few bour8 ' and their future situate about two miles up the valley, and it was P ro 9 wholly reversed." known would be the first endangered, but it was not The Rey- Fathgb Gabin seconded the proposition, till Wednesday evening that a relief party could Mr. J. Shaep, M.H.R., was sorry for the necessity proceed to the spot, «nd in doing this they encoun- for BUch a "solution as he had to move, though he tered the greatest difficulty, haying to wade through hoPeii lhe PeoP le of Nelson<would now respond most water, along ridges from the aide of which the earth hear(%- Tb(7 had a very delicate matter before had been washed to a great depth, through slips, in tnera> (or tbe P e°Ple of New Zealand had that indewhich it was very difficult to avoid sinking, and they P6tldenfc BP irit tuat tht>y disliked to . receive , any had little hopes of discovering other ihan that the P ecunia>7 assistance. He proposed that a Relief house and occupants had been washed away. For- Committee consisting of the Mayor, the Bishop of tunately, however, this was not the case, for although Nelson' the Rev. Father Garin, Messrs. O. Curtis. A. no trace was left of the house, and all their worldly J- Kicbraond, L. Broad, Hursthouse, Tarrant, Parker, belongings had been swept away, Mr. and Mrs. Bar- Maomahon, K. Pattie, A. Dmmmoud, and Oliver be rows and their seven children, who were entirely apoointed to raise subscriptions to aßsiat the sufferers destitute of provisions of any kind, till Mr Barrows by the late flood3 ' fchree t0 form a 1"°™ m- '^ procured some from Mr. Duncan, had taken refuge Committee to have power to make suoh enquiries as on the hills and were so (ar safe. The following the. v ma^ tblnk necessary ; to arrange for the disfcriday, Messrs Cederman, Pattie, and M'Lean proceeded butlon of ai,' mone-7S received by them ; and to have up the valley and brought the ohildren down. The Power to add to thelr number- He thought it wise next house that lay in the pith of the flood was that t0 make thls a s^ondary resolution, that it might be of Mr. Mickell, and which adjoined his water mill, shown that the sympathy of the whole people was At about two o'clock on Tuesday morning, Mr. Wlth them ln thelr dlstreß3Mickell, observing that the water was on a level with . The Bey- Jora eeoonded the resoluthe banks of the stream, removed his wife and family to the house of a neighbor which stood on somewhat The motion was then P ut and carried unanimously, higher ground, but the water falling a little towards daybreak he and some of the children returned. It The Eeliep Committee.—At a meeting of the was not long after they had done so, however, that Motueka Relief Committee on Thursday, Feb. 22, one boiling mass of water, mud, trees, and stones the names of the following gentlemen were added to came pouring down upon their house, aud all attempt the list' of members : —Messrs Joshua Bird, S. at escape was bopeleiss. It is impossible to picture Buohholz, E. F. Burrell, Richard Chattock, Ohristhe heartrending anxiety of Mrs. Mickell, who from tian Dencker, Frederick Greenwood, Thomas Grooby, her neighbor's house could see Her own, with her sen- William Haddow, H. Jennings, Frank Jellicoe, husband and children therein, in such frightful dan- ■*•• White, and Rev. father Mahoney. It was reger of bein» carried away any second. How it solved:—(l.) " That the Motueka and Riwaka memescaped is truly marvellous," and althouga the stream bers be a sub-Committee to enquire and report as to was thick with trees aud boulders, but one tree the extent of immediate assistance required, and struck the house, and if, fortunately, was driven generally as to what other relief is needed." (2.) against a door which it knocked from its hinges. The " That the lo™l Committee be requested to furnish house was silted up with drift and sand about 4 feet J e Benera Committee with a statement showing deep on the outside, and the contents were much the amount of loss of each person m land, houses, damaged. The adjoining mill, too, was also silted up, Ol\ ot I her. ProPertv> accompanied by a similar the leads and tail race are completely blocked up, statement showing the amount still remaining." and it will be impossible to again use the mill, at all events in its present position. Much of Mr Mickell's The following is a summary of the reports mrland is covered to a dapth of some feet with sand nished by the various Sub-Committees :— and drift wood, and an orchard, which belonged to .«• o . , j tt ~ n-n , -.a , • •!<. j v .. , f i t »v Messrs Kichmond Hursthouse, C. Parker, and S. him is Bilted up above the tops of the trees. Messrs. r. ~ . * vcr i.- > lv j j • _ ~ * D c v j t • i-i. i Buchholz report:—We estimatp the damage done in Duncan, Mason, Bausfie d, and Irewavia, the latter Ll , ~ Lf . ,e%r L , »»,»- , .-, ,T ' t ,'. , ' nA ' ant 'u the sub-district of Motueka at £5165, which amount ot whom also lost one norae ana seventy sheep, are j . • . ■, e> Ar ,nt\ i v l- * ~ ,ii , ~ i i,,. v\ , does not include £4000 loss by washing away of all losers to a large extent by reason or their land j , f n U - c*u .^r v i • v_ . , - fU k L' v i „ j o j i . roads &c. Thirty of the settlers are heavy losers, in being covered with rubbish and rendered alinoat use- ~ J . r j , J , ', i 8.. , , mi, -i mo -j „„ fR - , some cases the amount of damage done reaches the less, certainly for years. Ine damage done at Kiwaka , . ,, !nn m , . b ~ c ~ .„ ,'.,"■'. J. •.f. .|„ . . large sum of £500. The majority of the sufferers, by the Motueka river, is, tortunately, not so great as, 6 ■ -it 7 ■ I a t. ii i ■ ii'u t t a however, require no assistance. In some cases oaug that by the Brooklyn stream, lhe greatest suffarer , . .'. \- e .- j ■ .i,. , „. ,j tit n v ii f» m k i ii to assist in shifting and re-building dwellings, would was Mr. Croucher, a small tanner, whose loss wu ■ vi j • /• i- ■ • :,. . ' . ... tt ' . , , be very acceptable, and in a few, direct pecuniary nrove mo9t disastrous to him. ile owned some land . . J ■ v ~ , , t> • • r > i [jiuio iiiwi, ma ( v assistance is badly needed. Beoiamin Parkes, a man on the banks of the river and, owing torts encroach- .J hdg J amounting r I rV? cf ' ft -A (1 T\ to £200, and Mrs Davidson, a widow, has lost all her hen had about four acres left, and of this he has now 'j fc & ' immediate assistance lost anacre and a-half, which was down m potatoes. WQ £ ld be acoeDtab i e A stack of wheat, a stack of barley, aad a barn were jR. wafea V, ' . imated d also washed away with the land. Mr Croucher and f „ . fferfl d . i mmedittte Mr. Barrows will feel the losses which they have sub- ~ J» „ J;, n , , r , .. , - ~, c■e■ . • • r. , aid:—George Barrow, Thomas Crouoher, aud John tamed far more than many of their neighbors, who n w-n- mu-i t »*• i. j t i , , . ■ ~ J t ,i . 6 , , ■ Duncan. William White, James Mickel, and Joseph may have lost actually more, tor these two have lost p. . ~ . ' ■■, ~ . c . ~ r ~ J. ~' , ■ •,,.■'. , j -ft . mi / Duncan, iun,, would be considerably benefited by a their all and are left entirely destitute. The former „, 'J ' M .. . } . ~,■ • .. .... J i 1.,, „.. -kit small loan to enable them to remove buildings to a is a widower with ten. or eleven ohildren. Mr. , . ° Askew lost a stack of wheat and a field of barley, a T .} ' X ~ .. , ~,., ~ ~ , ... .. . , . c t *ft v vi » In the Ngattmoti and Dovedale districts the loss which was estimated to run forty or fifty bushels to ... A B n omn , ~ , ~„.,.,. ■ .. m, . * c t-C *■ t- (4 , is estimated at £8000, Bhared by about 50 settlers : the acre. The greater part ot tbe potato crop ot the . ~ a, ~ •■.»«• ™ m ■> ,i n district bas beerflost, and a great deal of the bed has the Sub-Comm. tee, Messrs EF. Burrell, C. been destroyed for the preseut. f eno\ er; an£* £' White reoommend only three cases J r for reliel. These are: Thomas Hall, Dovedale, a ■ married man with wife and family of seven children. PaNGATOTABA LOSSES.—To a COrrespon- Estimated loss through land being carried away and dent, who has gone through this district and OT and *tack9J? l &W destroyed, £400 j freehold.- , p i • • b j » William Eves, Dovedale, a married man with wife made careful examination aud enquiry, we and family of Beven children. Estimated loss are indebted for the following detailed esti- through landslips, crops destroyed, and land taken mate of the terrible lossea sustained by away, £300; freehold. Thoma* Haycock, a married settlers in the paogatotara district alone : — maD *ilh wife and family of five children ; le«Beirof . „. ~ rnoa hold and freehold. Estimated loss through house iiStiinated Loss. , .. cc . * , Mr Evans—great part of stock, house and takeD awa7»tolal loß> of furniture, impiemenU, eleven buildings much injured, land covered " P^8; ono cow, £360. . with shingle .. .. .. £600 Messrs H. A. Tarrant, D. H. Jennings, and Thomas Mrs Heath—part ofjstock, land covered with Grooby report sixteen oases in the Pangatotara subshingle, horses swept away seven miles, district, in which the aggregate loss is set down at but recovered .. .. '.. 500 £2650—an amount, the Committee state, " that does Mr Parkes, sen.—part of stock, shingle on not by any means represent the total loss sustained land .. •• '-• .. 200 by the settlers of the Pang*totara sub-district." Tbe Mr Graves part of stock, soil washed off worst case mentioned is that of D. Sutherland, who to gravel.. .. •• ..200 has had his land destroyed, house'and contentß Bwept Mr George Grooby—part of stock, a little nway, together with sned, tools, hay, five head cattle, shingle-on land '.. .. .. 50 trap, harness, &o. Another Bufferer is Joseph Mr John: Grooby—• do.' do. do. 100 Kuowlen, with a family of ten, who has had hii land Mr Limmet—house gone; and all stock but ■ ■ destroyed; and has lost potatoei, swedes, fencing, horse J;a few cows •' '--.-. ■i-.. ' ' ';•■ 200-' »heep, cttlveß^andfarming implement!. j Many other Mr Chapman, nnißeiyman—fiaa oxchaxd. * eases tqaallj distressing, as* reoaumended, foe son-

lideration by this sub-committee.

Unostentatious Liberality. —At the Motueka relief meeting oo Monday, Feb. 19, the Jttev, J. Beckeriham mentioned a striking instance of unostentatious liberality as worthy of imitation. A settler, who had purchased property from a Nelson storekeeper, and suffered loss by the flood, had £60 in cash voluntarily returned to him, an well as. the promise of a year's stores for himself and family. Mr. Beckenham, from motives of delicacy, did not respond to'the cries of " name," but ieeling it only just to the community that such generosity should be credited to the right man, we have made enquiry and find the storekeeper is Mr. Wm. Wilkie, of Bridge-street; and the settler, Mr. John Burrow. Motueka Keliep Committee. —A meeting of this Committee was held at the Council Chamber on March sth, the Mayor in the chair, several members of the Committee being present. It was resolved th.it cheques to the amount of £456 be at once placed in the hands of the Motueka SubCommittee for the persons named in their letter of recommendation of February 26th, and that the said Committee be instructed to use their discretion in distributing the amounts, either in money or otherwise. Also, that the oub-Committee be requested to obtain the separate individual receipts of the said persons, and that the Secretary be requested to forward to the Motueka SubComoiittee a list showing the individual grants sanctioned by them. The following gentlemen handed in the amounts placed opposite their names, and which they had collected: — Messrs. A. J. Richmond and W. Haddow 16 7 0 Messra. Everett and Bird .....76 12 6 His Lordship the Bishop 24 13 6 Revds. Fathers G-arin and Mahoney 78 11 6 Mr. Robert (iray 17 17 6 A package of clothing was also received from H.S., and the amount previously paid into tbe Bank was £240. There is now no doubt that a very handsome amount will be realised as a considerable sum promised has yet to be collected. The subscription list is to close on the 15th of March, after which we shall endeavor to publish a complete list of the subscribers. > ; : ; The Inangahua Herald is informed that the recent floods have been higher in the Upper Buller than ever experienced. Both at the Hope and Owen rivers settlers have been driven from their homes by the rising waters, which they had not previously known to rise within many feet of their dwellings. One settler had to escape with his wife when the water was waist deep. At some spots on the mainline of road, close to the dividing watershed, a perfect waterspout appeared to have fallen, acres of land being-carried away and large living trees levelled, far down a mass of debris testifying to the deluge which had torn them from their site. On one side the Wairau rolled down with the force of an avalanche carrying all before1 it, and on the Buller side of the watershed the Owen and Hope down to join the Buller. • The sighfaccording to our informant, must have been grand though to him vexatious, as it enforced his delay for many days. Telegraph poles were washed away in positions that anyone must have considered thoroughly secure, and the damage through loss of crops and destruction of cattle is without doubt very considerable. The slips on a few miles of road on the Upper Buller will cost fully £500 to remove. In that locality at least the flood of 1877 will long be remembered, though in the Lower Buller it preseuted no ■ extraordinary features and on leaving the Matikitaki Junction the country wore no exceptional appearance, although the creeks and rivers were much swollen. We regret to learn that a man named Watson lost his life a few days ago in the Matakitaki River, while endeavoring to save some squared timber intended for bridge building purposes. The log upon which he was standing got adrift, aud on reaching a whirlpool it was thrown end over end, the unfortunate man being dashed with irresistible force against the rock forming one side of the gorge. Nothing more was seen of him.— lnangaluia Herald, February 10.