THE FLOOD AT PARAWAI.

Thames Star, Volume XXXX, Issue 10211, 8 April 1902, Page 3

THE FLOOD AT PARAWAI.

Kauaeranga and Karaka Streams Overflow.

Parawai One Sheet off Water.

SERIOUS LOSS OF LIVE STOCK.

Damage to Buildings and Fences.

As nilajny feared 1 the heavy and ooiriitiuuous rain's of tlhle last few days with the rising tido had the effect of bringing t?ha water of the Kauaeranga amd other atoeams daniKenously niear thei banks, and early this ■morning thei luiiuiaenainga 'Strejam overflowed. Tl;'e water quickly Spread over the Parawi flats and m trees, logs, timber and Idejbirisi was carried by the water towards Shortland there were distribute over thie couinltry from/Mr W. Deeble's slaiUghteryuii'ds to the mangrove® west of tlie iiailwiiy station. In a very short time the seaward side of Parawai was one slieet of water, flinidi tlte sight was on© tluit will 'long bo remembered. la tliia centre of a. wh«Lt aipepiu'ed to be ai iiiuddv sea., the dtioauniy' 'wnitwis of tine Kaiiaiei*a.niga. swerled mloog;, carrvinsr witli' tl:|&m, live stock, kauri logs, timber, pwtionis of fenices, pumpkins, ,mm rows and the comtemits of gardens and orchards.

It was Been that .if the water I'd* in height nearly all the livestock at M- W. 'Deeible'« skiughteryarcfe, pigs and fcheep, would be in danger and an endeavour was .mad© to save them. The winter* rose .so rapidlyt tlilat this proved a most difficult taisk, and 1 w;hile some of the sheep were saved!, it was almost impotable) to save micro tlinmi. a- scone of the pigs. The water continued: to rise ■until thiere must have beam between. 5 and 6 feet on each side of th© Kauaeranga bridge. On the western side the i*es.ideinic© of the forein'iaiii (Mil Onion) was surrounded by seven-fail feet of water, and •■ break oecurrinp: in the fence near 'the stream, them acted as a eatoliwtoiter, and as the noi-thlern enlds* wara fastened 1 toegther with stout cables:, •thits prevented'th:© logs and veget.n.bles and debris from .escaping 1, and soon, this was filled feet 'high. West of this agaiim to tlile railway lino wte another sheet of water," au;d the rails just showed up nlbove the water. A* several places the rails were submerged, and! it was feared tlni.t tlie trains would bo unable 'to get through: However, they managed to. reach their ddstinmitian by travelling very mlowV, and though some of the passenigara were m little frightened! at travelling over the submerged; line ivnd crossing the bridge, with the rushing torrent below, thle trains both came arid wirelt without mishap, the water's having subsided a. good deial when the-outward train left. Though] strenuous efforts were made 4oi save the stock, it is estimated that many pigs and twenty or >thirtii r sheep were drowned. Mr M. Deeb-le, junr., who withl liti'si father wag' eair'y an the scene, did his best and had to swim hia horse from the mai-m Parawa.i road leading to the) me© course (the finger poSffc cornier) to tine Kauaeranga bridge. He saved several sheep amd pigs, but many of the latter were drowned. Some of the : carcase® were canned out to sea, while on the flats and mangroves. 1 others may now be fouhid. Some of the pigs were in splendid condition and the whale lot were mid to bet in pood order. It is. a serious loss- to Mr Deeble. Tine house of Jl -"i pkuehterma,n a^d tli© slaughtering -buildings' were surrounded by a ■ruehJr.e torrent amd it was feblfed that serious damage would be. done to the buildings by thio treßJ' and' logs that occasional!- swept past. As the tide rose the logs at the booms werc> adlded to and some jumped the boom walls and werel carrieddown, tho Btteam. past, the houses and out to sea* Othfirs grounded dnl th© paddocks amd are still them One large log came rushing'past thle ailauglvtermante house, carried awaly the fence on the southern Bide of the ro)\d, made a gap in the fence on tho other side, injured the outbuildings, and finally stranded near th 1© door or* which some machinery was kept, -. Near Mr Davießi' -ho\ihe the^ danrtiigo \rtis not consideraible, and with tho exceptioni of the inconvenience caused ]y\- the water and some portions of the fence destroyed, tlv* house and occupant and the outbuildings escaped very luckily. The water was so hip-h' at one tune that it lapped the nlatfoim of the bridge, a!nd with the buffeting that tho structure received from stray kauri logs, it must be considerably weakened. One largo log struck it with a crash aaud beitog caught mi the pillars, etill remains thiere. Tliere'nniist have been between sft and 6ft of water lying about the flat, and wliere' there was a. declivity the depth must have been more. Every fence is now covered with light wood and debris, .an|d fine gross paddocks are covered with <n,nld and stotao, and the grass has disapp«itred entirely. Tliisls a. more serious matter than at first appetirs, for it will take some time before the grass grows again. The silt will improve the <-uaKty of thte soil, but the afai-ence of the grass for forage purposes will be sore!- felt. At the booms there were not so manrv* logs as wae anticipated, and the probabilities are that many of the logs up «iti-«uii were some distances away |rom the >vater and would require to be curbed tcr the stream. As stated, when the tide was at its highest, several id th© logs jumped the booms, while others wei 1© carried acroes the flats and p«st Memman's point. Here tlie waiter covei-ed the whole of the flat &t?kl there must have been over feet) of water on portions of the Kauaera'nga road. Tlie flat between Merriuianfsi and Metaffei fanus was ■ooveit~d with over a foot of water and damage was done to the vegetable: gardens. At Mr Gralmprer's the water quickly ooTcred the paddocks: and soon timber and portions of trees began to yum oiver the paddock nearest the river. Then kauri logs commenced to arrive, enkl these were thrown, risrht up oini the paddock, where they branded and now fwndfn. About » dozeiisi »? these

Huge Kaiiri Logs Carried Out to Sea.

ehowiug the force of tluet cuntinit and .tvhie dieipthi of the water on are usually dry &ectioan&, some of thei logs tossed' up are Bft through!. At Mr Dodd's propeity up the Kauia^arigai, the same sujdd'eln, ohaaige was effeoted, and the paddacto were Boon covered with dry colored, frothy water, which earned with it deibiis of eveiy possible description!. The femices autedl asi barriers-, and these with the briaa' buialjiea are coveredl with) mos®, weeds), amidl ibi'aniohfiisi of tretes. Soime of tli© houses on thei flats hajd Sieveral feieit of waiter 'Oicl the flooiiis: and when our ■re.presenitaitive, ia\ company with Mr Jiuuei-si Louglilin, .inspected the Kauarerangai Creek, the fanxilies were busily engaged iru carrying omt furniture aond •dothing soi thiafr tlie."- couild dry in the sun that was just showing itteeilf from ■auifc of the.sullen clouds.

The County water race carried awajy iia two platoes andi it is< expected thiait it will take three or four days to eii'eot the mieices'-saay repairs. The water roalched doiwru tlie hill to ih,& Kaiuoteiv anga road, anjd) carried down ai large quantity of boiuiders, whiclv ailinost Mock fchlei road. The small creeks- soom became ruishing torrents, amd tinibea 1" atld atoiaes ware: carried on to and across tlie roiad.

Opposite Mr Stevens' house the waiter rosei ralpidily, and the oouotiy oim tlie'i sioiutlu side of the road was quickly submerged. This creek running from the. Gentle Aannia was flooded! anjdi with the nlsisisitaince of the ■ waters ■ of the Kauaeranga man-aged) to shift thle whole of the bridgel, and this was

plrtceld several feet away, thute putting an effectual buirriier. toi tiiaffic on, the road. This will bei repaired as. sodn as possible, amd tli.o material has already been com^eyed up thte valleiy.

Om the other rivers', several large logs were seen to' be 'coming down during the ewdy morning 1, andi it is feaaied that a very large aiiuimber of these will be carriejd] out to set\.

None of the yaiclnts suffered much. Onei or tw«i sunk, while other® were cani'ied away from, their moarilngs and were swept into the gulf.' Tliay were sootai recovered, however, apparently none thiej worse for, the journey. Mr Judd's ste«an launoh carried away and bumped' inito a carsroi raft, lyinig at Sluortlandi wharf, but fortunately received: ikioi seriousl damaga

Tf'"i Kai'akai creek overflowed its banks', apidl frtoni Mr W. Taylor's sliiop to tli© Junction! Hotel comer there was a rushing flood. No great damages is repoited, buit several cellars were floiojdiedi'-ainid considerable inaonvenience caused in consequence.

'Severail sitncfcsi of timbeirl were caaTied away, some of these, the property of Miiiiorisi, wea'ei caught at the booms, where thei timbeir wa® kmocked aiboiut it goodi deiai. The other sticks below the boiomis vresrei either caiTied out t. eea orl deposited: on the highi-lying pnirts of the floiod'eld! sectioibß.

As the tide recedied the waiters dropped, aindi whemi thei raini ceased about middaiv, thei rosi3bi though under water could be negotiated 1, except those where the bridarete had' been carried away.

Froim, Mmbatoke we leaini that thb river wara inf flotid and that seiveral loo^i were carried away. Noi serious damage is reported froaii tliits or'atli'er' districts,- -

After the flocd suibsided comisiderably the wind veei^ed round from east to the north west, and: brought back the mini, but no recurrence ol flooid is feared.