OLD MAN FLOOD.

Thames Star, Volume LXV, Issue 18242, 16 July 1931, Page 3

OLD MAN FLOOD.

FIFTY YEARS TO-DAY. Thames Swept by Waters. INCIDENTS OF THE DAY. DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. Fifty years ago to-day Thames was swept by what has ever since been known asv "The Old Man Flood" and certainly it was no small fall of water. In those days a rain gauge was not kept in the town and there is no means of telling how much water fell but by the deseriptjons of the "Evening Star" of those days (curiously enough, the copy of the issue of the day after the Hood is missing from the file) it avus quite bad enough for any one. On Saturday, July IG, 1881, the "Star" said: — The rainfall since Thursday morning is undoubtedly the heaviest we have had this w.nter. It rained steadily but not very heavily from Thursday evening to last night when it came down in torrents. This morning the creeks were all very much swollen and a good deal of damage was also done to roads by' landslips, etc. A large slip took place on the Count}' race behind the Rob Roy Hotel about 12 o'clock last night, and the supply of water from this source is now cut oft' though it is expected to be cleared away by Monday. The road through Rewi's Hill has also suffered considerably, the steep clay sides having given way in places and it is now impassable for a dray. The Waikeikei Creek overflowed its banks near the Rob Roy Hotel and flooded the road as far as Mr St llwell's. The Karaka Creek also .' overflowed by the Piako battery and Pahau Street was covered to a depth of a foot to 15 inches. The AVaiotahi, however, seems to have suffered most. A small slip took place at the foot of the road on the right-hand side but this will be cleaned away £>y to-night. The fresh in the creek brought down immense quantities of debris and boulders and hundreds of tons have been carried out on to the beach. The culvert has also suffered somewhat; the portion of it running across the flat is filled to a depth of 15 inches with the rubbish and boulders have broken the planking in two places, one underneath the footpath near to the Waiotalii mine where the stream has made a large hole in the path. The Borough staff under Mr Rawdon, hopes to have

the work repaired by this evening. Several small slips have taken place near the Pishing Rocks and the face of the hill behind the . Big Pump shows signs of giving way. The .Issue of July 18 (a Monday) is missing from the files and apparently the town had a strenuous time for, on July 19, 1881, the "Star" had numerous paragraphs, some of which are significant of the damage done. For instance, William Wood, Senr., wrote to the Editor as follows: "Your idea of a public subscription is good one, but it should not only be a local one but a general one. The private losses by the late calamity cannot be less one way and another than £SOOO. Nothing like that sum could be raised in Thames in its present povertystricken condition" (apparently they had their little troubles m 1881 too, so the "good old times" may be a bit of a fallacy). "I recommend that a reliable committee be formed at once and relief for the losers is certain." The "Star" also reported that Mr Sheehan, the member for the district, had already made a start to collect subscriptions in Wellington (Parliament was in session) and congratulates him on his attention to his constituents. In the same issue a paragraph states that about 4000 logs were washed down the Kauaeranga River to Shortland. About 14 got over the booms and went out to sea, but were all recovered. That the damage must have been bad is shown also by the following par: "Mr Hales, District Engineer, is expected by the Rotonialiana this afternoon. He will not be able to see matters at their worst for the Borough and County Councils have had great numbers of men engaged all Sunday and yesterday in repairing the damages. The Borough had to-day over one hundred men engaged and already the principal streets are getting the mud and filth swept off them. The Waiotahi culvert is bc 7 ng cleaned out rapidly, parties of men working at every few yards of its length." Other indications of the damage are contained in the following: "Amongst the heaviest losers by the (loud in Grahainstown is Mr Connon, the owner of the garden between Pahau and Cochrane Streets. Nearly the whole of the fences have

been .broken down and over the entire garden there is a deposit of slime and sand 12 inches deep. The crops in the ground are, of course, destroyed, and, in fact, the labour of months has been swept away in a night. One hundred pounds will not repay Mr Connon's loss." "Mr Palmer, sugar boiler, of Pollen Street, has also suffered considerably, a great deal of sugar and mater.lal used by him in his manufactory, hav.'ng been destroyed by the water 1 ." "Mr Cook has his stock of sewing machines considerably damaged by the action of mud and water." "Messrs Adams and McLiver have suffered severely by having their tailings plant and premises covered several feet deep in sand and mud." "The Hokianga battery in the Karaka Creek has been swept away by the flood." "In the Tararu Creek all the bridges have been washed away and several dwellers on the creek-sides have been in very grave danger from the immense body of water which was rushing down." "Mr Lewis' house at the foot of

the Waiotahi is in a dangerous position and w.'ll no doubt have to be removed —and that at the Borough's expense." "Miners also suffered, for D. Tookey and party had 12 tons oi ore at grass carried down the Rape Creek as well as all their picked stone which they had just sorted out." "The Hood filled up the pit of the water wheel at Bull's battery aw 1 carried away the fluming to Fisher's battery, putting both out of action."