THE WEST COAST FLOODS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6184, 12 March 1888, Page 3

THE WEST COAST FLOODS.

♦> Details of the Disaster. Loss of Life. [Pan Fbxbb Association.) WESTPORT, M/abch 12. \ As further information come?, to hand, it i is made evident that great disaster has befallen the district, as the result of the storm on Thursday morning. The Boiler road is completely wrecked, bridges have been carried away, and human life haa been lost. The party wiio first came through after the mishap had a terrible journey, and report that the road is almost completely destroyed. In many places it has gone bodily into the river, and there are slips from the hillside innumerable. The Little Ohika bridge has been carried away, the Hawkea Craig bridge is just hanging, and others are badly damaged. Some who travelled over the country before the road was constructed say the journey 'is now much more difficult than it was then. It is estimated that it will take three months to repair the road sufficiently to allow

wheeled traffic to pass. The rain was severely felt at. the Osborne Accommodation House. A portion of the house was smashed- by the rush of water, and all the stableß were carried a«ray, with the harness, horse feed, &c. The stableman and the hones narrowly escaped. O'Brien, a surface man at Little Opaka, was smothered by a slip. He was apparently in bed. A passer-by espied the poor man's legs sticking out from beneath the ddbris. A boat was sent up to bring down the body. The deceased leaves a wife and six children at Addison's Flat, where he was licensee of the Royal Hotel. At File's Creek, in this district, a miner's house and property wero entirely washed away. H>e just succeeded in escaping from bed and climbing a tree. He is left without a gavment or possession of any kind. "With 'respect to the Buller road, the Count'/ Chairman is awaiting a report from the Engineer, which he will lay before the Government with a request for funds. LATEST. '■The damage to the main up-country road ty / the storm on Thursday last is so great t'aat it is estimated an expenditure of • J65000, and three, months' work, will be necessary to render it fit for wheeled traffic. . The County Council is penniless, and will I lay the matter before the Government.