RANGIORA AND MANDEVILLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6315, 13 August 1888, Page 3

RANGIORA AND MANDEVILLE.

The downpour of rain which commenced Bhortly after eight o'clock on Friday evening, and continued without intermission till eight the next morning, resulted in floods in many parts of the above district. The Ashley rose rapidly during the night, and at ten o'clock on Saturday morning was running bank high. From the railway bridge it formed a grand sight, which attracted a large number of people from Rangiora to witness it. In the flood of July 6 last yea. the river made a decided set for the Sonth bank opposite Coldstream, and did some damage to the land. A fortnight ago when again in heavy fresh, a stream carried away over three acres of land and a house in the locality; and this gave rise to fears of a still more Berious encroachment on Saturday, the freßh being equal to that of Joly last year. These fears were not by any means groundless, for when our correspondent visited the spot on Saturday afternoon, the full force of the main stream was being spent on the bank for a distance of a quarter of a mile, gradually carrying away the land. Near the -place where the house was washed away a fortnight since the stream had overflowed on to the roadway, covering it to a depth of between two and three feet. The bank was evidently being eaten away close up to the road, and from this point to Mr Macfarlane's stables the water was flowing in a swift stream, varying in width from two to six chains, and finding its way into the main river again about half a milelower down. The encroachment of this river at this locality iB an exceedingly seriouß matter, a large tract of splendid land being endangered. The need for action was brought under the notice of * the Road Board on Friday, and that body * determined to erect protective works at I *>once. In the direction of the Church Busha , largetractof land was flooded through the ■. Cam overflowing, andatFlaxtonthepeople , were-serioußly-inconvenienced by an over-,£|oW_-O—cthe _ tain drain. Thewater-cam& „ over the bank of the drain for a distance. _ of about half a mile from the Fiaxton* , store,, and the water flowing* down theMain road and through Mr Mulcock'f. * property found- its -way to the low-lying -. land 3. The store, school,andAirthe houses bufame<or"two-at Fiaxton were^ooded^in . some instances to the depth, of a, foot, t inside. At five o'clock on Saturday- , evening*, thewater in- the*drarn*wat.afc itß . height, and«fter_iat._our-cammenced to , elowly-subside. Thetributary drains were ,_ .all taxed to therautmost' capacity,., and in, „. gome-eases au-overflow- but no.* j. tse_ io_»*__nage.reßufted. In the Fernside „ -districtran sth_«watercon: rses-were_ooded.; and thniinown as the Big Gully, which. 'i drains alltheJand ■between.the.Oxfordjoad:. _ad the^Ashfey,comuiencedixw>verflow'in t -the da-antiou o£._?iangion^nt^a& thetTaini,. < -ceased Bhotfif afterwards, the watei.; 'X subsided. The Borough. ofjj"__ ngiora--was com** paTativel;y-C-er_i*OTnffl^ the new drainage syßtem. The Ashley . over£bwed>on>th^Narth^xoa_at^botl_43nd&; of the bridge, rendering^the-roadvuneafe for traffic.