THE WEATHER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7199, 6 February 1892, Page 3

THE WEATHER.

♦ The rain ceased in tho northern district last night, but threatening clouds were still hanging about this morning. Much anxiety is felt for the well- being of the crops, the weather to-day being warm ami rai 'gsyt just the kind calculated to cause the grain to sprout rapidly. The greater proportion of the crops in North Canterbury is still in stook. A good many of the stacks have let in the raiu, the straw having been so much twisted about in the sheavea in harvesting owing to the crops being laid, that to build a thoroughly waterproof stack was almost out of the qiiestiou. The northern rivers, particularly tip Waiau, and the Ashley are still running m heavy flood, but are subsiding, aud now the rain has ceased will quickly reach their normal summer height again. There mnet have been an enormous quantity of rain on the hills to cause the rivers to rice so rapidly. The breach made in the railway line near Culverden by the Pahau was lesß than a chain in width, and the water havinpj run do*vn the morning train, to-day, was expected to get through at the usual hour. A laiijje body of water from the river ran down beside the railway permanent way, but only the one breach was made, the culvertu placed under the line to meet ah overflow having eased the rush considerably. The Eyro river, near Oxford, was heavily flooded, and a son of Mr J. M. Booth, the sawmill proprietor had a narrow escape from drowning in one of tho streaE6. Mounted on a strong draught horse ht> entered the river to crosß near the intake of the View Hill water raceß, but the water unseated him, and he was washed down stream, but manaped to reach tho bant and scramble out. The horse, however, loet itß footing and was drowned. The animal, which belonged to Mr Booth, was valued ah .£2O. The death of the horso was not the only loss sustained by Mr Booth through the rain, some of the bridges of his tram lino connected with the sawmill having been washed away with the rath of water in the bush creeks.