FLOODS ON THE NORTH ROAD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6938, 30 October 1900, Page 3

FLOODS ON THE NORTH ROAD.

WHITE'S BRIDGE IMPASSABLE. . DAMAGE TO PROPERTY STOCK DROWNED. Information has been received in town to. the effect that the river Waimakariri, which was rising rapidly yesterday, overflowed its banks during the night, /and this morning the Maim North Road from jusat, past the. Seven-mile Peg to White's Bridgeyvas under water.' 1 - -This morning the water was.i'un- | ning- through- the old hotel buildings near | the. bridge, while some^of the large willows in the garden, and allarce portion of the -bank, had gone into ' the river.. Some fourteen feet of the southern "" approaches to White's Bri%e,.were damaged," amd the structure now -isr impassable. The new embankments on this side of the bridge appear so far as can be seen, to be uninjured, but this cannot be ascertained for certain until the water subsides. Mr Chniney's and other houses in the vicinity of Chain'ey's Corner, were under water, an<l a. number of ewes and lambs were drowned in Mr Wright's paddock on the North Road. It can be seen that a good deal of the low-lying land on the north side of the river is also under water, and it is feared that the loss of stock and the damage to crops in this locality will be considerable. Tho water has gone down several inches this morning. Our Kaiapoi correspondent writes:— The southern end of White's bridge is seriously damaged. by the flood, and fears are enteri tamed that as the water subsides the bridge may collapse. Traffic ;s being maintained, although persons using the bridge are doing so at their own risk. v Mr- V. Wright, far-mer-near the bridge, has lost between 70 and 80 ewes and lambs from drowning, and his-erdps are completely: covered with water. Mr Doubleday's farm is submerge*!,, near, the bridge crossing the river betjweeii Kaiapoi and Stewart's Gully. Tlie | this morning and flooded aU-th#! gardens on Cam Road, and In one Ninstahce drowned I about 60 forward chickens. .Crops in many' j oases will have to be resown, and potatoes will be seriously damaged. At ten o'clock this morning the factory whistle blew to inform the workpeople they could start -work. Mi- Waites' vegetable garden was completely covered with water, which has not occurred since the Jubilee flood in 1887.