SLIPS CONTINUE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20298, 7 May 1934, Page 7

SLIPS CONTINUE.

Valleys Isolated Near Little

River. HAVOC AT WAINUI. Tales of widespread damage were told this morning by residents of the valleys in the vicinity of Little River, who were communicated with by telephone. Teoka Valley appears to have suffered badly in Friday night’s storm, ! and it is estimated that it will be a fortnight before cars can get through. The whole side of the Kinloch Saddle came away there. This dammed a creek, but the slip subsequently gave way, releasing a disastrous flood of water. Stock losses have been fairly heavy in some districts. Wainui residents had to leave their homes, and bridges and roads were washed away. “ The storm has done a terrible lot of damage in the valley,” said Mr T. Feather, of Teoka. a valley over the range to the east of Little River. “ You would not credit the devastation unless you saw it.” A big slip had come down off the Kinloch Saddle, he said, and dammed the creek which runs down Teoka Valley. When the flood waters had mounted up. the slip gave way and let a wall of water rush down the valley, carryi j everything before it. Bush Torn Away. “ Bush was torn from the sides of the hill, and at the bottom of the valley terrible damage was done,” he continued. “ On my property, a six-inch pipe line supplying water to a pelton wheel was torn away. “ There is no food shortage at present, but the valley is isolated. It will be a fortnight before we can get through to Little River by car,” declared Mr Feather. “ The road running over the hill is covered with slips, and there are wash-outs everywhere. We can ride out over the Kinloch Saddle, but otherwise transport is out of the question.” No stock was lost, owing to most of the farms being on hill slopes. This morning, although it was raining in torrents, the flooded creek had subsided. The opinion was expressed that if the rain continued for long there would be another flood. Two Feet in House. Mr R. Studholme, at Teoka, had two feet of water in his house on Saturday, and had to leave. Stock was lost here. “ On Friday night it was something awful in the valley,” said another resident. ” The creek was twelve feet above normal, and we did not know what was going to happen. The water threatened us, and came within an inch of entering the house.” Mr Alex Thomson, at the upper end of Puaha Valley, said that his family and others in the neighbourhood were safe from the flood. At the lower end of the valley, however, considerable damage was done. Fences across the creek were*.uprooted and swept away, and the water ran through several properties. No loss of stock was reported, but, as the creek had risen a foot again early this morning, further flooding was feared. The valley was not cut off from Little River, although the road was badly washed out in places. Fourteen Inches of Rain. Fourteen inches of rain fell at Peraki, and a creek, dammed higher up the valley, burst through and carried all before it. Commander Hall’s family made a hurried escape and watched the flood swirl round their house, and several other residents in the lower part of the valley had to leave their homes. Mrs N. K. Macfarlane, of Okuti, said that little damage had been done in the valley. A bridge had been washed away about half a mile from the house, and bread and other food supplies were being brought across it on horseback. Proper communication would soon be restored, she considered. Well out of Little River, Coopton did not suffer much damage, though two cows belonging to Mrs Rowberry were drowned, as well as other stock. Water did not enter any houses, but residents spent an anxious night with the floor! lapping round their doo, steps. Several bridges have gone in the valley, which is isolated. A private bridge to Mr T. Rankin’s property at Okuti has been washed away, and the road is impassable. “ We have had no mail or papers since Friday,” said Mr H. Milligan, a resident. “It is still raining, but the creeks have Terrible Damage at Wainui. Of all the bays on the Akaroa side of Little River. Wainui suffered most. Heavy damage was done in the storm, which raged all clay Saturday and yesterday. Nearly every bridge in the district has been swept away, roads are practically non-existent, and the township is without a water supply. The bridge near the Wainui wharf has gone, cutting the township off from Akaroa. Two private bridges leading into Mr Hooper’s property have gone: another has disappeared at Mount Bossu. Huge slips occurred on the hillside facing Mr Hooper’s place, and one of them carried away Mr Mulcoek’s bridge and continued on to demolish the bridge leading into Mr M’Phail’s The Hawker and Davewright families had to leave their homes late on Saturday night, to take refuge in the schoolroom at Wainui. They had to stay there on Sunday night. It is estimated that the damage to bridges in the district is at least £IOOO, and communications are interrupted. / Eastern Bays. The eastern bays appear to have escaped damage from the storm. Telephone communication could not be obtained this morning with Port Levy and Pigeon Bay, but other reports indicate that all is well there. At Charteris Bay there were some slips on the road, but traffic can now pass. At Little Akaloa, a resident stated that thev were expecting a car through from Christchurch to-day with mail. When it was explained that the big slips on the Christchurch road near Little River made this extremely unlikely. he was quite philosophical about it. As far as he knew, the road between Little Akaloa and Akaroa was clear, but there had been some slips. Akaroa Road. One or two minor slips have occurred between the Hill Top and Barry’s Bay. In many places the road has been widened during the past few months, and some of the outside banks have given way. At noon to-day it was still *

raining heavily at the Hill Top and there were indications of snow. The weather at Akaroa is calmer and it is reported that the road from Litt.e River is in comparative!v fair order. Traffic is not seriously affected by the small slips that have come down.