MUCH STOCK LOST.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20298, 7 May 1934, Page 11

MUCH STOCK LOST.

Disastrous Flooding Over District. LITTLE RIVER'S PLIGHT. One of the worst floods in living memory wreaked havoc in Little River township and the surrounding district on Saturday. Residents were forced to leave their homes, stock was drowned, and widespread damage has been done to fences and outbuildings. Yesterday, the water had receded from the township, leaving a thick coating of mud and silt, innumerable rocks, tree stumps and branches. Numerous slips have occurred on the road between Kaituna and Little River, and the land in between is still flooded. On Mr W. F. Parkinson’s property at- Price's Valley, just past Kaituna, at least eighty sheep were drowned. Four bridges in the valley, costing £IOOO to erect two years ago, were demolished. Swept Through Fence. The flood water, racing down the valley with logs and trees in its grip, piled themselves up against the bridges one by one, damming the water. When the last bridge gave way, a wall of water raced down the valley on to Mr Parkinson’s property, and swept the sheep through fences to their death. Yesterday, the southerly wind blew the dead sheep back against the barbed wire fencing. On Mr Coop’s property at Ataahua. a bridge was washed away and fences were demolished. At Birdling’s Flat, 300 yards from the hill, the road yesterday afternoon was still under 3ft oin of water, and was impassable. Cars could get round via the Devil’s Knob route. A “ Star ” photographer, who walked five and a half miles from Birdling’s Flat to Littje River along the railway line —the only possible way—saw scenes of devastation all around him. Three miles down the line, a huge slip had come away bodily from the hillside and smothered the road to a depth of at least 6ft. The slip, at ita face, was 200yds wide. A track had been cut through it, and cars were ploughing through a pea-soup mixture of mud and water. Immediately on the other side of the slip was a stretch of water 150yds long and 2ft Sin deep. Here, one of the Tai Tapu Dairy Company’s drivers. Mr W. T. White, was doing good work extricating motorists. He already had hi 3 lorry piled high with bicycles, taken from adventurous small boys who had cycled from Little River to see the floods and who had become bogged. Hill Slips Away. At Caton’s Bay, a# whole hillside had toppled across the road, burying it to a depth of more than 10ft, and extending from the road to the railway line. A bridge here had been washed away. A track had also been made over this slip, and men were assisting cars across it. At Little River, eighteen inches of silt lay at the lower end of the Awa-iti Domain. The croquet lawn was covered in water and completely ruined. The surfaces had been torn off all the roads about the township, leaving bare rocks, and fences were smashed down or washed away. The stockyards were piled high with debris brought down Western Valley with smashing force. Logs and stumps were thrown in all directions, and grass and flax wisps hanging from the tops of fences gave an indication as to the height of the water. The families of Messrs A. Dawber, J. Keenan, W. Rout, J. Mould, L. Brietmeyer, F. Ferris and C. Withers had to leave their homes on Saturday owing to the flood. Post Office Flooded. At the height of the flood there was eight inches of water in Elliott’s store, near the railway station, and the family was confined to the upstairs portion oi the building. The post office was flooded and officials worked barefooted. The telephone exchange was kept open all night, and one member of the staff worked for twenty hours without a break