THE FLOODS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1870, 13 February 1892, Page 3

THE FLOODS.

From all parts of the province intelligence continues to come to hand of immense damage being caused by the floods. On Sunday at midnight Mr Shand, of East Taiori, roused all hands on his premises to lake his sheep to the hills. Two hundred sheep in a low-lying paddock were overlooked and drowned. In addition he had 25 acres of oats, 4 acres of potatoes, and 40 acres of turnips all washed away and destroyed. On

an adjoining farm a crop of 35 acres of oats was destroyed. A groom named Swanson, who went into a paddock to remove a mare and two foals, was "ashed off his horse and drowned. Another man, named Holdrigg, disappeared while removing stock to the hills; and as the country is covered with water for miles, it is concluded he was drowned. Many people around Mosgiel were rescued from their houses by boats sent from Dunedin. In one house there was 6ft of water.

The whole of the Plain was under water, and presented a most desolate appearance. A vast sheet of water stretched from about two miles beyond Greytown to Mosgiel. In some places the water must have been 20ft deep. The roads everywhere are covered with hay, oats, wheat, and trees. The greater part of the Henley plain was also submerged. The water is now gradually going down. Some idea of what the damage will mean to struggling farmers may be gathered from the fact that Messrs A. and J. M'Farlane estimate their damage at between £300 and £400. Not only have the grain crops suffered, but a good deal of the potato crop will be rendered useless, while the fate of the turnip crop is very doubtful. The damage done in the Palmerston and Shag Valley districts is very severe. Most of the settlers will be ruined. All their cut crop was carried out to sea. One settler named Walker lost the whole of his croo and stock. Himself aud his family had to knock a hole in the roof of the house and get out on the ridge until they were taken off by a boat. Another settler close by also lost all he had, and narrowly escaped with his life. The bridge and embankment at Kyeburn were washed away. The flood is the highest since the memorable one 24 years ago in that district. All the way up the Waikouaiti river the standing crops are laid low and those which were cut were swept away. Muir Brothers had 20 acres of wheat in stook washed down the river. At the Bushey Park estate 360 acres of I wheat were all under water. The adjoin- ' ing farms were all submerged, sixty acres of oats being destroyed, nothing being above the water, besides the farm buildings and trees, but the fans of a reaping machine. All Mr Gilmour's crop of oats was carried away, a similar fate befalling those of his neighbours. On the north side of the Shag river, a farmer who had a considerable area under oats and wheat is said to have just two sheaves left behind by the remorseless waters. Another settler had one stook left out of ten acres of wheat, the rest having been carried out to sea, besides a large portion of his potato and turnip crops being turned up. While still another lost five acres of the best land he had, the soil being washed clean away. The approaches to the Taieri bridge at Hamilton have been washed away. The bridges at Hyde, and Guffie and party's sluicing claim at Naseby have been washed away. Tons of grain have been destroyed in the Oamaru district. The ravages in the Kurow district are of a terrible character. The bridges at Wharekuri, Awakino, Oteake, and Otakaike, as well as those at Khirow and Duntroon, have all been demolished. Many farms are submerged. Several settlers had narrow escapes from drowning on Tuesday night, and were rescued from their houses by ropes. The results of the floods in the Ashburton district will be disastrous to farmers. The damaged crop will be depreciated by about 4d per bushel. Heavy rain fell in the Arrow district from Saturday night until Wednesday, doing great injury to the crops. It is stated that an immense landslip came down from the Remarkables, covering up 100 acres of wheat belonging to the Kawaru Falls station. The Croesus mine, shaft and workings at Nenthorn were flooded to the top, and the water-race and dam completely washed away. The road to the Consolidated battery, and a culvert on it, were also washed away, and the engine, boiler, and battery left in a dangerous state. Through communication was established yesterday on the railway line between here and Dunedin, and the trains are again running up to time. A large quantity of Teviot fruit, which could not be taken past the Milton station, furnished loading for three huge waggons, with teams of six horses in each, and started by road for Dunedin. The" flood proved a blessing in disguise to the owners -of vehicles, who charged 15s a head for conyeying passengers from Waihola to Greytown. It was a case of Hobson's choice with the passengers, and there was nothing for it but quiet submission.