Floods in the South Island.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2090, 8 July 1887, Page 3

Floods in the South Island.

Canterbury has been visited by heavy floods. The Ashburton Railway Bridge has several piles washed away, and passengers had to cross by means of a traffic bridge. At Kaiapoi the Waimakariri river flooded the towns.

At (ireymouth, the people were taken away from the houses on all parts of the lower portions of the town. All traffic was blocked every where along the main road. The telegraph operator wires as follows:—I have been up to the waist in water all the morning since 4 o’clock, saving property. I do not think much damage will be done if the river does not break through at the railway station. The flood is now flowing fully eight inches over the wharf. (Ireymouth, Thursday. There was aterrific flood on Wednesday morning, the whole town being under water, which was three feet deep on Mawheray quay. Terrible damage was done to goods, and although no houses were swept away, the residents had to fly their homes, and take refuge in the churches, State school, and other places. Nothing but the protective works saved the town. Had the river broken through where it did in 1872, the town w r ould have been swept away. Between 6 and 10 the flood rose several feet. The people were rescued by boats. Every house is full of slush, and the streets arc piled by thousands of loads of gravel in some places, and are scoured away in others. It was 10 last night before the flood went down sufficiently to enable people to move about.