Great Flood at Greymouth.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2090, 11 July 1887, Page 3

Great Flood at Greymouth.

Last Wednesday waa a day long to be remembered by the residents i t GreyBootb. In 1872 they bad a big flood, but that of Wedneaday I act w a - bibber v by two feet Had it not been for the CleeUre vorka built on the uider ut W. Foi in 1872 and the akarteal and harbour worka, the whole town would hare been swept away. A» it it waa, nearly the whole of the town waa inundated, only the terrace portion aacaped. The destruction of property waa enoraoua. Every shop, hotel, and buaineas place along Mawhera quay waa flooded three and four feet deep. It waa atill worse with the private residences in the rear, where the water rose above the tables and beds. From 8 in the morning until 10 o’clock boats were plying in the streets rescuing the people. The lower part of the town, inhabited by working people, is in a atate of sad distress, every home being damaged, many people all their possessions. The weather being damp, they had not had a chance to dry their I clothe* or bedding. Dozens of them me penniless, and there is no food at eonunand. It is estimated that the loss will be folly £50,000. The principal sufferers amongst the merchants are Messrs Felix Campbell, D. McLean Griffin and Smith, McDonald, the

Hew Zeeland Clothing Factory, WOliama (ebemiat), Harris (jeweller), ■/ Sent and Card's hotels, Ashton ' (hotel-keepers), and many others. The whole of the line on the north side of ' liver nsed to convey stones to the seelh breakwater, and lately raised to a proper height to escape damage by the foods at a cost of nearly £3OOO, has been swept entirely away. During Wednesday night the water was lowing in and out of the Argus pre■uses. The paper was made up with the floor four inches under water. By the time it was put to the press the water bad put the fire out, and the paper was worked off by hand, the water then being over the men’s knees Ibe gas mains got full of water, consequently there was no light in the streets except what came from upstair windows, and the town was dismal in the extreme. Spare blankets and mattresses were provided fcr about 200 refugees in the state school. The appearance of the town the ■ext day was most deplorable, thou •ends of loads of shingle being piled up in some of tbr streets, while great holes scoured away in others. Every one was bard at work cleansing the homes and putting out all sorts of goods to dry. Home settlers at Coal Creek Flat are entirely ruined. The? bare lost horses, cattle, and everything . Many were rcseoed just in time trom the tops of their houses. One man was 30 hours in a tree before being rescued 'The settlers there are tin stly dairy {amors, and the loss of their cows is a aore blow. Ai Dead Mans Creek 11 men were on a log from Tuesday night till 10 o'clock on Wednesday morning.