THE FLOODS IN THE RANGITIKEI.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIIII, Issue 12287, 21 April 1897, Page 2

THE FLOODS IN THE RANGITIKEI.

(Advocate.) The flood in the Bangitikei Biver was the h'ghest ever known, and . the rapidity with which it rose, was unprecedented. ■ At Balls and Onerluhl it Mas a eight that would impress itself indelibly on the memory, of thoro who saw it. At Balla.it stretched, a muddy torrent,' troik the hill et the foot of Bridge Street to the bliS on .th» Ssrasen side of the bridge. . At Onepuhi it was like an arm of the se». "It stretched from one cliff to the other. At the Maori pah' only the meetlug house could be seen, and the Maoris are all camped oh the top of the Tokorangi hill. ."■".-...

Messaa H. J, and T. Signal's farms were completely covered with water. Tfie/ themselves jast escaped with' thai* lives. As to the bridges, tba river haa made a clean s«reep «f them. The Vinegar BUI Bridge, which cost .£BOOO, and waa so securely beddod in the rock that its was 1 n thought to be absolutely immovable,- tirtf spans are gone and. the others are in • shaky abndition. - f • At Ohepulu only two spaiwof the main bridge remain standing.. The others, inoluding the new one; are about a ■ mile down the river. About half 'the platform bridge is also about a mile and & half down the river. Lower down the river we have to record that six span* of tha railway bridge at ffaforik are" gone, and the water, when at its highest, was within a few inches' of the top of* the railway embankment. . :'.. r ■ .»;.', At Balls the whole of ttoe^ildge aoross the Bsngifcikeihss >?6ne with' the c ice p. tiouof the naw opan. /I ha old portion his been curied bodily down the river to. ap-iint opposite MfPautm*ij, v «»here it Btaadsoni'3pile8 J a3 though it h»a been „ built there. The road on the 'other side of the river, also appeaia to hvra fcesn washed away, and twrb are grave reasons to fear that, the river' la* changed its i course/so .that the bridge, when'the water has subsided, will be leffeffiigh and dry.