FLOOD AT THE HUTT.

Wellington Independent, Volume X, Issue 1314, 29 September 1858, Page 2

FLOOD AT THE HUTT.

The heavy rain of Friday night last caused the river to rise in an unusually sudden manner, and a severe flood was the oonsequeuoe, oausing t> serious destruction of. property, especially in the neighbourhood of the Mutt bridge,'whure the water rose several inches higher than in the great flood of January* although in the Upper, Valley it did not reuoh the former level by seven inches; in the Waiwetu it was als> considerably lower, aud about the third river was scarcely perceived at all. The damage, too— while serious in individual itistanoes —has been comparatively limited in its extent; above all. we reonrd with thankfulness, that there has been no loss of human life. The bridge at the Silver Stream was removed, as'also was that, at tho creek near Mr. Cudby's, but the jjreulest damage has been to the Hutt bridge itself, nearly one half of which, including one of tho main piers, has bean entirely swept away, the muiu timbers or '•' stringers" having broken across near the oentre pier. From enquiries made on the spot, it appears probable that these ''timbers were cracked in January, as loud and distinct sounds were then heard, leading persons to expect that the daylight would show that the bridge was gone. -It, however, appeared nearly uninjured, the waier having cut a chaunel for itself at the end of tho bridge nearest to the Agliouby Arms, which opening was temporarily bridged over, and works were in progress by which it would have been permanently secured, but all is now swept away together.

One of the heaviest sufferers (comparatively) is Mr. Prowse, whoso garden---previously in beautiful order—has been so entirely destroyed that nothing remains even to mark its site—all is a waste of sand aud deep holes filled with water. A fence of Mr. Fiizberbert's. of about a quarter of a mile in length, which had been constructed with great care and expense, and only finished the previous day, was almost entirely destroyed, the posts having been literally .washed out of the earth; Another settler lost a valuable horse, and a few oihor auimals perished, but generally speaking the damage has been slight,'and it is hoped that the crops will not be seriously injured. It is gratifying to be able to add, that the breastworks now in progress with the view of preventing" similar calamities, have sustained but very slight damage, although they bear unmistakeable marks of the enormous pressure to which they have been subjected.