RELIEF AT MEANEE

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 89, 17 May 1929, Page 7

RELIEF AT MEANEE

RIYER DROPS 19 INCHES IN NIGHT. New Scour Saves Township. With tlie swollen and muddy Tutaekuri dropping steadily, the anxiety of Meanee residents has now been relieved. Tlie atmosphere of tension that had ruled in the township during Ihe past tour days has disappeared and residents are once again pennitted to tako up tlieir normal activities. After falling Steadily all yesterday afternoon until it reaehed a level of 1') feet 9 inelies at eight o'clock last night, a further clrop of 19 inelies was lecorded during tho night liours, and at 10 o'clock this morning the river level stood at eight feet. O110 of tlio maui causes of the rapid decreaso in the levels of the river was undouhtedly the scour which it made for itself when it broko through the southern bank near Euglish's comer. The property on the south side of the Meanee hridge wliich had beeu completely covered with water has apparently not beeu serioifsly affected. Tliere is, in fact, not a' very large quantity of silt lying about. The roads had, of course, suffered damage, the rush of water liaving scoured out the metal in places, but it did not appear very serious. Dairvmen who had been cut off from their farms, were able to resume their oceupations and maintain the supply or ! milk to the residents of Napier. A j little mud and slush did not appear to give them any cause for worry. The Papakura side of tho river was not so fortunato, however. The roads are still impassable and. in fact, this morning tlie fiood waters were still finding their way into tlie area It has as yet been irnpossible to adjudgo the damage, but residents of Meanee stated this morning that so far as was known there wero no serious stoek losses in the area, Ihe only rumoured possihle loss being that of 390 sheep on ihe Papakura side, right where the bank first broke.