FLOODS AT REEFTON.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2401, 16 January 1909, Page 5

FLOODS AT REEFTON.

WIDESPREAD DEVASTATION

[Press Association.]

REEFTON, Jan. 15. Tho district was visited by a storm unequalled for years. Two days’ steady rain culminated last evening in a terrific downpour. In two hours the creeks had risen. They were -already greatly swollen, and became roaring torrents, sweeping down trees and bridges, and .washing away everything moveable. The damage done is calculated to he enormous. The people of Jnangahua County are very heavy sufferers. Two piers erected in connection with the extension of the waterworks, and now in process of construction, iwere washed a-way, with derrick, ropes, land appliances. A large number of concrete pi-pcs, constructed on the banks of the lnangahua river, were washed away or destroyed. Eosstown, a suburban distinct of Reef ton, had a- road 'washed clean away, isolating the electric works, -which are only supplied with coail by a; passage made through private gardens. ATI the road communications were cut oil. The damage clone in. /Murray creek is tremendous. A. big block of trees occurred, darning up the river till m boom wasjn.ude, when it burst, carrying all before it. The main traffic bridge over the flna-nga-hua river wias .endangered by a mass of floating trees, but stood the strain, though greatly shaken. Great blips occurred all over the district. .Communication between Black's Point ‘and Crushington was cut off. c At Waiialiu, where two branches o ; t the river xc-uuite. the flood was the biggest on record. Acres of land were flooded, while a number of sheep belonging to settlers were drowned. Potatoes and other crops have been ruined.

ROADS AND BRIDGES

DESTROYED.

MINES SERIOUSLY DAMAGED

It is stated by Black's Point residents that the volume of water in the river has rarefy been exceeded. The boom bursting on Murray creek curried debris from the mines, trees, etc., right before it, ploughing through the mining tailings and causing a great stench from disturbed cyanide. The road and bridges at the Energetic mine were undermined and rendered unsafe for traffic.

At Knight’s coal mine the flood did some good by considerably quenching the tiro which has existed there for two years or so. Not a single trace of the recently constructed ucqueduct was loft. A large number of concrete pipes wore swept clean away. The engineer and others worked hard to save them, but tlie,river rose in ten minutes over the (level of the works, driving them back.

Opposite Reef ton, at Rosstown, the river simply sluiced away strips of land and road. The banks are now up to residents’ garden gates, all trace of the road having vanished. The wonder is that the traffic ’bridge stood tlie weight of the load as it did. Below the bridge all the groins 'protecting the lower lying lands from the rush of water wore simply swept away. No trace was left of these strongly let-in groins—huge boulders covered with a network of wire. The left brandh of the Inaiigahua river rose even worse than the- right, but had not much to wreck in it:- fury except O’DonnelTs coal mine aerial tramway. This was 'utterly wrecked, entailing considerable loss on the unfortunate proprietor,, and rendering the mine useless, possibly for two months.

Below,'the -river ruined a large area of low-lying,, land, spoiling potato, patches, etc. Nnimibeivs of steep were •clTOAvnod., a-1 Lawyer’s, and the settlers had the biggest flood' experienced for many years. Further down, the flood was confined to the channel, and not muon damage is reported. The Inangahua County Council are. the chief ~sufferers, having lost all the work spent in the extension of the water works scheme. A. large .quantity of concrete, work as rendered .useless, ML culverts in the immediate vicinity ""being Washed •away. It is as yet impossible to estimate the value of the damage.