Continuous rain and floods

THE copious rains experienced very generally in Otago since Sunday have caused the Molyneux and Taieri Rivers to rise with startling suddenness, promising serious floods in many districts. Our correspondents in different parts all testify to the probability of the rain continuing. At Arrowtown there has been continuous rain since Sunday morning, and the rivers are in high flood. It is still raining. At Cromwell rain set in throughout the district early on Sunday morning, and continued practically without interruption until after midday

yesterday, the fall at intervals being very heavy. The rivers, in consequence, are at a higher level now than anything known for many years, and a few remember seeing the Molyneux at such a high level.

Mr H. Turner, secretary of the New Golden Run Dredging Company (Ltd.), has received advice that the company’s valuable pipeline spanning the Molyneux River at the upper end of the Island Block, was swept away yesterday morning during the flood in the river. It appears that the pontoons formerly owned by the Golden Treasure Company, which had been purchased by Messrs Sheehy and Keppell, flaxmillers, and removed down to a beach close to the pipeline for convenience of dismantling, broke away from their mooring, with the result that the centre pier of the bridge carrying the pipeline was swept away, taking with it the long line of 13in pipes, together with the suspension bridge. It is understood that the pontoons, after carrying away the pipeline, sank a few

chains further down the river, otherwise the bridges at Balclutha might have been in danger of being destroyed.