The Totara Flood, North Otago, 1868.

THE LATE FLOODS.

During Monday evening the Oamaru Creek rose rapidly, and soon became a deep rushing river. It rose eight or nine feet in a few hours, flooding several houses in the valley, Mr Payne rescuing his own family and that of a neighbor by wading up to his waist in water. By eleven o'clock the stone bridge over the creek in Severn-street was carried away, leaving scarcely one stone standing upon another, and the debris rolling down the stream carried away the wooden bridge at Mr Bicknell's property, and that recently thrown across the creek at the Esplanade. The water also greatly undermined the Itchen-street embankment, upon which a slip has taken place, and which at one time looked likely to be entirely swept away. There have also been two slips upon the jetty road, and as indications of further danger are apparent, both this and a portion of Itchen-street have been closed for traffic. 

On Tuesday morning news reached town that the Waiareka, near Totara had risen immensely, and carried away a blacksmith's forge and two houses, drowning nine persons. Subsequently it proved that the news was only too true. The houses in question are situated next to a blacksmith's forge at Totara, close to the bridge which crosses the Waiareka, opposite Messrs Douglas, Alderson and Co.'s station. One of them, built of stone, was occupied by Thos. Loudon, a carpenter employed on the station; his wife; and James Loudon, his son, also a carpenter; there was also a little girl about eight years of age stopping with them. The other house was a wooden building, and there were under its roof at the time the following persons, viz.: — Peter Dunn, farmlaborer, Thos. Richardson and James Waddell, farm-servants; James Glass, blacksmith and Robt. Young. About eleven o'clock on Monday night they were all sleeping in their beds, when the creek, which, according to the testimony of some masons who live farther up the stream rose suddenly fully four feet in as many minutes, burst upon them in full flood, sweeping away both houses with their occupants, and also carrying away the blacksmith's forge. Every soul was drowned. The Waiareka has also carried away the approaches to the bridge — the water, which was ten feet above ordinary flood level, rolling right over it. The circumstance that the bridge itself was not carried away, is apparently due to the creek having cut a fresh channel for itself through the Loudon's garden, the bridge being thus left in comparatively still water. 

The scene at Totara is described to us by an eyewitness as almost beyond description. The garden and nursery around the station, which a few days ago was the admiration of all who saw it, is now a perfect scene of desolation. Travellers between Oamaru and Dunedin will remember that the Waiareka is, in its ordinary condition, a mere prill of clear water. On the side nearest to Oamaru the bank of the stream is very precipitous, but by a cutting in the road was carried down to the level of a timber bridge across the stream, created about six years ago. The road then crosses a flat about 100 yards in width, and winds up the hill towards the Kakanui. On the north side of the road the flat was occupied by exceedingly prolific gardens and extensive nurseries of young forest and other trees, intended to form plantations on the estate of Messrs Douglas, Aldorson and Co. Great pains had been taken with the gardens, where all the vegetables necessary for their large establishment were raised. The fruit garden was especially the admiration of all who saw it. This season it produced so plentifully that not only was there abundance for all the employes of the station, but as many as twenty bucketfuls at a time have been gathered and given away to other persons. On the west side of the garden was the residence of Mr McAulay and his family, and beyond that, farther up the hill, were the offices, store-room, and stabling of the establishment. The floor of the house was fully twenty feet above the level of the stream. On the opposite side of the road, at about 10ft. above the level of the creek were the blacksmith's forge and the two houses above referred to. About 100 yards farther up the road, and about ten feet above this level, was the stockyard. On Monday night, about 11 o'clock, the creek suddenly rose with fearful rapidity, coming into Mr McAulay's residence, and rendering it necessary for the family and furniture to be immediately removed. This was about the same time the other houses must have been washed away, and their occupants drowned. The Loudons were very old and valued servants of Mr McAulay, and had followed him from Scotland to Southland, and from Southland to this district. Everything that could be done was done by Mr McAulay. Mr Louden's entire family came with him from Scotland. He had a grown-up daughter, who recently died in Southland on the eve of her marriage, and now the rest of the family have been hurried into eternity. We hear that the Mr. Richardson who was drowned at the same time was a son of Dr Richardson, of Dunedin; and that Mr Waddell was the son of a settler in the Taieri. 

In addition to the dreadful loss of life, the destruction of property has been enormous, fences have been torn up, the posts broken off like reeds. IMMense numbers of sheep have been drowned, the banks of the stream being literally strewn with dead bodies of sheep brought down the Serpentine, the Kurow, Island Stream, and Kakanui rivers; wrecks of buildings, pumps, tanks, station requisites, &c. strewing, the country in all directions, especially on the banks of the estuary in which all these rivers meet. Mr Teschemaker's water-mill on the Waiareka; Messrs Lees & Crowther's, and Mr Farrer's extensive wool and drying sheds, on the Kakanui, have all been washed away, with large quantities of wool which the latter establishments contained — something over 1000 bales having been lost from Messrs Lees and Crowther's alone. Some of this, which was in unopened bales, will be recovered, but all that was under process of cleaning will be irrecoverably lost. In the Kakanui Flour Mill, the property of Messrs Douglas, Alderson & Co., the water rose four inches above the upper floor, being a distance of fully 20 feet above the ordinary level of the stream, which, when the flood was at its height, was nearly a mile wide. It is feared that very extensive repairs will be required to the mill and mill-race. The escape of Mr Brown, the miller, and his family, and other persons employed at the mill was almost miraculous, they having to walk along the wire fences, supporting themselves by poles, to a place of safety, the fences by which they made their, escape being a few moments afterwards carried away. Further up the Kakanui, at the sheep yards of Mr McAulay, a party of four men employed in cutting thistles on the station, were encamped on the bank. When the flood came down suddenly on Monday, all but one escaped by wading and swimming alternately until reaching the high land, the other, being uuable to do so, was found the following morning clinging to a cabbage tree, and rescued from his perilous position. A newly-erected house in the Chelsea district, on the flat near Island Stream bridge, occupied by Mrs Newland and family, was swept away by the flood the family, as we understand, and hope correctly, providentially escaping. The magnificent crops in the Incholme and Chelsea districts must have suffered immensely, if not been completely destroyed as they must have been to a great extent under water, and in many places completely submerged. 

All the rivers are quite impassable, at least so far as can be learned, the telegraph wires being down both North and South. Cobb's Coach, which left Dunedin on Monday, has not yet arrived. 

News is coming from all quarters of further mischief done by the recent terrible visitation. There has been no coach from Christchurch or Dunedin since Saturday. The north coach returned from the Waitaki on Tuesday, having been unable to cross that river, which was represented to be flooded to an extent never before known, and fully two miles wide. The ferry boats are all washed out to sea, and the telegraph is down in several places, communication with tho north being completely stopped, both by road and telegraph. The driver of the coach, in returning from the Waitaki on Tuesday, found the road so much under water that his horses were several times swimming. The south coach, carrying the English mail, on Monday managed to reach Palmerston, and the mails were delivered to the driver of the coach thence to Dunedin, which we hope will have reached its destination in time for the steamer. Mr Sayers, the driver, started on his return trip to Oamaru on Monday afternoon, reaching Chatfont in uafety. Here one of the fore-wheels broke, and he returned, intending to go to Palmerston for another coach, but on reaching the valley of the Shag River he saw nothing but a foaming sea before him, and although he had only crossed it about two hours before, it was now of course utterly impassable. He then returned to his passengers at the Kartigi Hotel, Chalfont, among whom was Mr France, M.P.C., and on Tuesday morning tried to come on with the mails to Oamaru, but found the Rookery also in flood and impassable, that river being something like 30ft. deep. He again returned therefore to his imprisoned passengers, and on Wednesday the rivers having gone down considerably brought the mails across the Rookery and Otepopo by swimming his horses across at considerable danger to himself, being accompanied on his perilous trip by one of his passengers, Mr Shipton of this town — and succeeded in reaching Oamaru the same night. He started yesterday for Dunedin with a pack-horse carrying the mails. He reports that Mr Runciman's mill near Palmerston, has been swept away, and we have reason to fear that many of the houses in the Shag Valley must have shared the same fate. Mr Sayers who rode back to the summit of the Horse Range on Monday, describes the valley as being one broad sheet of water. He also states that the approaches to the bridge over the Kaka, at Hampden have been carried away and that the bridge itself is in jeopardy. 

Capt. McKinnon, who came through from Dunedin yesterday, having started at 3 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, supplies the following additional particulars. The gale was felt very heavily both at Port Chalmers and Dunedin, but so far as he can inform us no accident occurred at either port. There has been a land-slip of some 400 or 500 tons of earth about a quarter of a mile above Carey's house at Blueskin. The Waikouaiti bridge is almost entirely carried away. Capt. McKinnon and another gentleman who accompanied him having to swim their horses across. Several houses in Shag Valley have been carried away, and some nine or ten persons drowned. The occupants of the mill at Palmerston (Mr Runciman's) some nine persons were eight hours upon the mill wheel, and were taken off by a whale boat. Cherry farm, at Waikouaiti, has been completely inundated, and at least 1000 sheep drowned. The bridge over the creek at Pleasant Valley has been carried away. There have been numerous landslips along the road, which cannot be passable for coaches for weeks. The coach from Dunedin yesterday stuck in the Waikouaiti River, and the passengers had to be taken off by boat. The damage done to the crops is, we fear, very extensive; and if that fear be justified by fact, we are afraid to attempt to compute the amount of mischief done by the late disastrous gale.  -North Otago Times, 7/2/1868.

THE TOTARA INQUEST.

An inquest on the body of Robert Loudon, one of the persons drowned at Totara by the recent flood,  was opened at Mr McAulay's house, before T. W. Parker, Esq., District Coroner, and a jury of twelve, of whom Mr Jas. Wilson was foreman, on Wednesday, at 3 p.m. 

Robert McAulay, sworn, deposed. — I have inspected the body of tho deceased, Robert Loudon. He was, I believe, a native of Hamilton, in Lanarkshire, N. B. His age was about 45 or 46. He was a married man, and his wife Annie and he lived on the Totara Station. He was a carpenter in my employment. In the same house were living with him James Loudon, his son, and a girl named Annie Smith. The last time I saw him was on Monday night, the 3rd inst. The house in which deceased resided stood near the Waiareka Creek. It was a wooden house, recently and firmly built. There had been rain the whole of the 3rd and the previous night, and the creek had risen, but not higher than I had seen it before. There was nothing to cause any apprehension for the safety of the house or its inmates. At about 11 o'clock on the night of the 3rd, after I and my family had retired to bed, I was aroused by my wife drawing my attention to the unusual noise of water rushing about my house, which stands near the creek, but rather higher than the house inhabited by the deceased. I got up and told Adam Baillie to go and look if Loudon's people were up. I afterwards went out in the direction of the house, but it was so dark and the creek had risen to so great a height that it was impossible to get near enough to see whether the house was standing or not. At daybreak I found there was no appearance of it, nor of a stone dwelling about 20 yards from it, which had been standing, as I have understood, upwards of seven years. Another building, still nearer, the creek, and which had been built for a blacksmith's shop, and had also been standing for some years, was also swept away. In the stone dwelling were five people belonging to the station, and there might have been a stranger stopping the night, who would have made a sixth. The inmates of the stone dwelling were all swept away, as well as the Loudon family, and perished. Nine are known to have been drowned, and there may have been ten. The creek may have risen about 15 feet or upwards, and about 9 feet above any flood I have previously seen in it. Seven bodies have been recovered and identified, as follows, viz., Thomas Richurdson, James Glass, James Waddell, Robert Young, James Loudon, Annie Loudon, and the subject of this inquest, Robert Loudon. The names of the two persons whose bodies have not been found are Peter Dunn and Annie Smith. 

James Spence, sworn, deposed. — I am a stonemason, and have been employed for some time at the Totora Station. I was living in a tent about 700 yards from the Waiareka Creek, and at such a height as I believed to be perfectly safe from all reach of flood. On the night of the 3rd instant I went to bed. The day had been very wet, and I had turned in early — about 8 o'clock. I went to sleep about 10 o'clock, and it might have been about 11 when I was awaked by the water rushing over my feet. I called to my mate, sleeping in the same tent, that the tent was in the creek, and before he could reply, the water was over me. I was sleeping on the ground. I at once turned out of bed, and made a rush at such things in the bunk as I could get hold of and cleared out, he following. The water rose so rapidly that I think it must have risen two or three feet in less than a minute. The high ground was close at hand, and I and my mate, and some others also camped round, reached the high ground and were safe, but before I lost sight of the the tent the water was up to the ridge pole. It was raining heavily at this time. 

Adam Baillie, sworn, deposed. — I am employed at the Totara station as saddler. I sleep in the hut just above Mr McAulay's house at Totara. On the night of the 3rd I was called up by Mr McAulay's servant, who told me that the water was coming into the house. I went down to the house immediately, which is only a few yards from the hut I sleep in, and Mr McAulay there told me to go and see if Loudon's people were up. I went for that purpose, but on reaching the stockyard I could see nothing of Loudon's house or of the other two buildings. The stockyard might be about a hundred yards from the Loudon's house, and the water was up to the stockyard. It was raining and blowing heavily all the time and the night was cloudy, but if the houses had been standing I think that I could have seen them. At daybreak nothing was to be seen of any of the buildings. I knew that there were five persons in one house and four in another. There might have been a stranger in one of the houses, who would have been a sixth inmate. Seven bodies have been recovered, the other two have not been found as yet. I do not think there can be the slightest doubt about these two having perished with the rest.

 Henry Campbell, sworn, deposed. — I am a runholder on the Wanaka Lake, I formerly resided at Totara Station, and I built the house in which Mr McAulay is now residing at the Waiareka Creek. It was built about seven and a-half years ago, and I lived in it for six and-a-half years. I also built the stone house and blacksmith's shop mentioned in the evidonce of Mr McAulay. I have seen the marks of the late flood, and should think that they are from ten to twelve feet above the highest known to me during my residence of six and-a-half years on the Waiareka Creek. I never sustained the loss of any property from the flooding of the Creek. The blacksmith's shop stood quite close to the Creek, but I did not consider it to be in any danger from flood. The water might come to the building or even into it, but never to do any harm, as I thought. A verdict of "Accidentally Drowned by the Flooding of the Waiareka Creek" was returned.  -North Otago Times, 7/2/1868.

Oamaru Cemetery

Great improvements have recently been made at the cemetery. A broad belt of ground all round the fence has been ploughed up and planted with forest trees, and flowering and evergreen shrubs. Among the former we notice sycamores, birch, poplars, willows, ash, Australian lightwood, and many other kinds. Some thousands of trees have been planted, large numbers having been, we understand, very liberally given by Messrs McMaster, Hassell, Filleul, Falconer, Gifford, and others. The ploughing was very kindly done by the Hon. M. Holmes. In strolling through the grounds we noticed that several new monuments have been erected, some of which are really ornaments to the cemetery. We are, however, sorry to perceive in one or two instances that a bad quality of stone appears to have been used, which is chipping away under the influence of the weather. Among the most noticeable of the new monuments is an unpretending headstone, in the form of a Greek cross, bearing the following inscription: — In memory of Malcolm West Baker, aged 3 years; and of James Elphinstona Baker, aged 5 years; who were drowned in their mother's presence, during the breaking-up of the ship Star of Tasmania, which stranded at Oamaru, on the evening of February 3, 1868. At foot of the cross appears the following very appropriate texts:- "He cometh to them walking upon the sea." "Those that Thou gavest me I have kept; not one of them is lost." On the rising ground on the western side of the cemeterv stands the large monument erected to the memory of several persons, who perished by flood at Totara. It stands upon a triangular base, and is in the early English Gothic style. It is about eighteen feet in height, and has at each angle a buttress, surmounted by a pinnacle, ornamented with appropriate crochets. The monument is finished with a spire enriched with carvings, in which the lily is conspicuous. On each of the three sides of the monument is a panel, flanked by Gothic pilasters, detached, with floriated capitals. The tablets contain the following inscription — on the side facing the footpath: — Erected by public subscription, in memory of the following parties, who were drowned by flood at Totara, February 3, 1868, viz., Robert Young, aged 60 years, native of Lanarkshire, Scotland; Peter Dunn, aged 35 years, native of Crieff, Scotland; Thomas Richardson, aged 26 years, native of England; James Glass, aged 22 years, native of Forfarshire, Scotland; James Waddell, aged 22 years, native of Stirling, Scotland. "Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when the Master of the House cometh; at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning, lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping." The other two panels are also respectively inscribed with appropriate texts of Scripture. We notice that one of the pinnacles has been displaced by the wind, and requires attention.  -North Otago Times, 6/10/1868.