Another flood in Dunedin

An abnormal rainfall resulted in the north end of the city being flooded yesterday afternoon, several houses being invaded. It was exactly three weeks yesterday since the city was treated to a downpour of rain with results unprecedented within the recollections of the oldest inhabitants, and then yesterday dawned to the song of a steady fall, and, before many hours had passed it became evident that we were to have another unenviable experience. The rain began at 4am, driven by a powerful wind from south-west. By 9 o’clock 0.7 inch was registered, and 1.92in had fallen by 3.30pm. The fall to last night totalled 2.02in. That, however, was only the fall registered in the city; on the hills, as was testified by the rapid rise of the various streams, the fall was much heavier, or else it had made an earlier start.

What water there was about the Flat seemed to be getting away fairly freely owing to the energetic clearing of the gutters and gratings. The picture at the north end was very different, and the conditions ruling there seemed to be every bit as bad in the neighbourhood of the Gardens and at Harbour terrace as they were before.

The demonstration that the Leith gave of its possibilities before was repeated. Racing almost level with its banks at the Forth street bridge, it churned and hissed on its noisy course at between 10 and 15 miles an hour, and where it struck the groynes there were to be seen surging waves of water 3 feet or 4ft high. From the Clyde street bridge there was another awe-inspiring sight, the water leaping in noisy turbulence with a force that augured badly for the safety of all structures in its course if a further rise took place. In parts of the Leith Valley the river had lost some of its ugliness owing to the relief it had obtained by overlapping its banks. At 4 o’clock the "standing wave," which forms as the result of the changed conditions where the Leith enters the wider bed of the harbour section, had assumed gigantic proportions, and about 200ft south of the Forth street bridge it, was lifting 4ft over the containing wall.

In many localities the roads were just recovering from the effects of the last flood, but the heavy rains of yesterday have already undone much of the repair work. The beach road to Portobello was passable at its worst on Saturday, and had been put in good order beyond Macandrew’s Bay. The rain yesterday brought down several slips, and several motorists found the road impassable, a slip at Broad Bay, a few hundred yards on the south side of the jetty, completely blocking the road. Two cars returned to Portobello, and arrived in the city by the high road after an unpleasant journey in the fog and driving rain. The roads on the Taieri have been further damaged, and it will be several days before the damage caused to the various roads by this latest rain can be repaired.

Earl drops daddy’s mummy work

Lord Porchester, heir of the Earl of Carnarvon, will withdraw from further research work at the tomb of Tutankhamen. Whether or not the curse of the Pharaohs contributed to the death of Carnarvon, it is stated confidently by friends here that the son will not submit his family further to the evil spell which England is now dramatically associating with his father’s passing. Furthermore, it is stated, the new Earl is not interested in archaeology, and this fact  would lead him to drop further pursuit of Tutankhamen. — ODT, 14.5.1923

Compiled by Peter Dowden