Floods on the River Barivon. 87 



stream was against the north bank of the river, overflowing 

 in a continuous wave* the ground where the mills, which 

 suffered damage by the flood, were situated. At C.S. No. 5, 

 taken opposite the mills, it is estimated that only one-third 

 of the flat on the south side of the ordinary river channel 

 was in the current. The level of the water was on the north 

 side of the river higher than on the south side, the difference 

 being considerable at first, and decreasing as the velocity of 

 the water became more nearly uniform on both sides. 



12. Below the railway the same result followed from the 

 contraction of the water wa}^, though to a much greater extent 

 than at the iron bridge, owing to the greater contraction. 

 The lineal waterway of both railway bridges was a little 

 less than GOO feet originally, but was increased during the 

 flood to a little more than 1050 feet, out of a width of 4000 

 feet for the whole river, measured along the railway; taken 

 square with the stream about the same proportion would be 

 found, but it is difficult to give the exact figures. The 

 stream immediately below the railway thus varied from 

 less than one-sixth to about one-fourth of the width 

 of the river. The consequence was a great difference 

 in the flood levels here. Those obtained from Mr. Muntz 

 show that at one place, in the stream, the water rose 

 to R.L. 20 '8 9 ; while at another place, out of the stream, 

 the water did not rise higher than R.L. 1853. The levels 

 obtained from the engineers who gave evidence for the 

 Railway Department show a level of 20*42 at one place 

 (Haworth's tannery) and only 18*77 at another place (Corri- 

 gan's house). These differences of level are very important, 

 and will be referred to again. 



13. At C.S. No. 3, a short distance further down, where 

 the stream was again forced over by the railway embank- 

 ment in a wave* to the north side of the river, the current 

 was confined to about 1400 feet oat of a total width of 

 the river at that point of 2500 feet. Some distance below 

 C.S. No. 2, owing to the bend in the river, the set of 

 the stream was against the south bank. A little above the 

 gorge (C.S. No. 1), one and a-half miles below the railway, 

 the water was observed to flow with great force between 

 some outhouses there and the bank, and after dashing 

 against the wall of the tannery to pour down alongside of it 

 into the main stream, with a fall of one foot in a length of 



* Shown in the diagram by a whole unshaded black line. 



