8.—5

2

Bridges. £ Matau Bridge (moiety) ... ... ... ... ... ... 100 Balclutha Bridge (moiety) ... ... ... ... ... ... 6,000 Puerua Bridge and approaches ... ... ... ... ... 750 Total damage to bridges ... ... ... ... £6,850 River Works. £ Embankments on Inch Clutha ... ... ... ... ... 500 Protective works at Balclutha, rendered necessary through flood ... ... 6,000 Total damage to river works ... ... ... ...£6,500 Buildings. £ Post Office and Courthouse, Balclutha ... ... ... ... 200 Schoolhouse, Inch Clutha ... ... ... ... ... ... 500 Total damage to buildings ... ... ... ... £700 Total damage to public works in Clutha country ... £26,150 The second item above given, £5,000 for roads on Inch Clutha, is practically only a guess, as a large portion of the island is still under water, but from all appearances it is not too large. The main bridges in this county connect it with the Bruce County, so they have already been referred to under that head. The sum for protective works at Balclutha does not represent the actual damage done, but the amount required to prevent further encroachments on the town by the river. Tuapeka County. The damage done to public works in the Tuapeka County is estimated approximately as follows:— £ Roads and small bridges ... ... ... ... ... ... 3,800 Teviot (Roxburgh) Bridge ... ... ... ... ... ... 7,200 Beaumont Bridge ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8,000 Total damage to public works in Tuapeka County ... £19,000 The Teviot Bridge, which was one of the finest looking structures in Otago, had masonry abutments and a laminated timber arch of 174 feet span. The superstructure is all gone, and the abutments are very much injured. The Beaumont Bridge was erected hj private enterprize, under an arrangement with the Provincial Government of Otago. It was a timber truss, resting on masonry abutments and piers. Not a vestage of it remains. £5,000 was voted by Parliament last year for the purchase of the Beaumont Bridge, and negotiations thereon were pending between the County Council and the proprietors, Mr. Kitchen, at the time of the flood, but I understand the purchase was not completed. Vincent County. The following is an approximate estimate of the damage done to the public works, roads, and tracks, including small bridges : — £ Cromwell to Kirtleburn ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,500 Kirtleburn to Cardrona (track) ... ... ... ... ... 250 Bendigo to Lindis ... ... ... ... ... ... 3,000 Cromwell to Alberton ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,000 Clyde to Lauder Creek ... ... ... ... ... ... 200 Cromwell to Nevis ... ... ... ... ... ... 300 Nevis to Upper Nevis ... ... ... ... ... ... 500 Tinkers to Drybread ... ... ... ... ... ... 100 Alexandra to Boundary Creek ... ... ... ... ... 300 Cameron's to Clyde ... ... ... ... ... ... 200 Clyde to Nevis ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 500 Watson's to Rough ridge ... ... ... ... ... ... 200 Bendigo to Logan Town ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 Rocky Point to Hawea ... ... ... ... ... ... 250 Alberton to Hawea ... ... ... ... ... ... 200 Total damage to roads ... ... ... ... £8,550