FATAL ACCIDENT

STRUCK by roof iron terrifying EXPERIENCES FLOOD SUCCEEDS CYCLONE RIVER'S RECORD HIGH LEVEL [BY TELEGRAPH —rRESS ASSOCIATION] PALMERSTON NORTH, Monday One life was lost and one resident was seriously injured and many had narrow escapes as the great storm swept the Manawatu district. after nine o'clock on Sunday ffi. Benjamin Arthur Miller, aged 72, living at Elmira Avenue, was struck on the head by a piece of iron off a roof which he was attempting to repair. Mr. Miller was knocked to the ground and killed instantly. He leaves a widow and an adult family. Many houses have been wholly or partly unroofed. Damage to trees, gardens and orchards is enormous. Telephone, telegraph and power lines bestrew the roads. Poles are broken everywhere. The power supply was interrupted for several hours and telephone and telegraph communication was badly disorganised, but is now being rapidly restored. At the showgrounds the entire roof of the large main stand, which faces the south, was blown off. Iron and timber were scattered over a wide area. At the sports ground, in Fitzherbert Avenue, where the M.C.C. cricket match is set down for Tuesday, the \ whole upper work of the stand was wrecked and large parts were flicked about like pieces of paper, to land several chains away. One section landed on the roof of a near by house and crashed through the roof. Ohuirch Battered to Pieces At Longburn residents had a terrifying experience. Large trees were down everywhere. The hall was unrbofed and St. Chad's Church was battered to Sieces,- only swaying walls remaining, •ebris had to be cleared off road and railway. A man named Morgan, living in a railway hutment, received injuries and was taken to hospital. Morgan's hutment somersaulted several times, hurling him about inside with a heavy stove, which became loose. Mrs. Morgan had a miraculous escape. She had just emerged from the hut when it was lifted. She toppled over and was blown * into a clump of willows. She had to be extricated by the stationmaster. Close by, on Mr. W. J. Fawcett's property, a horse was cut in two by flying sheets of iron, which were blown in all directions. A brick chimney collapsed into the bedroom of a dwellingbut the family escaped injury. Later only the four walls of the house were £ left standing. The scene of havoc in this area is almost indescribable. The highway runs through a tangled mass of iron and broken wire. Poles, trees, timber and fencing are all in confusion. River In Heavy Flood The Manawatu River began to rise rapidly early this morning. Water came through at Hamilton's bend, near the main highway to Foxton, and swept across farms. The main route to Foxton is now impassable, but the detour via Rongotea is available. Thousands of acres are now covered and serious danger threatens settlers and stock in the low-lying areas. Twelve ieet is considered to be the height at which a flood assumes serious proportions,. but -15 ft. 9in. was reached on the river gauge at 10.30 a.m. this morning. The highest level previously recorded since the gauge was installed was 15ft. 6in., in 1926. Several small losses of stock have already been reported. but owing to the disorganisation of telephone communication it is very difficult to learn of the condition of low-lying settlers in the vicinity of Eangiotu. In Palmerston North an iron building used as a motor upholstery and paint shop in Rangitikei Street collapsed like a house of cards. The 12 motor vehicles inside were all damaged, some severely. Numerous shop fronts were blown in in that part of the business area exposed to the south. REPAIRING DAMAGE ACTIVITY IN TARANAKI MAIN HIGHWAYS REOPENED [by telegraph—PßESS association] ''' NEW PLYMOUTH, Monday Taranaki was busy to-day repairing the damage to buildings, fences and roads caused by the storm. In soiup cases, however, weeks will be occupied in effecting repairs. Opunake is isolated so far as rail and road communication is concerned, bridges having been washed away on the main road both north and south, while one span on a small railway bridge collapsed. The main road to Wellington was opened this afternoon by the use of detours. Tho main road to Auckland also was opened The Stratford Main Trunk Railway is still .closed by slips and may not be open for some days. The main east road is blocked in Tangarakau Gorge. Every town and hamlet in the province has minor damage to repair and broken down trees lie everywhere. The telegraph lines were repaired this afternoon and the telephone lines aro functioning again. AEROPLANES WRECKED TWO MACHINES LOST WIND RAZES HANGAR [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] PALMERSTON NORTH, Monday One of the most serioijs individual losses arising from yesterday's devastating storm was the destruction of two aeroplanes at the Feilding Aero Club's aerodrome at Parorangi. These aeroplanes were the property of Mr. H. M. Oram, of Palmerston North. A wind of hurricane force swept across 'the Parorangi ground to take the small aerodrome building of iron in its course. '1 he aeroplanes, which had been considered safe and secure, in a verv little time were complete wrecks. Mr. Orai;i stated he valued the machines at £IOOO.

APIARISTS' TROUBLES MANY HIVES DESTROYED [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT] HAMILTON, Monday An apiary of 150 colonies owned by Messrs. Pearson Brothers, of Hamilton, was totally destroyed by flood waters, at Waitnkaruru, Hauraki Plains, yesterday, owing to the breaking of, the stopbanks of large drains. There was over 2ft. of water on the ground where the hives were situated. f lhe lo§s of bees and honev is estimated at £2OO.