TIDE AND GALE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 198, 25 September 1914, Page 10

TIDE AND GALE.

HEAVY SEAS AT SUMNER. TRAMWAY SERVICE INTERFERED WITH. Between 8 and 9 o'clock this morning the shore-line at Sumner and Redcliffs presented a Very fine sight. The tide was running in very strongly, with a heavy ground swell—caused probably by the strong easterly winds of the past few days. A gale from the north banked' up the sea, and right along the shore great white seahorses hurled themselves on rock and beach, and then fell back, in a huge swirl of foam,, to be buried by the racing squadrons that followed. Great clouds *of spray were blpwn across rock, road, and beach. • li- Avas a fine sight, but it brought a measure of inconvenience in its train. Here and there along the Redcliffs and Sumner Road the waves broke heavily over the embankment arid tore at the road surface. At the -spot known as Middle Rock the seas broke well across the road, washed silt and metal across the tramway lines, and then hid the silt from view under a sheet of' water. Shortly before 8 o'clock an outwardbound tram car went off the line at this spot, the Avater across the road preventing the motorman from seeing that the track w r as filled up. As it is a single line, the mishap effectively blocked the traffic for several hours, and inconmany people who were waiting at Sumner for cars to convey them to their day's work in the city. ; An. emergency car was sent down, with powerful jacks, but the state of the track impeded operations, and not until a little after noon was the track cleared, the car got back on the line, and the ser\ r ice resumed. For several hours passengers had to walk, that portion of the line between Middle Rock and Sumner. After a time the tramway officials managed to secure an express to act as a "tender" between Sumner and the the cars which travelled to Middle Rock. Part of Head Street, Sumner, was uader Avater for a time, and the floor of the Beach Tea Rooms, at the- Scar-

borough end of Sumner Beach, was also washed. The tide and wind banked up the waters of the Heatheote estuary until they overflowed the low-lying land. A large portion of the track onshe, old racecourse at Heatheote was well submerged. The caretaker's cottage at the soapworks was almost entirely surrounded by water, which also came almost up to the Heatheote Arms Hotel. On the seaward side of the lower portion of Ferry Road, near the Woolston bridge, several acres of land were under water. Various portions of the road were in similar condition while the tide was at full. A few small boats were sunk at their moorings, but they should be recovered when the gale has abated and the tide is out. Fortunately the tides are not at spring. So far, the damage ascertainable is but slight, but it is possible that, if the gale continues without abatement, there may be some damage when the tide reaches its full again, at 9 o'clock this evening.