GREAT BLIZZARD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 85, 11 April 1933, Page 8

GREAT BLIZZARD.

WORST FOR 50 YEARS.

TRAINS LOST IN SNOWDRIFTS

WIDESPREAD HAVOC AT HOME.

The greatest snow blizzard in Britain for 50 years blocked hundreds of miles of railways at the end of February and the beginning of last month, snowed up mail and other express trains, isolated a whole county and many towns and villages, brought road traffic to a standstill, and wrought havoc with scores of thousands of telephone and telegraph wires—one thousand in Cardiff alone. More than 250 vehicles were stranded at one time near Macclesfield, and on the main Manchester road between Macclesfield and Poynton it was estimated that 100 buses, lorries, and cars had been abandoned.

In one accident eight cars wore involved and the road was completely blocked for hours.

Drifts were 12ft deep in South Wales and. in Yorkshire, while depths of Oft to 10ft were reported from many other parts. London experienced a blinding snowstorm, the ground being covered to a depth of several inches within a few hours.

Mother Delayed—Son Dead. One Irish mail train arrived at Paddington 14 hours late; another reached Euston early in the morning 10 hours late. The Royal Scot was 5J hours late at Euston. For several hours the Fishguard train was lost. Every means of communication had broken down. On the train was Mrs. O'Brien, of Cork, who had been travelling since 8 p.m. the previous day to the bedside of her 12-year-old son in London. She learned at Paddington from a sister that the boy had died a few hours before the arrival of the train.

Mr. H. Edmey, a restaurant car attendant, stated that the enow at tiroes restricted, train's--speed ±o 15

miles an liour. At every signal box the driver stopped to receive a rcpor.t on conditions ahead, and at Wliitlaiid (Carmarthenshire) a pilot engine was I secured.

Congratulations were showered on Mr. W. Carrutliers, the driver of the Royal Scot, and Mr. Richardson, his fireman, at Euston. Passengers pushed their way to the driver's cabin and shook hands with them. Driver Carrutliers said it was the most terrible journey lie had ever experienced.

Isle of Wight Cut Off. Here are some of the amazing details of the blizzard: The Scottish Rugby international team on board a steamer from Glasgow to Dublin was lost at sea for 15 hours. The Isle of Wight passenger and ferry services were cancelled, and hundreds of people held up. The whole of Merionethshire was isolated. Shops and offices in Cardiff could not open, staffs being unable to reach them. Funerals had to be postponed. Hundreds of lambs in the mountains of Glamorgan and Monmouthshne perished, farmers being unable to their homes in the blinding storms to rescue them. Snow ploughs were used on the railways, but services were completely disorganised. A 00-mile-an-houi gale raged In the Channel. "This is our worst dislocation," eaii 1 - a telephone service official. "Fifty towns or villages were isolated in South Wales, Somerset, and Devon. ' :1 many cases it took several days to restore services to and from London.

Ireland was swept by a terrific blizzard. Nearly 100 motor buses wore reported " lost " in drifts. Many ships were in distress off the Irish coast.

Two S.O.S. messages were received late at night, one from the City of Manchester (5598 tons) —an Ellerman liner sold to Italy for breaking up which was in danger of being driven ashore north •of Dublin. The other referred to a Liverpool dredger which, with five men aboard, had broken loose from her tug off the Irish coast.

Private cars in Madrid must bear a large letter of the alphabet to show on which day of the week the chauffeur has his holiday, as the result of a decision of the chauffeur's union. This system is already m £oce& for tasis.