STORM DAMAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 47, 25 February 1935, Page 8

STORM DAMAGE.

SHOPKEEPERS BUSY.

MUCH STOCK DUMPED.

RAILWAY REPAIR WORK. (By Telegraph.—'Special to " Star.") NEW PLYMOUTH, this day. Throughout -the week-end firms whose premises were flooded on Friday worked even longer hours than during any ordinary week day preparing to reduce their affected stock. Many hundreds of pounds worth of goods have been dumped as valueless, while sales for disposing of much of the remainder of damaged stocks have been arranged.

Yesterday nearly all shops in the affected area had open doors. In some instances the footpath was used as a drying area for saturated goods. The task of pumping water from the basements has not yet been completed, but from one building alone a quarter of a million gallons have been pumped, while the same amount ran off through ventilators.

Work is progressing rapidly with the removal of" the 25 slips which blocked the railway line between Stratford and Okahukura, while other gangs are working feverishly to repair the three washouts between Inglcwood and Stratford, in order that the service may be resumed. It is now anticipated that a train may get through on Wednesday night, and it is hoped to resume normal running on Thursday morning. Government Help Asked. The cost of repairing the roads will bo considerably higher than at first estimated, and appeals have been addressed to the Government for financial aid. The Government's expert engineers are preparing reports, on the reception of which applications for relief will be considered. The Haw-era County estimates its damage at £20,000, the Inglewood County at £12.000, and the Taranaki County at £3000.

It is now definite that no New Plymouth buildings will be condemned Structural damage in many of tint buildings is considerable, but architects declare that it will not be necessary to rebuild any premises.

A youth, Bert Lewis, aged 16. had an unnerving experience and a remarkably narrow escape. He was cycling along the coastal road from the direction of Warea to the property of Mr. T. C. Bredin, where he is'engaged in assisting to milk. It was barely 5 o'clock and not light, and, all unsuspecting, he cycled across a bridge over the Waiweranui. He at once rode into the flood waters, which swept him off his bicycle and across the road. He wa< carried alongside a gate, and, seizing it, climbed up and remained perched on the gate post for over an hour until the flood subsided. Later he recovered his cycle well down stream in the bush.