THE STORM.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16849, 1 June 1920, Page 6

THE STORM.

LITTLE DAMAGE RECORDED. Although tho severity of tho weekend storm had practically worked itself out, yesterday proved another wet and unpleasant, day. A south-west wind blew during tho greater part, of tho day, though it was not nearly so strong nor so bleak as on Saturday and Sunday. Fairly heavy showers of rain fell : at. interval, though not accompanied ; by the hail and sleet of tho two previous i clays. j kittle damago resulted from tho ; fierceness of tiic wea-tlior during tiio ' week-end. No harm was done at tiio ! Botanical Gardens, where, many ex- ! i>cetcd, the damage might be severe. ; Tho telegraph and telephone systems throughout the province were practic- ' allv unaffected. An occasional polo was ! brought down, but tho damage done j was nractically nothing, with the exception of a break at Duvaucheile, where ! a pole was uprooted and drifted on to ' the beach, completely breaking the tole--1 graphic and telephonic communication : with the rest of the'Feninsula. A gang of men went out yesterday morning to effect repairs. Kennedy's Bush and the Rest House at Dyer's Pass were also cut off from telephonic communication ' yesterday. j Although the supply of electric curJ rent' did not fail, several places in the | city were cut eff by reason of the ati mospheric electricity striking the wires ! and blowing out- the safety fuses. Dur- : ing the storm there wore flu-tu.itinns of : volt aco on all Tncs. Owirig to lightning j striking one of the current transformers !«n the Lvttelton line at 7.30 j on Saturday night the Lvttelton feeder wns cut. off for a while from the Lake Coleridsre service. BANKS PENINSULA. A wild and wintry week-end was experienced on Banks Peninsula. llie soutnerly came up witii great violence in tuo cany hours of Saturday j morning, with fierce bursts of rain, hail, j and sleet. Tho lull-tops and high slopes, I which were well coated with snow from I the earlier storms of last week, wero I soon covered with a heavy fall, and | several parties motoring home from a dance at Pigeon Bay before daylight Jon Saturday, had on unpleasant and trying experience on tho Hill-too road, but, fortunately, came through without mishap. After daybreak the gale increased in force, and the weather became rapidly worse. The torrential rain was varied with frequent fierce squalls of hail and sleet, and tho snowfall on the hill-tops was very heavy. Passengers by tho motor-cars to and from Akaroa were very few, and those who made the journey had an exceedingly uncomfortable time. Tho gale caused the water iii Lake Ellesmero to bank up, and by yesterday morning much of tho low-lying land between Motuknrara and Birdling's Flat was flooded. Tho wild weather continued with scarcely a break all day on Sunday, and although the gale moderated -during the night, it rained very heavily all day yesterday.

STORMS IN ENGLAND. .By Cable—Prwo Association.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, May 31). Severe thunderstorms in several counties interfered with outdoor sports on Saturday. A thunderbolt crashed through n. houso at Cambridge. Lightning struck two houses in the vicinity of a shop where Prince Henry and other University polo players were sheltering. .The occupants were uninjured: As the result of heavy rain, the canal bank at Louth, Lincohishire, burst, and the town was flooded. There were numerous fatalities. So far twenty bodies have been recovered. (Received May 31st, 7.40 p.m.) Louth is a pleasant Lincolnshire ' town lying at the foot of hills on the edge of a flat marshy plain. The cloudburst occurred on the hills a few miles distant. Most of the townspeople were driven indoors by the rain. Many were at tea. There was no warning of the disaster, as the rainfall locally was not excessive.

The flood waters burst in the doors and windows of houses, and many victims .were trapped on the ground floors. One woman es"at>ed by climbing a chimney. Thrco children wero having tea with their ■ mother. They mounted higher and higher to avoid £he rising water until they were comtjelled to cling to a curtain pole. Then they either droned from exhaustion, or the pole collapsed. All three childrpn wero drowned. The chief police officer attended the telephone continuously for three hours, standing in four feet of water.

The flood waters at Louth swept away bridges, houses, and walls in a few minutes.

It is estimated that the death roll numVrs fif+y. Parties am now searchthe debris. Only one survivor was found srannir the o"<-nnnnts of a formic of twelve houses which wero deptroyd. The fatalities include four firemen. wiio were swept away. with their engine.