NORFOLK ISLAND STORM

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21805, 10 June 1936, Page 5

NORFOLK ISLAND STORM

SERIOUS DAMAGE DONE IN RECENT DELUGE

ROADS, BRIDGES. AND CROPS

SUFFER

Norfolk Island went through one of the most terrifying and destructive storms within the memory of its settlers late last month, plantations suffering severely and damage to roads and bridges being reckoned at thousands of pounds. No lives were lost, but a gang of workers narrowly escaped from being entombed in a great landslide. A description of the storm is given in a letter which Mr F. J. Tattle, who was formerly manager of Dominion Motors, Ltd., Christchurch, has written to a friend in the city. Mr Tattle says that after a period of calm ram began to fall on the night of Tuesday, May 19. The Wednesday and the Thursday morning were line, but the weather changed in the evening, and for 10 hours torrential rain fell, accompanied by continuous lightning and peals of thunder. “The thunder reminded one of nothing so much as an intense bombardment, with high explosives bursting immediately overhead,’’ writes Mr Tattle. “Fifteen inches qf ram fell during the 10 hours, and as the ground had received a previous soaking the hilly nature of the island soon caused the rainwater to collect in creeks. Streams became raging torrents, carrying everything before them—trees, scrub, plantations of bananas, and fences. Roads and bridges were washed away in many places, some districts being isolated until temporary foot-bridges were erected. “There are five main roads leading to Kingston, where are situated all the Government oflices and the principal landing-place, and of these roads only one is passable for ordinary traffic. Kingston is a flat of about 150 acres used for grazing stock, and contains the cricket ground and the principal golf links, and to-day it is almost entirely covered with the debris. At Government House tennis court weeds are eight feet high on the wire netting. “This is an important cable station, the caljles coming in at Anson’s Bay, and during the storm an immense landslide buried the shed where the cable terminals are housed, thus cutting off all communication with the outside world. Working parties were soon busy in clearing away the slip. This gang had a miraculous escape, as soon after they ceased work on Friday evening another big slip came down where these 30 men were working. When it is considered that this slip, and others, contained huge pine trees 120 to 150 feet high, one will get a slight idea of the magnitude of the task of clearing the debris. “Fortunately no lives were lost, although many had narrow escapes, and as soon as outside communication was restored our Administrator cabled Canberra for relief, and he received a reply extending the sympathy of his Government to all sufferers and promised immediate assistance.

“Plantations, kumera patches, potatoes, carrots, in fact almost everything in the ground, was either washed away or buried in silt or debris, and many miles of fencing will have to be renewed. It is impossible to assess the damage to private property, but it will cost thousands of pounds to replace roads and bridges alone. Although all are sufferers, it. is splendid to see how the settlers help one another to patch up fences, supply the necessaries of life to those most afflicted, and, above all. to bear their hard knock with fortitude.”