BAD WEATHER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 408, 18 January 1909, Page 6

BAD WEATHER.

CANTERBURY RIVERS VERY HIGH. CROPS BEATEN DOWN. , ■ (BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) . ./ Christchurch, January 16., The weather has moderated and,there appears, to be some hope that it will settle fine. Owing to the inclement conditions on Saturday morning all cricket and swimming fixtures* were postponed. ' Reports from North Canterbury state that the harvest has been, put on at least a fortnight, so that, instead of coming at the. usual time, it will be well on to February before the main wheat harvest gets into swing. In.4B<hours-the country settlers have: experienced a rainfall of 1.42 in. on the plains, and a snowfall on the back hills. The crops (flattened down by former rains), under the',influence' of the heavy gusts last' night' have the appearance to-day of having had a roller over them. In the potato fields, the water was lying between the moulded rows. Stock of all kinds-felt the storm of last night keenly, and the farmers, who have, suffered the depredations of caterpillars, devoutly hope that it is an ill wind that will do; some good in some respect. They hope the chilling blasts will exterminate, the pest, which the small birds, have found too great, a task for them. - The rivers to-day were all reported to be very high, the Waimakariri being bank and bank.' '

A/BAD TIME FOR STEAMERS. , .MAORFS ROUGH TRIP. , (Bt TELEGUAPH—PRESS' ASSOCIATION.) Lyttelton, January 16. A heavy southerly, gale on the coast has caused considerable 'delay, among 'coastal steamers. • '■" . _ The ferry steamer' Maori . took fourteen hours to-come from Wellington to Lyttelton, and consequently missed the first express south. She had a. very,rough trip. '"'■■ The; Wimmera,' from Wellington, has not yet put in : an appearance." As she passed Kaikoura at 9.15, she is not expected till late this afternoon.. The Cygnet broke her record : from Kaikoura to Lyttelton, -taking twenty-one hours, eleven of which were consumed in making the last thirty miles. "'•'-. -,'i - The Talune, from Dunedin, arrived safely, coming along weir through the heavy following sea. ■■', WEST COAST FLOODS. WASHOUTS AND SLIPS ON MARTHA '" 'ROAD.';.; ;.'-■.. (BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) . ; _'','•'' Reef ton, January 16. - ■ Further accounts .are coming in from, the back country'of the' damage done by ,the storm inland. It is feared that, great damage has been done on the Maruia road, where washouts'and slips took-place.. . - Unfortunately, too, certain provisions urgently wanted for the men-at work higher up the valley ol.the Inangahua had first to be taken over one slip' to another cart, then: that cart.befare'two miles was passed, was compelled to transfer the. goods to pack-horses. ft is not known whether they ■ got .through it-is. feared;hot.. ■.■■'.■•' '; Further inspection shows that the", work of rendering safe the northern bank of the-river at Rosstown-.will.be very expensive, but must be undertaken ■ at ■> once; Every : t resh does more damage still, and the bank isVashins away fast."" . - ■ -. ~ ,-. : . ~& '-', SOME ESTMATES OF DAJIAGE. - . m , '■■ Retftorii January, 17. damage done by the flood is mostly in tho-valley of- the Inangahua from Reef ton to 12 miles up the Maruia .Road. ■■■'■,'.' v ■"■■:■' ■ £ ;The damage .to county:works', alone is estimated at £2000. -At one place on the right hand branch of i'the river a bridge is 'tilted up and left high and dry,' the river havincr found, a new channel.:. Other bridges have been clean washed; away, there being no trace_ of piers or approaches:;. It is estimated that'it will cost £500 to repair the damage at Rosstowh alone. ' GRANITY FLOODED. '(BY'TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)' ' ... ''•-•:' Westport, January 16.1 Owing to a heavy, downpour of rain a portion of the township of, Granity was flooded; Water was in some houses to a depth of nine inches. -.. ■■■; ~■' ... , i _ Mr. Swafford, storekeeper, owing to water invading his premises; had a considerable amount of flour damaged.: ■ ■'■'..', Mr., and Mrs.- Mathieson; were out and'had to sleep in" the library. ■'■ The water was dammed back owing to insufficient drainage.. ,'■■.'"■

"MORE LIKE EARLY WINTER." (bttelegeaph-pmss ASSOCIATION.) " ... ' Nelson, January 16, After, a heavy ram' over-night, causing freshes in tho rivers, a cold snap set in last evening, the glass falling to 44 degrees. Today the weather is more like early winter than summer, the glass-being 'a little over 50 in i the shade.; • \ ■ ■'. .-.,< ...:• ._• Owing '■ to the' uncertain weather, - harvest-' mg is being interrupted. ' Hop-picking will bo three weeks late and early crops not abundant. ... .., .... .-.,. .IN THE WAIRARAPA. •PALL OF SNOW ON THE TARARUAS. ; . (BY TELEGBAPH— PKES3 ASSOCIATION.) ■-'■ ~ ' '.••■■ Masterton, January 16. '■ • It is very unusual 'at this \time of the year ,to havo_to record a'fairly-heavy fall of.'snow" on-the Tararua-Ranges. This occurred:during,last night, the hills having a white mantle.fully half-way down. ti, *i?-' '.'u' Ca r tert Of, January 16; lie.weather here is wet. The. temperature has fallen very, low, : and there is snow on the mountains. AT LEVIN. :'.,'. . , (BT TELEGBAPH—PEESs', ASSOCIATION.) " m "..'■ ."'• Levin, January 16. '.. ino weather; is very cold here, and snow is. falling.on the Tararuas.

The ,Carnegie Roll of Heroes received its first names on-December 3, when - Thomas Wright, 'or■ St. - Helens, Lancashire, and James Thomas Belton,. late master of the steamer City of Dundee, were! placed; on the list, ine committee decided to pay £2 10s per month to 'Mrs. Wright, ; whose husband lost his life m rescuing a fellow-workman from a;well of chemical liquid. Captain Belton went down with his' ship while endeavouring; to save a lady passenger in St. George's Channel on October 4. "The trustees considered that Captain, Belton exceeded what could have beeiv expected of him as a matter of duty; They reserved the question of the amount to be paid.to his widow and children. ... Penzance has just kept Madron Feast. Although the westermost borough has three parish churches of its own, it still has, through its feast, kept up its connection with Madron, the mother church-of thowholo area around Penzance. What is now Penzance was at once tinio'the parish of Madron, until a few fishermen settled near the-present quay, and from this settlement the town , gradually extended lip the side of the hill, growing larger and larger as the centuries passed on. It was not until 187 V th:. the ecclesiastical.parish of St. Mary's was formed, although the'fine church of.St.- Mary the Virgin was rebuilt in 1834 upon tho'site of old St. Mary's Chapel, which was' ornamented with a small whitewashed spire, and had b".en used .for religious worship from time immemorial. So far back as 1397 there are recordsthat.this chapel/which was enlarged in 1671, was licensed by tho Bishop of Exeter.' The original church at Madron was built bv Henry do Pomeroy in 1131, and is mentioned in tho', taxation of Pope Nicholas in 1291 as dedicated to St. Madderne, -and -the great Bishop Grandison, of-Exeter, consecrated'tho high altar-in 1336.