ICY BLIZZARDS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3382, 11 July 1927, Page 2

ICY BLIZZARDS.

A terrific blizzard raged throughout the North of Scotland recently. Terrific gales, mountainous sons, mid violent blizzards were experienced bv Peterhead steam 4 f Tin era, ’ fishing off the Shotlands, and some of the vessels nearly foundered.

One of the “liners” arrived at the home port in a battered condition. Her small boat and fresh water tank were carried away by the heavy seas, the cabin was flooded, and the mizzen beam and bulwarks were smashed.

The crew reported that the weather was the worst they had over experienced. It was impossible to go on deck, and in order to get from the wheelhouse to the cabin they had to crawl over the boiler and proceed through the engineroom. When the storm was rtt its height they could not see the forepart of the ship from the wheelhouse. A blizzard was raging on Friday after a night of intense frost varying from S degrees in Elgin to 12 degrees on Speyside. The second blizzard in 24 hours swept over Moranshirc late in the afternoon. In the uplands Thursday’s snow was lying to a depth of three to four inches, and owing to the high wind, which was driving the powdery snowin blinding clouds, heavy drifting occurred.

The spell of wintry weather continued in Aberdeen, and in the evening snow fell heavily for fully two hours. As a result of the prolonged low temperature anxiety is being felt for the fruitcrop.

The oldest inhabitants of Cromarty say that they have never experienced such weather at this time of year during their lifetime.

There was a further snowfall in the Lothians on Friday lasting for several hours, and the hills were white along the whole range. Some farmers in this district have lost fully 20 per cent, of their lambs.

A distressing accident occurred on Friday night a few miles west of Forres, resulting in the death of a man and serious injury (which later proved fatal) to his wife. A largo motor ’bus was proceeding to the Inverness Musical Festival with members of the Forres Castlehill United Free Church choir when it collided with a trap belonging to Mr Gordon Munro, The Square, Kiutassack, who was driving and accompanied by his wife. Mr Munro was killed outfight, and his wife, who sustained internal injuries, was removed to the hospital in Forres, where she subsequently succumbed. The trap and motor ’bus were proceeding in the same direction in face of a blinding snowstorm, and the driver of the motor ’bus, iu endeavouring to avoid an oncoming steam roller, failed to observe the trap. Early on Saturday night the Leiumermoor Hill districts were plunged in almost total darkness. Thunder and vivid flashes of lightning heralded a blinding snowstorm of several hours’ duration, leaving the moors with a covering of several inches. Snow fell continuously for four hours in East Perthshire on Saturday afternoon and evening, and there were also falls in Kirkcaldy and Penicuik. On Saturday several members of Stranraer Curling Club engaged in a game on the tar macadam rink at Olashmahew. The ice was in splendid condition.