EASTBOURNE DAMAGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 104, 4 May 1936, Page 11

EASTBOURNE DAMAGE

RUNS INTO THOUSANDS

SEA WALL SAVES HOUSES

Considering the severity of the gale, Eastbourne did not come off as badly as might be expected, but the damage done to the old concrete wall near the Recreation Ground and the new protective works will cost several, thousand pounds to repair. Most of the damage way done about 1.30 p.m. on Saturday. Abort 100 yards of the concrete wall by the Recreation Ground was affected, the greater part of it being broken • down, and the sea cutting in 20 or 30 ..ieet behind it. The tall board fence along the edge of the Recreation Ground stood up well, although a few boards were broken. The sea cut in in the north-west portion of the ground but the playing area will not be affected. A water main was broken, with the result that streets in that area, mainly Marine Parade and Tua■toru Street were without water until linidday yesterday.

' The new sea wall undoubtedly saved several houses from being washed away round about Nikau Street. The sea at this point came in with tremendous force. As it was, about a i chain of the sea wall was broken in the enntre. The Eastbourne Borough Council will take the repairs in hand at an early date, after considering the question of finance. A conservative estimate places the cost of repairs at several thousand pounds.

• The 12.15 p.m. bus from Wellington •was held up at Howard Point, but eventually it got to Eastbourne at 1.45 p.m. A bus that had left town a few minutes before the 12.15 was not able to get through, but was towed to its destination by the grader after 3 o'clock. Vehicles of all descriptions were held up on the road by water getting into the engines. A passenger on one of the buses that got through estimated the number of stranded vehicles on the road at about a hundred. Eventually the press of stranded cars became so great that the bus service had to be abandoned for a time, but after 4.20 p.m. it was run as usual. The 12.15 p.m. ferry steamer ifrom town was able to land its passengers at Day's Bay only after great difficulty. The seas were so rough that it was not possible to put down a gangway, and the passengers had to disembark over the side and by means of ropes. The master was praised for his seamanship in landing his passengers under these difficult conditions. It was not possible to berth at Rona Bay. After this voyage the steamer •service was abandoned for the day. At Day's Bay the waves pounded in With great force at the shore. The diving board that was moored out from the beach was cast- up, and some private bathing sheds were damaged. -. The waves on the Petone Esplanade Were'between twenty and thirty feet high, and cast spray over the road. *

•The outside staff of the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board was kept busy attending to lines that had come down. Parts of Petone were in darkness for . an hour after 6.15. p.m. on Saturday, and as this included business prerr/.ses in Jackson and Cuba Streets, considerable inconvenience was caused. However, as the engineer and general- manager of the Hutt Valley Power Board (Mr. E. F. Hollands) pointed out, there ■Was no complete black-out anywhere. It was the worst storm he could remember in the Hutt Valley. His staff was kept.busy all the time. At Park the damage was very bad.