STORM IN AUCKLAND

Evening Star, Issue 21711, 4 May 1934, Page 13

STORM IN AUCKLAND

FERRY STEAMERS IN DIFFICULTIES » MANY SMALL GRAFT ADRIFT i HEAVY RAIN IN CITY . WATER FOOT DEEP IN QUEEN STREET [Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND.. May 3. The most severe north-easterly gale experienced tor a long time swept over the Auckland province to-day, accompanied by heavy rain. It did minor : damage to buildings in many districts, , interfered with electric power, telegraph, and telephone services, and i caused delays to shipping \ The gale was particularly strong in •the Auckland Harbour. It was accomWpanied by a very high tide at 9.45 a.m., ad then conflict between wind and ebb tide at midday produced a short, heavy sea,; which greatly inconvenienced harbour traffic. The captains of the ferry steamers stated that for a time the sea was the roughest they had ever experienced.; ' The boats fought their way across the harbour, throwing up clouds . of spray, which at times rose well above their wheelhopses. The services were jpaintained very creditably, and with little delay. The steamer Ngoiro, however, broke down off the Northcote wharf through the failure of her cooling water system. Some/ of the passengers became needlessly alarmed at one stage, and donned lifebelts. The steamer lay-to until repairs were made, and returned to. the city under her own steam i The - Pupuke,. which, was sent to maintain ' the time-table, got" into very rough water off Birkenhead, and laboured heavily for some minutes to the discomfort of the passengers. The'vehicular services were run under great difficulties. Several hulks and scows went adrift or dragged their moorings, as did launches and small yachts. The losses among pleasure craft, however, - amounted to only three or four small -boats. The seas on Milford Beach were, very heavy at high tide, moving Irrge quantities of sand. A concrete boatshed was undermined, and most of one .wall and the floor collapsed. .The gale caused some trouble to the ■ Navy;, but there was only one accident. A. pinnace from H.M.6. Diomede was crossing the harbour to Devonport in the teeth of the gale, and had reached , 'midstream, when a seaman lost his grip and was thrown into the sea. The petty • officer in command promptly put the heat about, and after "a minute and , a-half of clever ..manoeuvring in the ■ choppy sea the man was hauled aboard non©, the-worse for his experience. There is usually a good deal of naval launch traffic across the harbour in the ~, morning for the conveyance,, of stores and other purposes. After the .accident Rear-admiral Burges Watson ordered that no further boats should be despatched, and until the evening communication Was kept’ hp by means of the ferry service.

TELEGRAPH LINES DOWN. Telegraph and telephone services in all parts of the province were interrupted by the gale, many breaks being caused by trees and other objects being blown across the lines. An augmented staff of linesmen was kept busy all day, but, as work could not be done at night on account of the danger from power lines, some services are still interrupted. It is expected that these will be repaired to-morrow. In practically all cases alternative routes were arranged. The telegraph line from Auckland to Whangarei was broken at Mamigaturoto, while another break occurred in' the Warkworth-Waipu line. The service between Rotorua and Whakatane and between Waihi and Tanranga also was disconnected for some time, while minor interruptions occurrc' l in the Auckland-Hamilton line. Several other breaks occurred in less important circuits. i The telephone circuits- north of Auckland were seriously affected by the storm. . The four lines to Whangarei were broken at 10.30 this morning, but one was restored at 1 p.m. Others are still out of action. Both lines to Dargnvillc were broken, and have not yet been repaired. Numerous delays have occurred to shipping as a result of the weather off the coast, and many, small vessels are sheltering. Several overseas vessels also have reported delays owing to the bad weather. A message was received by radio from the Abel Tasman, which was due to-morrow from Sydney, that she was hove to 187 miles from the North Cape. Provided the gale abates she will probably arrive on Saturday morning. The Texas Oil Company’s tanker New Zealand, which is on her way from Lyttelton to Auckland, also has been delayed, and is now expected to arrive to-morrow evening. Work on the waterfront was suspended to-day, and several vessels were delayed as a result. The departure of the Monowai, which was to have loft at 3 p.m. to-morrow for Sydney, was postponed until 4 p.m. The Blue Star Line steamer Trojan Star will not now sail until Monday. Advice has been received from the naval minesweeper Wakakura, which was to have carried out full calibre firing practice in the vicinity of Omaha Cove, north of Kawau Island, that she is sheltering in Whangarei Harbour. The vessel has a number of naval reservists on board undergoing training. She was to have returned to port tomorrow, but is not now expected to arrive until the evening. \ HEAVY RAINS FLOOD QUEEN STREET. Abnormally heavy rain which fell shortly before 10 o’clock to-night followed an electrical storm with vivid lightning flashes and heavy thunder caused flooding in the lower portions of Queen street, and subjected theatregoers to much inconvenience and discomfort. In many places the water was over a foot deep, and people alighting from trams or hurrying to the ferries were compelled to wade through a torrent of water which overflowed the kerbs as far down as Victoria street, with the consequence that it was inches deep from footpath to footpath, even, across the tram tra< . It was at this hour that the crowds were leaving the theatres. People were huddßd in their hundreds on the footways, not daring to step into tho

stream, and were amazed by the unprecedented sight. The taxi drivers reaped a harvest.