SNOW IN CANTERBURY

Grey River Argus, 13 June 1935, Page 5

SNOW IN CANTERBURY

YESTERDAY’S FALL Christchurqh Coated Afresh Press Association). CHRLSTCHI’RCH, June 12. Snow again began to fall heavily in Canterbury at nine o’clock this moiMiing t so heavily that the city streets were covered within twenty minutes Roofs ami paddocks were still white from Sunday’s fall, Drifts ojl' snow quickly piled up against fences and on the hill This fall followed the heaviest frost of the winten, over fifteen degree*, freezing the water pipes in many suburbs. Further damage to telegraphic and power lines is inevitable, if the snow continues for two or three hours. At present the prospects arc bleak and unpromising. WEATHER IMPROVES. CIIRISTCTIUICH, June 12. Snow and sleet fell up to noon, but not so heavy as earlier, though sufficient to delay telegraph line repairs and impede transport on the main Had. Communication with AVillington was lost temporarily in the morning, but was restored at noon, when tin' weather partly cleared. FREEZING WORKS WITHOUT POWER CHRISTCHURCH, June 12. 'l’he breakdown of the electric power I l.incsl in North Canterbury caused much concern at (.he North Canter bury Freezing Works at Kaiapoi, ■ where there are 75,000 carcases of lambs in the freezing chambers. Power was cut off on Sunday night. If not restored soon., the position mus’t become critical.

End of Canterbury Storm

PROGRESS OF REPAIR WORK. CHRISTCHURCH, June 12. There is every indication ’.his evening that the storm that has held Canterbury in its wintry grip since Saturday ha.-’ al last, blown itself out. Rain snow ami sleet fell in most districts this morning, following an exceptionalIv heavy frost but practically no additional damage was done to the com muiiciat ion systems. Rail and roa'l traffic was not affected and <u' far as cnnld be ascertained this evening., no serious losses of stock are expected. There was a genera] improvement in the afternoon, and most of the countiy districts* which could be reached bv telephone to-night reported c.lear skies, and the likelihood of another ham frost. Apart from inconvenience to the gangs who are working at pressure throughout. Canterbury to make temporary repairs to the telegraph and telephone lines damaged in the weekend snow-fall the most serious! eonsequenee of to-day’s fall was tiu intel ruption from 9.20 to 11-5 a.m., o.f th.

'telegraph and teJephome eommuniea. tieii between Christchurch and Wei lington. This necessitated the Post and Telegraph Department again putting into operation the double radio channels which served sto well in the emergency on Monday. , This evening such good progress hat. bee,, made by the repair gangs that th,' I rank circuits between Christel,urd, ami the main centres had been supplemented, and Christchurch was m touch with all the t'dl stations excepting C'ulverden. Hamner and Hawarden. The final repairs and the linking up of several of these circuits was not completed until after dark this evening. Good progress has also been made with the restoration of subscribers’ services in the country districts.

The Railway Department is still having dilliculty with its system of communications on the West Coast line, and a control point is still required at Rolleston. Contact with the stations mi the north line was established on Tuesday and yesterday the telegraph lines as’far south as ' Ashburton had been placed in working order.

Snow at Dunedin VERY COLD CONDITIONS. TRAFFIC NOT AFFECTED (Per Press Association.) DUNEDIN, June 12. Snow descended mi Dunedin over night mid daylight to-day revealed a light sprinkling. This was not altogether uuexpected, as for the pas. two days the atmosphere was s o cold that it' was realised that snow could not be far away. On the lower areas of the city and suburbs, only about one inch of snow lav first -tilling this morning, but on the higher levels, the depth increased slightly. The snow was -wet. and was therefore less troublesome to all classes of traffic, despite the fact that there were eight degrees of frost harder tlhan on any previous occasion this winter early this morning. The Otago district railway services were maintained without a hitch. Trouble was mitieipate'd on ihe Central Otago line, but word was received from Ranfurlv in the afternoon tihat the trains 'were getting through safely. The express from Christchurch, due at 4.15, was running half an hour behind the schedule at 1 0 clock a slippery track in the Canterbury district probably being responsible.

Heavy Southland Snow A FOOT IN PLACES. (Per Press Association). INVERCARGILL, June 12. Snow and sleet to the depth of neatly two inches still covers most parts of Invercargill. The roads and footpaths in thS business area and tram routes were cleared of snow to-day, but the open spaces and the suburbs are under a white mantle.

Very little snow fell in the city during the day, and to-night some rain fell.

Reports from the country indicate that more snow fell there last night than was the case on Sunday. At Nightcaps there was nine inches of snow this morning, and at Gore about six inches. From the high country eame reports of heavy falls. At Mossburn ten inches had fallen, and at Burwood and The

Key twelve inches. The roads are not passable for ordinary traffic from all districts. Buses managed to get through but most of them arrived late. Snow at Gore INDIAN HOCKEY MATCH ABANDONED. (Per Press Association). GORE, June 12. Owing to the ground being covered with snow the hockey match between the All India team and Eastern and Northern Gore, which was to have been played to-day, was abandoned.

ASHBURTON’S RECORD FROST.

ASHBURTON. June 12. Bright sunshine on Monday was followed by bleak conditions yesterday, with seventeen degrees of frost this morning, the heaviest since June. 1931. So far, no loss of stock is reported. The dislocation in the telegraph and telephone service, resulting from the snow on Sunday, was the most serious in local history, 296 lines and 650 subscribers being disconnected from the various exchanges in the country. The restoration of the toll lines has been completed, and it is hoped to complete the business area lines at noon.

Telephonic and telegraphic communication with the north has been cut off since Sunday. Urgent messages are being sent by wire to Timaru and Dunedin and thence radioed north. Ordinary messages are being sent to Christchurch by motor or train. The telegraph is now open via Dunedin, thence to the West Coast and northward. NORTH OTAGO SNOW STORM. OAMARU, June 12. Snow fell in North Otago early this morning, the first fall .for over five years. Oamaru experienced a light fall, about half an inch. RECORD SNOW IN BACK COUNTRY ASHBURTON June 12. At the -head- of the rßiaka'ia River, the snow was the heaviest stationholders have known, two feet falling in 24 hours.