BLIZZARD IN BRITAIN

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 27 February 1933, Page 5

BLIZZARD IN BRITAIN

Worst for Many Years WIDE AREAS UNDER SNOW Delay on Traffic Routes SCOTTISH VESSEL OVERDUE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE CAUSED. (Unite*! Press Association—By Electric Telegraph Copyright.} LONDON, Feb. - 26. Britain is under snow practically from end to end. The famous Scottish expirees Ttoyajjl Soot almved at Easton fi)ve ilijclur-s ten minutes Jate yesterday and the crew reported snow all along t-lie line. The driver said, it was the worst journey he had ever experienced. He drove the last 220 miles through a terrific blizzard. it was impossible in many places to see the signals at two to twenty yards distance. The passengers crowded around* the driver and .firemen thanking them lor their safety. Sixty children forming- a choir travelling -m Pembrokeshire by motor coach to sing at a-concert were completely 'lost.‘ It was presumed they were stranded at some isolated spot ana were unable to communicate because the wires were down. Wales has experienced the heaviest fall of snow in 35 years. The ..snow came with a 70 miles an hour. wind. The Irish mail train from Fishguard due at Paddington at 9.47, arrived ju.-t before midnight. It had ccunijess stops, one lasting 24 hours. A passenger described it a-s a- nightmare journey. Several country trains have not arrived at their destinations and presumably are buried in snowdrifts 1 . Hundreds’ of motor-cars and lorries have been abandoned by their drivers. Countless lambs and slieep have been lost. The Dover-Folke-stone road, is impassable. The steamer Lairdburn is missing. The Lairdsburn is carrying the Soot* tish Riugbv fifteen ■ and several reporters for the international match to have been played with Ireland at Dublin yesterday. South' Wales has been experiencing the worst of many years-’- blizzards., In Yorkshire and other northern; countries many ‘roads are impassable. Deep snowdrifts block some of- the main, roads in the west of England'and elsewhere, isolating small villages. . Telephonic communication in South Wales and Ireland has been interrupted. Heavy delay has occurred in. .some of the main line rail services, particularly between London and the west, and some local services have been suspend*ed. " ’ : y, J '' Half Britain is suffering the afteimath of the blizzard. ~ The damage amounts to hundreds of thousands of pounds. Traffic is, still hampered, and residents of upland villages axe confined to- their houses. Glossop, in Derbyshire, is. completely snowbound, - but the local provisions are ample: . . Al thousand (applicants fought for 150 jobs street cleaning at Leicester. The police restored order. . ,

high SEAS IN IRISH CHANNEL.

NINE HOURS FOR CROSSING.

Received 11.30 a.m to-day. LONDON, . Feb: 26 Among further incidents in the blizzard was the experience iii the .Irish Channel of a steamer which took nine hours to go- from Kingstown to Holyhead. The trip usually takes three hours. The snow was like a blanket and the waves were as high as 40 feet. The steamer had to stop-six times to take soundings. . ■ Majiiv -small villages in the Midlands are isolated and- foodless. Hundreds of motor cars were abandoned husnowdrifts. A thaw is now general.