TORRENTIAL RAIN

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 136, 25 May 1936, Page 8

TORRENTIAL RAIN

Heavy Damage Done at. Norfolk Island HILLSIDE RIVERS By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND. May 24. Wide destruction was caused on Norfolk Island when four inches of rain ■ which fell on Wednesday night was followed by a severe electrical storm with torrential rain on Thursday night, states a special cable sent from Norfolk Island to the ‘Nexv Zealand Herald.” A total of 10l inches of rain fell betxveen nine o’clock on Thursday night and seven o’clock on Friday morning. Cable communication with Auckland. Suva, and Southport, on the Queensland coast, xvhich xvas interrupted when the cable hut on the island was washed away, was restored with Auckland at 12.30 p.m. on Saturday and with Southport at 2.30. The work of restoration xvas carried out under great difficulty. The cables wore deeply buried, and those engaged in the work were under constant risk of landslides. A road was washed completely away, and slides occurred in all parts of the island. Small rivers are noxv running doxvn the hillsides in several places. The golf links were strexvn with household effects and large boulders, and the cemetery was inundated at the eastern end with flood waters, ’ where waves are now encroaching. The approach to the Cascade landing is impassable except by horse or on foot, and the road is practically xvashed away. It is as yet impossible to estimate the damage, but it is certain that the people dwelling in the valleys in particular will be heavy losers.