STORM CLAIMS TWO VICTIMS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 4 February 1936, Page 5

STORM CLAIMS TWO VICTIMS.

YOUTHFUL DEERSTALKER DIES

OF EXHAUSTION

(By Telecrrnph—Pr*«" Assoc'ttion.) MASTERTON, Last Night. Two Masterton lads lost their lives as a result of Sunday's storm. James Wilson, the 15-year-old son of Mr and Mrs James Wilson, of Waingawa, left home in company with five other youths on Saturday afternoon on a deerstalking expedition to Stronvar. Three members of the party, including deceased, went into the bush on Saturday evening but soon lost their way, a thick mist rendering visibility very difficult.

The party which had no food and were poorly clad for the ordeal decided \ to spend the night in the bush. Next j morning at dawn they started to follow a fence line in the hope of clearing the bush, but a heavy storm broke further [ adding to the troubles of the youths. I The howling gale frequently smashed I down trees in their path and they battled on feeling rather than seeing their

way. Wilson began to show signs of weakness and one of his friends relieved him of his rifle.

The party had gone some distance walking about twenty yards behind one another when it found that Wilson was missing. Shots were fired and calls repeatedly made but without any response. The two youths then retraced their steps to the spot where Wilson was last seen but the search which was greatly impeded by thick bush and fog proved fruitless. Thinking that Wilson had succeeded in finding a short cut back to camp the youths continued on but were unable to get out and spent another uneviable night in the bush. About 11 a.m. they succeeded in making their way out to a sheep station where they secured muchneeded food. They then went by ear to where they had struck camp on Saturday night expecting to find Wilson there.

When they found that nothing had been heard of him a search party was organised and later in the day his body was found lying in the fern a short distance from where his friends last saw him. The lad, who was clad in a shirt, trousers and sandshoes, apparently died from exposure on Sunday night. An inquest will be held. He was employed by the Oppcnlieimer Casing Company at Waingawa.

Feilding' High School Boy Killed

Eric Wallace Groves, the 16-year-old son of Mr and Mrs H. G. Groves, of Tinui, a well-known Wairarapa family, was killed this afternoon when helping to cut a big branch from a tree that had been damaged by the gale. The branch was cut down but it rebounded and the end struck deceased on the side of his head and broke his neck.

The lad was a pupil of the Feilding Agricultural High School and was to have left to-day to commence his first term. On his own suggestion however he remained to help clear up the storm damage.

PAHIATUA'S GRANDSTAND WRECKED.

NARROW ESCAPE OF KONINI RESIDENT.

Pahiatua received its share of 'Sunday's cyclone which began early in the morning and reached its climax at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, heavy rain adding to the general disorder.

The entire roof of the main grandstand at the racecourse was lifted bodily and hurled in sections for fifty yards, presenting an ineongrubus scene as it hung on the boughs of a belt of trees. The publican's booth fell } like a house of cards.

The show grandstand, which was utilised at the Pahiatua Show a fortnight ago, has the appearance of having been struck by an air raid. The gum trees on the approach to the town, which have been standing for fortyfive years, were uprooted. Many sheds were demolished and houses partially de-roofed.

A Konini resident had a narrow escape when he was blown oil' a roof twenty feet from the ground while endeavouring to batten down the iron. The agent was unable to send messages yesterday owing to the telegraphic and telephonic communication outside being badly disorganised. Fortunately, the Manawatu Gorge. which has caused so much trouble of late, was not affected by slips, but otherwise the position was serious.

DAMAGE TO ROADS AND BRIDGES,

SEASIDE COTTAGES WASHED OUT

TO SEA,

(By Telegraph —Press Association.) HAYVLRA, This Day.

in comparison with other parts of the province South Taranaki escaped lightly as regards storm damage, but repairs to roads, bridges and private property will cost somewhere in the vicinity of £30,000. With the exception of some back roads all road communication north and south has been reestablished.

In Hawera the damage was mainly confined to fences and gardens while some stocks were damaged by roof leakages. In the outer districts the wind played havoc uprooting hundreds of trees, smashed outbuildings and wrecking the telephone and power lines.

From three o'clock on Saturday afternoon for 24 hours, rain fell continuously, Tanging from 5.45 inches at Hawera, to 16 inches at Dawson Falls. The rivers are in high flood and all

access to Opunakc from the south and east was severed by the erosion of the northern approach to the Waiaua Kiver, the bridge on the Main South Road, the collapse of two spans of tno railway bridge and the demolition of Patiki river bridge. On the Eltham-Opunake Road the bridges and culverts in Waimate West County disappeared in the flood and beach cottages at the mouth of the Kaupokonui River were washed out to sea.

St. Cuthbert's Church at Manaia was unroofed in the gale. Hawera was isolated for a time by the flood waters of the Tangahoe river which submerged the Main South bridge and inundated the detour road.

Car Plunges Over Bank in

Storm

RAGLAN SETTLER DIES OF INJURIES.

HAMILTON, Last Night

Plunging over a steep bank on a slippery clay road near Te Mata, Rag lan, Hanui Ranginwlia. aged sli. a wellknown Aotea sheepfarmer, received injuries to which he succumbed. Deceased, who wa> driving a halfton truck when the accident occurred, had set out to go to Napier but decided to turn back home on account of the wet weather. While negotiating the road on the return t rip the Truck siucidcd and went over the ban'i. Kangiawha was severely crushed and died a few hours later, but two passengers in the truck escaped injury.