ENORMOUS LOSS TO ORCHARDIST.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 4 February 1936, Page 8

ENORMOUS LOSS TO ORCHARDIST.

90 PER CENT. OF SOME CROPS RUINED.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Last Night. Enormous damage was caused to orchards in the Henderson and Huapai districts and at Te Kauwhata, Waikato, by the gale on Sunday. Hundreds of trees were uprooted or bent almost to horizontal and thousands of bushels of fruit were littered upon the ground. The extent of the loss cannot be estimated at present, but it is stated that a number of farmers are practically ruined. Most of the badly affected orchards at Henderson and Oratia report tbat 90 per cent, of their fruit, mostly apples and pears, has been shaken down, while the general average throughout all the districts is considered to approach 50 per cent. Nearly all this fruit is a total loss, for it is not matured enough to be sold even as "windfalls." Individual orchardists claim that the destruction of trees and crops has cost them sums ranging from £2OO to £SOO. Narrow Escape From Tragedy Five men and three girls had a narrow escape from drowning early on Sunday morning when the 28ft. mullet boat Twilight and the launch Wainui were caught in the south-west gale during the weekend and hurled high and dry on the rocks near the beacon on Rangitoto Island. The crew of the Twilight, W. H. Howell and W. Custis, were washed out of the cockpit of their boat and were bruised and cut through being flung against the rocks by the huge waves. One of the three girls on the Wainui had her ribs bruised through being jammed between the side of the launch and its dinghy when she was swept overboard, but luckily she and her companions were carried by the waves through a narrow gap in the rocks into deep water and escaped serious injury, although one of the party had her arm badly lacerated. The three men on the launch were not so fortunate and received both bruises and cuts. The launch was badly battered and is reported to be a complete wreck.

Damage to Orchards Not So

Serious

COMMUNICATIONS BEING QUICKLY RESTORED

HASTINGS, Last Night

The estimate of the damage done by the storm to orchards in the Hawke's Bay district made at the height of the storm when appearances were particularly unfavourable have since been possible of revision. The amended opinion of responsible authorities is that a good deal of tne damage to the trees is not irreparable and the export totals will not be reduced by more than 30 per cent. The district's orchards'were carrying an uncommonly heavy crop and the drastic thinning out by the wind still leaves reasonably heavy crops. In some isolated instances individual growers will Irsc heavily, but generally the loss will not be so heavy as was at first believed. Communications in the affected Hawke's Bay area are being steadily improved. The roads are now open except those in the more seriously flooded areas, but alternative routes are available. Telephone communication with Wellington and Palmerston North is available via Auckland, the normal service ex l ' -ing as far as Dannevirke in the south and Wairoa in the north, while one circuit is available to Gisborne: It is believed that by to-morrow the telephone toll traffic will be normal. There are at present (500 country telephone lines in the vicinity of Hastings out < action. Morse telegrams to all parts of the Dominion were in operation at 7 o'clock this evening.