THE SNOWFALL

Hokitika Guardian, 1 August 1939, Page 5

THE SNOWFALL

[ON MIDLAND LINE

EXCESSIVE IN CANTERBURY.

(Per Press Association—Copyright).

CHRISTCHURCH, July 31. A plenomental snowfall, the worst since the year 1918, occurred to-day along tiie Midland Railway. It seriously delayed all rail traffic on the East Coast section of the Midland Line from Darfield to Arthur’s Pass. The whole country was under snow from Darfield to Otira. From the Cass River to Arthur’s Pass the trains had to jJough their way, making slow progress through snow that was feet deep.

Later in the afternoon, when the snow froze, the rail,waymen at Arthur’s Pass had an exceptionally arduous job in clearing the tracks with hand shovels for the trains to get through.

Both of the expresses were delayed for more than ap hour, and; later in the day, when a relief train, containing the General Manager of Railways, Mr G. H. Mackley, and a party of pffieials, as well as a newspaper representative, tried-jfta- thelast 16 miles to Die .to|k*“ Jnoli than three hours. The las? mile was the worst. Even when the snow had been cleared from them, the rails were as slippery as glass, and, in the end, it took two electric engines from the Pass and two steam engines to get a small relief train over the small section.

Flame throwers were in continuous use to clear the frozen points.

The goods trails were hours late. Heavy snow was still falling to-nfght from Cass almost to the Pass, although there were lulls in the actual weather at the Pass itself.

The stock losses through the storm from Sheffield west are thought to be extremely heavy, and many sheep can he seen, from the railway line, huddled for protection from the driving snow where they can find any shelter. I<iike Sarah near Staircase Gully, where the fall has been particularly heavy, is completely frozen ovei. UNPRECEDENTED SNOW. AT CAPE MARIA VAN DIEMEN. AUCKLAND, July 31. Without parallel, in the memory of the oldest settlers or even in the mythology of their Maori predecessors, a fairly heavy fall of snow was experienced at Cape Maria Van Diev men this afternoon. This is the most northerly point in New Zealand. The Cape usually enjoys a subtropical -winter climate, but for a few hours to-day there was presented the unique spectacle 'of a ridge covered for tabout a pule by an appreciable depth of snow. There was no general fall. The Hakes descended over a sharply defined patch of ground.

The fall lasted for about half-an-hour. Although snow was confined to one area, every centre in the Ear North has reported unusually cold conditions.

TAIHAPE REPORT. TAIHAPE. July 31. Heavy snow began to fall at Taihape at 7.30 o’clock this morning, and settled to a depth of four inches in the town by 10 a.m. The roads both north and south have been*.,. unsafe by motorists. ■‘earst: skidded off TRe roads, needing assistance, but no serious damage was caused. The short road from Taihape to Napier is also blocked. AT WANGANUI. WANGANUI, July 31. Wanganui and the surrounding district experienced heavy snowfalls this morning, of unprecedented depth in parts, with places never before having snow receiving two inches or more. The snow began at seven o’clock in the city area and fell lightly for hall an hour, but- rain soon dispelled it. v AT MARTON. MARTON, July *3l. At Mount Cud and on other highlands in the Tutaeuui district, five itrfffcs north of Marten, the snow was six inches deep, and was still falling, his being a record. WILD NORTHLAND. WHANGAREI, August 1. The coldest and wildest weather in j memory, has been experienced in Northland during the past few days. For the the first time in history snow fell at Cape Marie Van Dieman in the extreme north. There had been light falls in some parts of the middle north. Eight cows owned by Les. Bennett, Wlmreora near Wliangarei, were killed by lightning during the storm last night. JULY COLD MONTH IN WELLINGTON. ■WELLINGTON, August 1.

Following the warmest June for twenty years Wellington experienced its coldest July and coldest month ever recorded on its official statistics. The mean temperature being 43.4 degrees., which is 3.5 below the average. Rainfall was 6.03 inches against 4.85. There