FATAL LANDSLIP.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17274, 15 September 1916, Page 4

FATAL LANDSLIP.

MAN BURIED AT OTIRA.

rHOUSANDS OF TONS OF ROCK

FALL.

FQUR HOUSES COVERED

PEOPLE FLEE PANIC-STRICKEN

[From Oub Cobxiesi-ondest.]

OTIRA. September 14

One of the severest storms ever exper.e..ceJ in Otira raged yesterday fron ten in the morning to nine in the evening, doing considerable damage and eausing largo slips on the Gorge. Snow fell heavily in the morning or two hours. Aoout 3 p.m. » howl:g gale commenced. Rain fell in tor•ents, accompanied by sleet and hail it 1.30 Ota-a was isolated, as all tele :taph wires were down. About ,1i.30, wue-n the gale was at its height, a big siip opposite the Public Works stable was to be m mo,ion. Mr ouartes Morris and his fani ..y, consisting of hi*.wife and daughter /no live unuer the Blip were warned nd left their home. Morris, w,hen a .ew yards away, went back for his coat, .hen the s:ip came down like an aya..uicho, completely overwhelming hm. ind the house. The slip then appeared quiet, but ai 7 p.m., above the bowling of the gale. iiiother siip could be heard tearinj. [own the mountain side. All residents along the hillside fled Danic-stricken through the ragint "corni aud flood waters. OTHER HOLSES BURIED.

Mr A. Close's residence was crushed iiko an eggshell, and was partly covered. Messrs Chittock's ana Ide'i res. Jenccs were also partly buried, the ittge slip towering right above them. The slip is now right out to the rail •av lines at the stables. Four families are homeless, anc' have lost all their savings, as the houses covered were privately owned. No damage was done to the tunnr works, which are intact with the excep tion of a few overhead wires beins down. All work is at a standstill to-day Much svmpnthy is felt for Morris' tragic end. There is no possibility o| recovering the body. The house wouh be crushed to atoms, and is covered b thousands of tons of rock and shingle Everything appears safe now. COTTAGE BLOWN ACROSS RAILWAY LINE. Near the railway station Hall's Tor minus Hotel has been partly iriroofcd the balcony torn off and three chimney: blown down. The railway cadet's cot tage at the station was blown rieht across the railway line, and Penning ton's place his been lifted whole 12. clear of it& foundations. Down the line there has been a wash out about Jackson's, and the train i not expected to get through befor. tonight. > , . The road over the gorge is clear afar as is known. There was a fairly large number oi passengers bv the West Coast train from Christchurch yesterday morning After thov had started on their jour ney it was known that they could no get through, as the conches wer not running, and most of them returned to the city, arriving at 6.3( p.m. ■