Further Heavy Falls

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 175, 27 July 1939, Page 7

Further Heavy Falls

AKAROA COMPLETELY ISOLATED CHRISTCHURCH, July 26. The snow which swept tho coastal areas of Canterbury yesterday was increased to-day by further heavy falls over a far wider area. Banks Peninsula, which yesterday suffered the heaviest fall for more than 40 years, was deprived almost completely of the regular means of communication. Akaroa was completely isolated, as all the roads over the hills were impassable. Bnow began to fall in Christchurch at about 6 p.m. and was still falling heavily at 10 p.m., when there was easily an inch of snow on the flat in tho city. Some tram services were partly disorganised and the trams to Cashmere Hills were unable to proceed beyond a point about a mile from the terminus, where the snow had covered tho rails and points and caused severe skidding on the steep slope.

On the Sumner line the trams were delayed at Sumner and where there was a depth of snow of about two inches on the flat.

Snow fell throughout the day at Little River and Akaroa, but ceased iu the evening. Late iu the afternoon the main powerline from Duvauclielles to Akaroa aud the feeder lino to Lebon’s Bay failed and though Akaroa itself and the nearer bays ure supplied by a stand-by plant the outer bays will be without the current till the lines can be repaired. Passenger transport to Little River was maintained to-day by the Railway Department’s motor-buses, as the railway was blocked by three wash-outs caused by the high level of Lake Filesmere near Birdling’s Flat and Kaituna. After the early morning goods train had completed the trip from Christchurch all further services were cancelled till to-morrow evening, when it is ITopcd to have the lino clear. Rail traffic on the main south line was completely disorganised south of Oamaru. Tho through express from Invercargill connecting with tho steam[er express at Lyttelton and due in ! Christchurch at 7.27 p.m., could get no further than Mihiwaka, just north of Port Chalmers. A blizzard blew up just after the express left Dunedin and filled the cuttings at Mihiwaka with heavy I drifts. j The express leaving Christchurch at 8.35 a.m. for Invercargill went no fur-

ther than Falmersfon, returning to Oamaru, and the 12.25 p.m. Christchurch to Dunedin express ran no further than Oamaru. No trains reached Christchurch from further south than Oamaru, from where a special train ran at 5.30 p.m. to connect with the steamer express, which was hold at Lyttelton till about 10 p.m. The snow was apparently confined to the coastal areas of the South Island and was certainly heaviest on Bank’s Peninsula where the greatest depth on the flat was two feet at Akaroa. North and South of Christchurch lighter falls occurred but on the higher levels inland no falls are reported. The heavy snowfall on Banks Peninsula has made tho problem of feeding stock acute. To cope with the position it has been arranged that the small steamer John Anderson will run to Pigeon Bay to morrow with a cargo of hay, also stores and mails. Another trip will be made on Friday and on Saturday tho vessel will probably run to Pigeon Bay and Little Akaloa. Cream which is usually brought to tht city in motor-trucks will be brought back by the John Anderson. When the vessel made its weekly call at Pigeor Bay on Tuesday there were six inche* of snow ou the wharf and there wa* no vehicular access to the wharf be cause of the deep snow on the road.