Gale Sweeps South Island: Heavy Damage

Northern Advocate, 11 August 1938, Page 12

Gale Sweeps South Island: Heavy Damage

£ Per press Association. Copyright'.] ) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Considerable damage on the West Coast and in Canterbury, and in most o£ the northern parts of the South Island, resulted from a gale which swept in from the Tasman Sea yesterday.

The main failure of power occurred in' the Malvern Power Board's district, where 12 poles were blown over and trees fell across the lines in other places. Endeavours were being made . yesterday to . restore power in many districts. At Little River about one-third of the roof of the railway goods shed was torn off. It was carried about two chains, and before landing in the street crashed through the telephone wires. At Springfield, half the roof of the railway shed was removed, and the chimney of the stationmaster’s residence- wai blown over, and crashed through the roof. One of the many trees that were 1 blown down fell through the front of a store, breaking a plate-glass window. A braak in the train control telegraph line between Hinds and Ealing caused the south express to be« delayed in'its arrival at Christchurch by 26 .minutes. Communications were disrupted when several trees that were blown down in this area broke through the lines.