North Island Swept

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIX, 3 February 1936, Page 5

North Island Swept

TERRIFIC SALE YESTERDAY MANY TOWNS SUFFER SEVERELY FLOODING IN VARIOUS PARTS COMMUNICATION SEVERED IN ALL DIRECTIONS (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Damage, that in some parts v/as considerable, was done by a southerly gale yesterday as it swept many parts of the North Island. Roads were blocked in many districts and telephone and telegraph lines were broken, no communication by wire being possible from Wellington to Palmerston North, Wanganui, Napier, New Plymouth, Hamilton, Auckland and Whangarei.

The Union Company’s inter-island steamer Rangatira struck a submerged object and was holed shortly after 0 a.m. yesterday when approaching Wellington Harbour from Lyttelton. Lifebelts were issued to the 00U passengers, but the vessel soon came off and limped into harbour under her own power and berthed at 9.20 with the assistance of three tugs. The coaster John broke her moorings and was driven aground near the new railway overhead bridge on the Hutt road.

Part of the Te Aro hath building was blown into the harbour, and damage was done to streets and trees in Wellington. Palmerston North yesterday afternoon resembled a town stricken by an earthquake, according to messages received by the Director-General of the Post and Telegraph Department, Wellington. Many houses were unroofed, plate-glass windows were blown out of shops, telegraph and telephone lines were down, power was off and roads were blocked. A man was blown from a roof in Palmerston North and killed. Near Shannon a portion of a train was derailed and several passengers were injured, one child seriously. Wairarapa rivers are running high and have overflowed following heavy rain in the district. Large areas near Masterton were under water yesterday and the water found its way into the streets of the town and entered shops and houses. Latest reports are that the waters are receding. There were delays in the running of trains and damage to the lines between Napier and Hastings, Woodville and Masterton and Wellington and Hutt. No reports have been received from the King Country.

ground. In his fall he struck a fence and received injuries from which he died almost immediately.

PORTION OF TRAIN DERAILED

MANY WASHOUTS REPORTED

Portion of a train was derailed at Makerua, near Shannon, and there were interruptions to running schedules, particularly between the Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay, as a consequence of the storm yesterday, according to reports received by the Railway Department.

The departmental • communication service, however, has been interrupted like that of the Post and Telegraph Department. No information lias been received as to conditions in the King Country.

An excursion train run from Cross Creek to Napier yesterday was unable to travel past Hastings because of washouts on the line between Napier and Hastings. On the return journey it could not pass Ekctahuna because of damage to the line, and buses were sent out to pick up the passengers and convey them to Masterton.

The Palmerston North train on which some of the carriages werci derailed by the force of the wind at Makerua continued its journey to Wellington, arriving about 8 p.m. yesterday. A Wanganui train which left at 0 a.m. for Wellington arrived at 4 p.m.. leaving on the return journey at (i o’clock. Those passengers who desired to extend their stay overnight had the availability of their tickets carried over to to-day. The Limited express left Wellington bn time last evening for Auckland and was running on schedule as far as communication extended, the line being clear to Palmerston North. There were several washouts on the Hutt line near Ngahauranga. Two were on the Wellington side of tlie station, with an especialy big one at Ngahauranga. These will make necessary the use of a single line to-day. CRAFT IN WELLINGTON HARBOUR Yesterday was scheduled as the Evans Bay Yacht and Motor Boat Club’s outing for limbless soldiers, but in place of ideal yachting water with the various craft riding' at easy anchor, yachtsmen awoke to a scene of havoc in the bay —yachts and motor boats adrift and others threatening at any moment to break away. TE ARO BATHS DAMAGED

Considerable damage was done to Te Aro Baths at Oriental Bay shortly after half past nine yesterday morning, four large open sheds and a shower room being carried away by the gale.

The wind struck the south-east corner with great force. The woodwork gave way suddenly over a distance of about twenty-five yards, and in a few seconds the large wall was drifting quickly across the harbour in the direction of Pipitea Wharf.

The Harbour Board’s launch Uta went after the wreckage and towed the greater part of it to the shore in the vicinity of Taranaki street Wharf. Small pieces of timber were being washed up on the beach at Oriental Bay all day. The sheds were about fifteen feet by ten feet, and the damage is estimated at £l5O.

BLOWN FROM ROOF

MAN KILLED AT PALMERSTON NORTH During the gale this morning Benjamin Arthur Miller, retired, a middleaged married man, was on the roof o 1 his home, 30 Elmira Avenue, making some repairs when he was blown to the

TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE

DAMAGE SERIOUS AND WIDESPREAD REPAIR WORK DIFFICULT POWER LINES SUFFER IB.v Teleftra.ph—PresH Association) WELLINGTON. This Day. Damage done to the telegraph and telephone is far more serious and widespread than in any previous storm, though there is a very complete network of unparalleled and alternative) circuits

So complete was the destruction that Wellington had no telegraphic communication this morning beyond Otaki on one side and Napier on the other. The most serious Hooding occurred about Helensville. The Thames also is apparently flooded. In lengths of line nearer Wellington, there are instances of as much as two miles being carried away by trees. As is the case particularly in the Manawatu, repair work is made difficult by the heavy flooding, and in some instances may be dangerously complicated by the bringing down of power lines. Telephone services are equally disrupted. Press messages were sent out last night by radio from 2YA that the post offiee is able to accept only urgent commercial and other important messages, wliich are being sent through a chain of emergency short-wave radio stations installed since the Hawkes Bay ‘quake. This chain is fairly coinjilete as regards the main centres and provincial towns. There were only minor interruptions in the supply of hydro power to Wellington. One of the twin lines from Mangaliao to Wellington went out during the height of the storm, but tlie other line maintained the supply. Minor local interruptions occurred yesterday morning, and late last night. There are only scanty reports from Manawatu and Wairarapa, but it is clear that heavy damage lias been done to power lines, particularly in the Horowliemia Power Board area. Lines are down over a wide area and it is feared to turn on power because of tlie danger of electrocution.

STEAMER CARRIED ASHORE

AFTER BREAKING MOORINGS WATCHMAN GETS SAFELY TO LAND WELLINGTON, This Day. Buffeted by heavy seas all night and all yesterday morning, the small coastal steamer John broke her moorings in the stream at Wellington about noon and was carried by tlie strong current and the wind to the western side of the harbour, where she ran aground about a hundred yards north of the new railway overhead bridge on the Hutt road. With the middle of her keel firmly touching either a rock or the beach, she remained pitching and ingAs the tide went out, the John gradually moved closer to the share, and by 8 p.m. was almost high and dry, her bow facing toward Wellington. Practically no water remained between the land and the ship, which was only 10 or 20 yards out. A heavy sea was still running, and loud thuds could be heard as the waves pounded the starboard side of the ship. As the John grounded, tlie ship’s watchman managed to reach the land by means of a lifebuoy and a line which was thrown to willing helpers on tlie railway line. Although the sea, which was bursting over the breastwork and on to the railway line itself, was breaking with considerable force on the rocks.Jaelow, he managed to gain the beach without any mishap other than a wetting. With the strong sea running all yesterday, it was impossible to attempt any salvage operations, and, as the ship showed no signs of breaking up, the owners, Holm and Company, Ltd., decided to leave her as she was until the weather had abated.

LITTLE DAMAGE DONE WELLINGTON, This Day. _ An internal examination by officials revealed that no damage worth worrying about was received by the steamer John, and' arrangements are in hand to have her lowed off. The attempt will be made either to-morrow or Wednesday.

AT LEVIN

BUILDINGS UNROOFED AND TREES UPROOTED MAIN PORTION OF TOWN ESCAPES LIGHTLY WELLINGTON, This Day. Levin suffered lightly as compared with other places, but nevertheless extensive damage was done, the most serious fo power lines. 'Trees were uprooted and blown across the. lines, breaking main lii oh lension supply lines in three places,- These were repaired at seven last night. A 1 any cowsheds, garages, and a few dwellings were unroofed. The main portion of the town suffered little.

AT HAMILTON

WAIKATO RIVER 10 FEET ABOVE NORMAL SEVERAL BUILDINGS INUNDATED HAMILTON. This Day. The severity of the storm over the week-end was emphasised by the fact

that the first time in the history of the town telephone communications with all parts of the North Island were interrupted at varying intervals. Broken trees, the flood, and slips throughout the. district caused dislocation. The emergency wireless was commissioned to communicate with Auckland and the Bay of Plenty during the interruptions. The Waikato river, which is still rising rapidly, is 10 feet above normal and at the highest level since the 1907 flood.

All the low-lying areas are under water and several buildings arc inundated.

HAWKES BAY ORCHARDS

SEVERE LOSS REPORTED CO-MILE AN HOUR GALE LARGE AREA OF LAND UNDER WATER NAPIER, This Day. Many trees are down i;i Napier as the result of a gale last night reaching 60 miles hourly. There was considerable damage to plants, while electric light and telephone lines are out of order in many places. A large area of land near Clive is under water, but tlie level has receded greatly since last night and traffic to tlie south was resumed on the main road. Losses suffered by stock are not known.

It is understood damage is most severe in the fruit growing areas, which are at present difficult oi’ access.

WAIROA RIVER IN HIGH FLOOD

ELECTRIC SUPPLY INTERRUPTED TOWN IN DARKNESS SINCE YESTERDAY ORCHARDS AND GARDENS DAMAGED MAIN HIGHWAY IN BAD STATE [By Telegraph—Press Association] WAIROA, This Day. As the result of heavy rain on Saturday evening and early on Sunday the river is in high flood. The upreared branch of a tree carried away the high tension wire crossing the Wairoa river. As the result the town lias been without light and power since midday yesterday. The service is not likely to'be restored to-day. It is also reported that the main transmission line from the lake was carried away in a number of places by falling trees. The wind veered from north to south, and the terrific gale, one of the heaviest ever experienced, continued well into the night. A large amount of damage has been done to orchards, gardens and plantations. Trees were uprooted, glass skylights torn out and thrown fifty yards away, and minor damage done to many business places.

Klips have taken place in all parts of the country. There is no telephone communication north or south.

The main highway is in a bad state, Lines are down in all directions.

REMARKABLE ESCAPE

Charles McLean, of Napier, had a remarkable escape from serious accident when traversing the road. A huge poplar tree fell a few yards in front of the car, and only by sending the car into reverse did lie avoid being underneath the tree at is fell to the roadway. Rather a coincident was that last night’s visitation occurred practically on the same date as the disastrous earthquake on 3th February, 1931.

SOUTHERN HAWKES BAY

DAMAGE ASSESSED AT £3OOO DANNEVIRKE, This Day. During the week-end Dannevirke experienced its worst storm for many years, over 4 inches of rain falling in 48 hours. A south-easterly gale did some damage, but mostly of a minor nature. Rivers and streams broke bounds and bridges in the country area were car lied away. The approximate damage is assessed at about £3OOO, the Terehunga district faring worst. A big slip came down on the Welling-ton-Napier highway beyond Matamau, traffic having to be diverted via Makoiiiku, which was flooded, but the use of a private road permitted vehicles to get through. Generally southern Hawkes Bay got off comparatively lightly.

DEVASTATION IN TARANAKI

WORST IN MEMORY

COUNTRY=WIDE TORNADO ROADS AND RAILWAYS BLOCKED WAREHOUSE LEVELLED TO THE GROUND ROOF LIFTED OF CHURCH NEW PLYMOUTH, This Day. With practically no warning a steady downpour of rain on Saturday afternoon developed suddenly on Saturday night into the worst storm within ' living memory. To the rain was addl'd wind of hurricane force from tlie soutli and south-east, culminating in at practically a country-wide tornado between 8 and 10 a.m. yesterday. m Taranaki the storm had practically subsided at dusk last night, but the havoc wrought was so extensive that it was impossible to estimate the extent of the damage or even obtain any complete idea of what damage has been done. Telegraph and telephone lines are clown in thousands all over the country. A number of roads are completely blocked to traffic, ancl many slips have put the Stratford main trunk line and other railways out of action. From all parts of Taranaki come similar stories of unprecedented devastation.

_ At Waitara a large section of the breezing Works chimneys were blown down, a warehouse levelled to the ground, and further damage was sustained by the main north road bridge, which had to bo closed to traffic.

Inglewood town appeared after the storm like a shambles. The roof was lifted off the An glican church and indescribable damage was done to buildings and property. At New Plymouth the Frankleigh Park public hall collapsed in a tangled mass of wood and iron, and the damage was sustained at the port to small boats and a launch. Two dishing launches are still out and grave anxiety is being felt concerning one of them, in which Air VV. F. McLeod, owner, and his son Angus left on Saturday morning. Similarly at Hawern, Patea, and other Taranaki towns the cyclonic wind wreaked its vengeance right and left, though Inglewood seems to have fared the worst.

( An excursion train from Taranaki to Tauinarimiii yesterday had to turn back because of slips on the line. The main north road is blocked by slips in Awakino Valley, hut it was reported late last night that ears could get through, though great care was necessary.

TJriLi Valley was reported to he heavily flooded, and at Uronui there is a

scene of wild desolation. Telephone, telegraph and power lines were brought, down wholesale and for a large part of yesterday it was impossible to get a single toll call from New Plymouth. Except for a few miles the telegraph service was put completely out of action and did not function all last night, though telephone communication was re-established last night from New Plymouth to Waverley, from Hawera to Manaia and over several shorter routes. Much of the province of Taranaki is still isolated, trees being dowji over botli telephone and telegraph lines.

REPORT FROM WHANGAREI ROADS BADLY BLOCKED WHANG A RET, This Day. From the meagre news available the flooding in many parts of Northland is the worst in memory. Railway services are at a standstill and roads badly blocked. The only means of communication is by radiophone. The sun is shining in Whangarei to-day.

DAMAGE IN OTAKI BUILDINGS LEVELLED TO THE GROUND OTAKI, This Day. Sunday’s gale did considerable damage to sheds, power lines, verandahs, and chimneys; ,also the parish rail, and blacksmith’s shop at Manakau were levelled to the ground. All parts of the district were affected,