OTAKI NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7961, 18 November 1911, Page 10

OTAKI NOTES

i-EOir OUU OWN CORRESPONDENT. Thursday,

The town streets are at- present being •transformed into grazing paddocks, the Rond Board Raving unwisely, thrown them open to stock, and it is no uncommon sight te sec horses, cows, and sheep almostblocking tlio thoroughfare. Tho roads and footpaths arc in a most disgraceful condition, and it is time the board ceased to exist or conducted their affairs in a satisfactory manner. It is no unusual thing for a gate to be left open for animals to wander through and do enough damage tc pardons that will lake the owners month.-? to restore. A thunderstorm of brief duration, hut very heavy, occurred here just before noon to-day. thunder preceding heavy rain and fork-lightning by nearly an hour. Gradually the thunder drew nearer, and then burst- over the town, accompanied bv vivid flashes of fork-lightning, which had the effect of rendering all telephones, except half-a-dozen, useless. One wire was broken causing a- loud report, which was heard all over the town. All through the district wires have been fused, and subscribers are thus temporarily inconvenienced. The roads w.ore practically under water for a bri?f period. • the gutters being incapable of carrying away the rain-water, which foil heavily for upwards of , l\alf-an-hour. At time of writing there appears every prospect of tho weather clearing. At* **’ght o’clock this morning tho weather was perfect. being an ideal morning, perfectly calm, and with not tho slightest sign of bad weather. Tlio first warning of tho change was the distant roar of thunder