THE SNOWSTORM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12714, 14 July 1903, Page 5

THE SNOWSTORM.

TELEGRAPHIC .COMMUNICATION STILL ISTERRTJPTBD. The Telegraph Department mads every •possible ■ effort. yesterday to repair the damage done .to,the wires by Friday night's snowstorm, but the breaks were so riumeroufl that, though p,. great deal lias been accomplished 1 ,, thefe still remains a vast amount to do. The storni was probably the worst ever experienced' by tho department so far as the aanount of damage is concerned, no less than 1500; miles of wire having' suffered to some extent. Steady communication'.' was between Dunedin and: Qamaru on the north line, but breaks north of the latter station were numerous A few cablegrams were got through yesterday, but, in order to accomplish this it was found necessary to transmit the messages from, ffimaru to vVaimate, and •from Waimaie to Oamaru by telephone, and thence by Morse signals to Dimedin. A wire was working between 'IHmaru and 'Olirietohurelv but this was very much disand but little work could be sent over it._- Even - the slight means of com.-, imunication with station north of Oamaru Jfail-ed in the afternoon, and after 2.30 o'clock nothing oould be sent further than Oamaru. Most' of t.ho minor damage 'between Oamaru and Timaru lias been rejjairecJ, but there 13 still a big fault, near the totter, town. • A start will be made at daylight this morning &> repair this, and it is ejqpeotedthat wirps'will 'bo' clear to Christchuroh before .8 q'clook. .

.Communication 'beWoen Dunedin and Invercargill has been fully restored with the exception of a few short telephone wires, and nearly; all the Oentral Otago lines 'have been repaired. The service between Dunedm'nn'd Cromwell was restored yesterday afternoon, but all-work from St. Bathans, Naeaby, and Middlemarch had to lie refused, tho wire 3 in these; districts having apparently suffered severely. ' Tho local inspecter.'of telegraphs (Mr Orchiston) had a large nuriber of men engaged in effecting repairs, which '.work ; ivffl proceeding as sj'stematically and expeditiously as was possible;' , ~ . ■

As mentioned above, it is hoped tliat at least two wiro3 will be svailajjlo for use between Dunedin and Christoliuroh this morning. Tho wire from Ohristohuroh to the West Coast will/probably bo duplexed, and by this means the department should he alble to get Jirough a considerable.amount °i al»v© wes-clcar. it should be possible to .got urgent telegrams and cablegrams' through as far as Auckland, ~ f wil! ,bo .made to transmit the n«s»ag€fl thab'hav© been accumulating during tho last throe days.- Futl telegraphic communication yta the East Coast will, however, probably ,bo suspended for a day %\ *. F f rio "' 3 - ' Wenk occurred north of .Cbrislchuroh, which will probably take some time to repair. With ._ exception that, the morning trains . running betwoen dunedin and Oamaru were, delayed * little in ooraequenoe of the enpne of the 6.25 a.m. DuneduiPalmereton goods tram failing- when near boodwood, tho roihpay service suffered no interruption 'yestetd&y. • frost that set in on Sunday mglit appears to have had tho effect of binding snow, ptnd eo for no slips or accidents have reported. Reoogmsihg that till© Otago Central line was •the most.likely tb oause. trouble, the district engineer (Mr F. W. MaoLeau) went to Ida' \auley yesterday in order to be prepared for any .emergency .that might arise. The, carriages of the train that arrived from Ida Valley- 'last evening bore unmistakable sjgns of the severity of: the storm to which •they' had been 1 exposed, ■ the roofs being covered with snow, to the depth of several lnohee. /

A j>;cijliar feature of Saturday's enowstorm (Bays tlm North Otagjo Times) was that at Waimate'qopparajtiTCly little fell, while between Mftlieno and ,tlio Horse Range only a slight sleety fall was experienced, and the whiteness, that w|s obt'ervablo everywhere else was conspicuous by its absence between the places m-anvod. ■

Our Naseby oorresnondent writes that the fall of snow is considered in that district to be the heaviest experienced for some 15 years. .There .was about. 2ft of snow in, the township.

Our Pblmeiston' corwepondenfc writes:— "The - fall of ' enow oeas?d' on Saturday evening, but, with the expedition of a slight thstw where Mpo .had'been, what fell is still lyipig cai the' low ground. The oldest inhabitant has never .known snow to lie so long on ■ the ' low. grofei as the present. Tbo 'high grounds' are' still covered with - a Vavy coating;, slight ■ frosts <m Saturday and Sunday erren.in£ tending keep it ..there. Tha £a,ll will prove yray. hard upon stock especially. slieep ( ' Light;shower? of sleet and rain fell at interyaJs on Sunday and yesterday, but/has made i)o iliminuiion in the depth of 6Dow,' Ths eliyht thaw arid frost have made thelstraets arid roads very sloppy and slippctry—jusitia foretaste of the slate of matters eccurrirag ,when a general thaw, sets in. The feather, ft, present is. very rfireatenin?, aid'.shtmb oyerv- appearance 6f a further. fall of anow. 1 .-The. trains, 'with a few slight dela[ys, so far-mainaged to keep, •up communication hoth" y-norbh and rontlu . Tin Telegraph, pepartmeut his succeeded in. communication,withDunedin .<vin} Oamrai, but; otdy onVwire $6 far to ryxio ro Nasebsi The

mailman suoceeded- in getting tlio up mails to Naseby from Morrison's on Sunday, t-aki ng some nine hours on l;oree!>ack to do the journey." • ' '. ■ ■ v A Wostport message dated Sunday states that the river is .in flood, wiioh at present is interfering with flipping movements, but t&e weather i$ improving.