THE COLD SNAP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12720, 21 July 1903, Page 5

THE COLD SNAP.

ITS ON STOCK. •The recent snowstorm was. undoubtedly the most severe experienced in. the baok country since tho year' 1895, and stock and elation ownere. have hud »• very, anxioue time during tho past Ayeok, It is yet too oarly to make any reliable estimate as to tlie lose of stock that is likely to take place, as tlie effects of the storm cannot be accurately ganged until a permanent thaw sots in and the snow' disappears. Fortunately the atmospheric conditions since-the storm took plaoa hayo been as favourable »3 could have buon expected, and it ie believed that if a thaw seta in now the mortality amongst sheep will be less than woe at first anticipated. The depth of snow was very considera'blo, but generally there was nu absence of wind, aiul cpueequently -sheep Booking shelter wero not in such clangor of being burie-d in drifting, snow as , is. usually the ca'ee. Most of tho sheep were in fairly good condition when tho enow fell, and .therefore were ablo to'withstand.the , effocts pretty wo'l, but unless they can get fodder shortly they must succumb to starvation. Though the los? on the high country will almost, certainly ba Jairly heavy, it is oxpeotod that it will bo smaller than in 1395, when tlie first fall of snow took place 'at the ond of May. One important, difference between 1895 anil tins year is that on tho former occasion Mio- first snowfall was followed bj; other heavy falls in rapid succession, while tliia year thcio bus so far only one fall, though its effect has been considerably accentuated bv the severity of tho frost. . • "

So far no losses of sheep ore reported from the Hakataraiuea. Valley, and though it is possible that qome may ybt piprjsli the mortality is not likely to be 50 hqavjr as might have' been expected. , Tho cold winds swooping the hilfe at the back of Kuxow will, however, cause heavy loss. One'mob of 25 was found on Thursday night, but all had perished except five. The snow was k> . soft and powdery that it wa-3 imbcseiWe to drive the sheep to sheltered places. Advices from Morren HilU Gta.ted that unices a, thaw sets in quickly'the stock could not possibly survive long. Feed was boing convoyed to about 5000 sheep, but nothing could be done for the remainder, as it was imposiblo to get fodder to %m. 'Advioes received from, Roxburgh yesterday, sfated that a thaw had set iiron Sunday, and that.tlio stock <jeemed to be The only conditions likely to produce a rapid thaw, however, nre,, either warm winds or warm rain, otherwise the enow will he for a. considerable time, eo completely is jt frozen. ■ ... N°; heavy losses are anticipated in'the MiddJemnreh district, provided the enow disappears quickly; and so far a? can be learned Olmton and Wairuna.' will eeeape fairly lightly. . : '. ••'.-"• From figures supplied by Mr John Koborts we learn that the greatest cold experienced at Gladbroqk' wae on Friday last, when the thermometer stood at 13 degrees below zero, or 45 degrees-below freezing point. A very, cold snap was ex'pwieneed in July, 1899, but the lowest reading of the thermometer was then Hi degrees below zero. In 1809 there wae a considerable difference between thn maximum and minimum temperature, but loei' weokthe temperature was very low almost the whole time., Tlie compprative figuiee tor the two periods are as. follow:— July, 1899. i;

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An Inyorcargjll telegram states tliat raii» fell last night, and the hard frost has gone meantime, , v ; ' A Fairlie. telegram rays. thas\.after the thaw, on Sunday and yesterday an engine with a enow plough got through to Fairlie. It is a. week yesterday since the line was first 'blocked. After reaching Fairlie. the engine and. ca?. endeavoured to get to the : terminus of (lie. line, but the engine was' derailed. • . : ".■"."' ;

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