A TRYING JOURNEY

Otago Witness, Issue 2902, 27 October 1909, Page 22

A TRYING JOURNEY

{Fbom Oub Own Coeeespondent.) « GREYMOUTH, October 25. The trip from Christ-church to Grey-* mouth on Saturday last proved an experience that will not be forgotten very, readily by the passengers. Mr*J. "B. Merrett (editor of the New, Zealand Poultry Journal) gives the following particulars: — It is not often the calm. serenity of the Canterbury climate is so ludsly disturbed as it was on Friday and! Saturday. On Friday evening the^ sky looked very threatening, and by 9 o'clock the gale had commenced, accompanied with a cold Tain. By daylight it was in th© height of its fury. To get to the station was no light task. The streets were flooded with water, while to make- head*, way against the wind was almost mv possible. As the train steamed out there were about 16 passengers who had faced the oideal. On parsing Rolleston it waa

«• d«nt that the storm had been furious. Tl6T 16 whole plaiin was covered with snow Ift deep, and by the time Sheffield was reached not a vestige of field or fences except on sheltered sidis could be seen. The Sheffield Hotel presented one vast facade of snow, windows and doors being completely blocked. In places where the enow had accumulated it was several feet deep, ■while on the ground it was 2ft deep, and it must take several days before it will have disappeared. The stock is unsheltered, and flocks looked very pitiful, and distressed mothers were- mourning at the loss of many fine lambs. " I should not be surprised to learn of great mortality among the sheep," said Mr Merrett, "as the newly-shorn sheep must suffer severely. Some idea of the storm can be gathered from the fact that when five miles from Iferfield tJ*ere was not a single telegraph pole standing. Each one had been snapped oif close to the ground as if it were a reed. The heavy accumulations of enow on the "wires and the fierce wind had caused great destruction and heavy loss to the Government. Broken River ii> a snowetorm is not a very cheery sort of place. Barely do passengers enjoy the refreshments there, and we did not on Saturday. We arrived there an hour late, as several small slips and the snow on the rails retarded progress until we reached the Otira. We passed through one grand panorama of snow. The passengers were glad to stow themselves inside the coaches. The drivers had the most trying time they have had on the road. Considering the difficulties of swollen streams, blinding snow. and the hidden road, we consider ourselves «x*vemely fortunate to have arrived at Otiva on Saturday only half an hour late." Dr Xeeley, of Chrictchurch, had a similar experience. SERIOUS LOSSES OF SHKEP. CHRISTCHCBCH. October 25. For the first time since Fiidav we are getting a glimpse of sunshine. Ths storm has abated, but the rainfall has been unusually heavy. In 48 hours sin fell, making 6in for the month and 28J,in fo>' the year. The average annual rainfall is about 26in. In the Amberley district the lo=.=es of «heep so far ascertained are: — Me.-.-rs A. E. Tutton, 1200; G. B. Starky, 900; J Borgfeldt, 140 ; W. A. NicholU." 130. The total loss is estimated at £2500. Mr J. 3Lshworth, of Saltwater Creek, a!*o had 400 unshorn sheep drowned through the river backing up and flooding his paddock. Jjoeees are also repoited -fiom Waikaii hoi Hawarden.

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