PAHIATUA SUFFERS.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13172, 3 February 1936, Page 5

PAHIATUA SUFFERS.

RACE BUILDINGS DAMAGED. Pahiatua, like many places along the storm track, received its share of the fury of the hurricane, and for about 12 hours was subjected to a terrific battering, topped off with an almost continuous downpour of lain. About 2 o’clock in the afternoon the storm was at its height and residents began to wonder what was going to follow. With shop signs crashing to the street, roof iron lifting and in many cases coming off completely, and orchard trees being h»irled bodily from the ground it was a most terrifying experience. The majestic gum tree at the southern approach to Pahiatua received a severe buffeting and this morning some of its mighty limbs had been smashed away but the tree was still standing, defiant of the hurricane. At the other end of the row the last tree was not so fortunate and was toppled over completely. These trees were put in during J uly, 1891, on the occasion of the* first Arbor Day celebration, when most of the residents of Pahiatua planted a tree in honour of the occasion.

Mr J. Mabey, of Konini, had an unenviable experience while trying to hatter down a lifting iron on the roof of a loft over one of his sheds. A great gust suddenly swept underneath the sheet of iron and be I ore lie could cling to another support ho was whisked away with the iron and hurled to the* ground below. His escape was miraculous, although it is possible that he may have sustained injuries to his ribs. A big inacroearpa tree came down on the kitchen hut did not do much damage. Another tree came down on the washhouse

and completely demolished the building. ; At Ginane’s farm at Mangatainoka trees came down on two buildings and practically every shelter belt of trees in the neighbourhood suffered extensive damage. BRIDGE WASHED AWAY.

The road to Makuri was blocked yesterday through the washing away of the temporary structure put up by the contractors engaged in erbuilding the Hotel Bridge, and since then no traffic has been able to pass along the road. Mr J. Hutton (County Clerk) stated that it was hoped to have another structure put up by this evening provided conditions hold good. DAMAGE TO PORI BRIDGE. It was reported this morning that the approach to the Pori bridge over the Makuri River has been washed out and it will seriously aifect local "traffic as the bridge is impassable. AROUND THE TOWN.

Mr Bob Wade's implement shed was blown down and Air D. Conway’s lorry shed tilted over. Air W. Rose’s veliandah was blown off and the roof of Mr Siinnex’s washhouse was blown off onto the road.

A garage owned by Air Waterrous collapsed in Eketahuna. At tho gas works the damage was slight, only the engine shed roof being iifted and several sheets of iron off the office roof. Several sheets of iron were blown about, doing minor damage, and the front fence was blown down.

The roof on the King’s Theatre had a sheet or two of iron lifted. STRANGE BUT TRUE.

One resident reports a strange occurrence as a result of the wind. Going out into his garden in the morning he found that one of his fruit trees was blown down. Going out again later in the day lie noticed that the tree had been blown upright again. If it had not been for the fact that there were definite signs that the tree had been down, he said he would have been inclined to doubt his eyes. Many residents have !>een endangered by falling trees and broken windows. Several windows at the Post Office and the Public Library were broken. Fences are down in all parts and gardens have been ruined. Wireless masts have suffered, and in one of two places narrowly missed doing considerable damage. AT THE RACECOURSE. The Pahiatua Racecourse presents a sorry sight. The main grandstand, which was built some 30 years afo. has had the roof lifted entirely. A row of tail macrocarpa trees some 50 yards behind the building is stacked up with portions of Hie iron and wooden framework, and a huge section about twenty feet by six feet gives one tree an incongruous appearance. Thick supports (sin. x sin.) were similarly tossed clear of the place as if made of straw. The outside refreshment booth collapsed completely, and there is only the concrete floor left. A. and P. STAND DAMAGED.

In the Showgrounds the wind played havoc with the public* stand the roof of which looks as if it had been hit by a bombing aeroplane and is caved in irreparably. A concrete post, which had been attached to the front of the stand was lifted bodily over the back wall and thrown behind the building. Tho Carnival Park reserve had its share of the visitation, and broken boughs, uprooted trees and leaves arc*, scattered on all .sides. Near the caretaker’s cottage a big macrocarpa had been uprooted, and boughs or a nearby gum had broken off and fallen into the backyard. PAHIATUA ISOLATED

Communication with the outside world was impossible last night owing to telephone and telegraph lines being down and as the wireless reports were not able to give much information ’ residents of Pahiatua were considerably in the dark as to tlie location of the storms. Radio station 2YA was utilised by the Press Association for a short period after 10.15 p.m. last night for the purpose of disseminating to morning newspapers cut off from the telegraph service, a brief summary of New Zealand and foreign news,

DAAIAGE AT EKETAHUNA. Electric Telegraph—Press Association EKETAHUNA. This Day The storm at Eketahuna yesterday did considerable damage to plantations, and fences Waterreus’ Garage, containing two lorries and a car. was completely wrecked when the doors flew open in the wind and lifted the roof bodily ; the back and side wall, with a portion of the front wall collapsed. A building, formerly the Ford Garage, was left resting on a balance, propped up to prevent its collapse. The river shows the highest flood recorded and passengers on the Napier excursion train were transhipped by bus owing to blocking of the line.