THE HURRICANE.

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

THE HURRICANE.

SECOND EDITION

PAUCITY OF NEWS.

DAMAGE CANNOT BE CALCULATED.

It is an impossibility to make any attempt to estimate the damage done in the country lor telephone and telegraph services have been so completely disorganised that onlyon occasional lines are messages able to be transmitted. Only two press association messages came through this morning and the Herald were unable to get association messages away- to outside newspapers. A call was put through to Palmerston North just before one this afternoon and it was learm-d that it will be at least three days before the telegraph or electrical services are restored to anything like normal, and it will be many weeks before permameiit re* pairs can be effected. Miles of telephone poles are lying Hat along the roadside, covering half the width of tile highway. Word was received from the Manawatu .Standard that tile Main Road from Palmerston North to Wanganui is impassable owing to a bridge- !>eiug washed away. No details are known but in some quarters it is thought that this must be the Wangaehu bridge. RIVER RISING STILL. The Foxtou road which a party of Pahiatua residents returning from Wellington last night found was passable. is now covered to a depth of five feet. DAMAGE IN WAKEMAN STREET Several properties in Wnkeuiau Street suffered severely from yesterday’s blast and a visit was jtaid to Mrs Boyd’s residence where the tangled mass of biuegu ill, macrocarpa and wattle trees beggared description. Apart from a branch falling on the room of the house at the back, all trees fell clear —a miracle indeed. When interviewed, Mrs Boyd said that when the first of the trees fell she was inside with her two daughters. Until 1.30 p.m. they were terrified by the deafening noise of snapping branches and hollow thuds when the trees hit the ground. At a point to the side of tho house, Mrs Boyd pointed to a verv definite clearance in the bush and said that this had previously been considered one of the beauty spots ot Pahiatua. Shilling away from the house, the trees when standing had been ou a slight slope at the bottom of which was a small creek. When seen to-day this small gully was filled to the level of the house with tlie fallen trees, which when standing had made it such an attractive spot. The wind, said Mrs Boyd was south-easterly direction and was seldom in evidence the prevailing wind being south-west. However. Mrs Boyt? felt certain that bad the wind been in the prevailing direction and was as intense as yesterday’s blast, then several large trees must have fallen across the house itself. The damage to Mrs Tylee’s property was confined to one spot whore several large gup: trees were uprooted and fell across a flower bed the trees narrowly missing the motor garage.

Lower down the street it was noticeable that several large trees at the rear of a section which forms a belt along the back of properties had been uprooted—anu in several instances had flattened fowl houses. _ A sign outside Mr A. P. Fox’s was blown down and a window brok-

Mr F. Bolton, who came in from Oete this morning, reports that the Tiraumea was tlie highest it lias been for 30 years, the road being impassable arid traffic having to go round through Xgaturi.

Several ot the Mangatainoka factory suppliers found it impossible to get to tin- factory and had to take their milk to the North Tiraumea factory.

The County Council to date have not been able to get in touch with .ill districts owing to telephone lines being down.

The Marinin Road is blocked, but tlie overseer hopes to have the road clear after dinner.

There is a slip on the Hinemoa road, where there are five men working. so this will soon be cleared.

MAROONED IN RIVER. MAN S DAXGF.ROO SITUATION. Late last night Constable Fisher, stationed at Ashhurst. was in Palmerston North in search tor a Visit, in order to rescue a nlifii who had gone on to an island in the middle of the Manawatu river to muster sheep. The mail is thought to be a farmer named McCook At the time Air McCool’s plight would first ze noticed the rivet was about 12ft. 6in. above normal, but a continued rise was n ported until 3 a.m. 14ft. was registered at the Fitzherliert bridge. Under the circumstances the mlistener's fate is uncertain. REPORT FROM OTAKI. Electrio Telegraph—Press Association OTAKI, This Day. In Sunday’s gale tiler,- was considerable damage done to >heds. power lines, verandahs and chimneys also to the Parish Hall and blacksmith shop at Manakau were levelled to the ground. All parts of the district, are affected. It is bi'.rutiftillv fine today.