BALLANCE SUFFERS.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13172, 3 February 1936, Page 6

BALLANCE SUFFERS.

S ECON D EDITION

HOMESTEAD PARTIALLY DAMAGED. C AR OWNER’S GOOD FORTUNE. Word was received that Mr T Jones’ house at Balance was partially demolished in the height of yesterday’s gale when two pine trees blew onto the building. A visitor to the Jones*’ house had parked his car on the drive but seeing the terrific gale Mowing;, decided to shift his car as the trees in the drive were swaying ominously. He had hardly been in the house any time alter parking the car in. another spot when th<j trees began crashing down and then not long afterwards a big pine came tumbling down on top of the house. The roof was smashed in badly and the match lining in the breakfast room inside was torn asunder in an ugly mess. Fortunately no one was hurt and shortly afterwards another tree fell on another wing of the house, but here the owner wa. s more fortunate for the tree did little damage other than tearing the iron about. Speaking to a Herald man to-day Mrs JChios said they had a nasty experience and the work o.f the tree tailing was made worse by the driving rain which entered the house.

At Ivon ini this morn ing the waters of the Makakahi river burst their hanks and flowed over the conntrvsido in the* vicinity of the factory.

The water rose very quickly and came right up to the door step at the? house of the factory manager (Mr D. Kelly) who had made all preparations for such a contingency by lifting carpets and removing all light objects from the floor.

The water entered the butter room slightly, but apart from this no other inconvenience was caused for the level soon receded again. POWER BOARD S GIG ANTIC TASK

The staff of the Tararua Electric Power Board under the resident engineer, Mr Green, performed wonderful work ye«tercl»*.v. They were at work throughout the height of the storm in the daytime and the majority of them laboured on through the night repairing lines all round the district which had been cut by falling trees. Householders who had lights last night must thank Mr Green and his staff for their tireless efforts in keeping the line intact. The Power Board said to-day that the men aimed at restoring milking services first, many of which arc still disorganised, and when this has been done the light services of country households will be done in their turn. SERIOUS NAFTER FLOODS. Electric Telegraph—Press Association NAPIER. This Day. No damage is reported to bridges, Imt the plant was washed a wav from the bridge works in pregress. The water swept over the plains with terrifying suddenness, and in places the flood level wa.s higher than at any .similar visitation since 1897. The harbour works were not affected. but the fishing fleet was unable to work owing to heavy seas. SOUTHERN H.B. GETS OFF LIGHTLY. DANNEVIRKE This Day. During the week-end Dannevirke experienced its worst storm for many years, over 4 inches of rain falling in 48 hours. A .south-easterly gale did some damage, but mostly cxf a minor nature. Rivers and streams broke hounds and bridges in the country area were carried away, the approximate damage being assessed at about £3OOO. The Te Rehungn district is faring the worst. A big slip came down ou the Wellington-Napier Highway beyond Matamau, traffic having to be diverted via Makotuku. which was flooded, hut the use of a private road permitted vehicles to get through. Generally, Southern Hawke’s Bay got off comparatively lightly. ROADS BLOCKED IN NORTH. WANGANUI, Last Night, While Wanganui and district received a severe buffeting to-day, there is no damage n ported. The road to Palmers-ton North is open hut slips completely block the highway to New Plymouth at Tanga hoe, near Hawera. and again between Kai lvvi and Maxwell. Practically all the country roads are blocked h.v slips and access to National Park is stopped from the south. There is. a washout 10 feet wide and eight feet dee on the Para para road leading to R net-ih i.

Twelve motoring parties, comprising about 50 people, were marooned between two slips near Kai Awi and a special train was sent out from Wangaaiui .to rescue them. (This message appears to contradict an. earlier advice received that a bridge (presumed to be* tin* Wangaehu) was down on the Palmerston North-Wanganui, main highway.)