CHASED BY TANK.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13173, 4 February 1936, Page 2

CHASED BY TANK.

MOTORIST’S EXPERIENCE. “There is the fear that goes with hostiks gunfire and aeroplane bombs, and there is that fearful thrill which comes when the already severe earthquake suddenly accelerates into greater violence, hut nothing I have experienced comes up to the 'thrills’ I sot along the Aslihurst-Palmerston North road at mid-day to-day,” was the comment one motorist had to make to a “Times” reporter on Sunday evening Continuing, he said : "V e were in an eleven-year-old touring car—not designed for the trip in front of it and we left Woodville shortly before noon. We knew there was trouble ahead—that Palmerston North was being battered by a hurricane, it was. blowing on the other side of the range, where there was a very short horizon, a driving rain, and a leaden sky. The wind was up to gale force duiring the morning and the fact that the fence along the north side of the bowling green was flattened and tree 3 knocked about, suggested that considerable damage was being done in the Woodville area. At that time, however, the gale was not sufficiently dangerous and we proceeded on our way without incident until we reached the comparative calm of the Gorge. With the diver in high Hood, rocks, some of which were pretty hefty, everywhere along the. road, and the possibility of a slip, the gorge was not without its thrills, and it was with a sigh of relief that we drove out at this end. “We tliought the worst of our trip was behind us and it was not until w<- had topped the rise on the Palmerston North side of the Manawatu bridge that we realised that the real vftm' was just starting. With the gale slightly in our favour we coasted round the bend to the loqg straight which leads to the dip at the Raukawa road, and there we got a mole’s-cye view of a badly-cut wheat paddock. There were trees down everywhere and those that were still upright had been stripped of choir branches, and, in some eases, of their bark as well. The long shelter belt to the south of the road had received, and was still receiving, a terrible battering, and a great number of the. trees were lying across the telegraph lines, the iron posts of which had been twisted like hair-pins. “The wind was travelling with a shrill whistle which was getting higher all the time and within a mile of leaving the bridge we had to shelter alongside an uprooted tree. While there we watched a number of big trees go over. The wind must have been very near to hurricane force and it was remarkable that anything could withstand its relentless pressure. “We proceeded in short rushes to Wliakarongo, which was getting the full force of the gale. There was little si iel ter there and as seme power lines were snapping very close to

the road, we continued on our way, wondering how long the car would remain on its wheels. “Passing the Te Matai road intersection 1 glanced across a paddock and to my horror saw a big corrugated iron tank, the bottom of which had been blown out and was now hanging on hyi a ‘whisker,’ careering towards the road. It cleared the fence like a bird and came straight for the car to catch it a glancing blow before disappearing down wind. “The next super thrill was experienced near the gasworks where we ran oven- some power lines, not having seen them soon enough to pull up. Not knowing that the ‘juice’ had been cut off earlier, we thought our tyres had saved us. “The gale had slackened a little at this stage and it was during a period of comparative calm that we thankfully slid into tbC city. It had been a nerve-wracking ride from Ashhurst and with numerous stops when the gale was at its peak, it had taken us over the hour to cover the nine miles.”