MADDENED BULLOCKS.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13177, 8 February 1936, Page 3

MADDENED BULLOCKS.

LANDSLIDE STRIKES HERD DROVER S ORDEAL DURING THE STORM. Electric lelegrapli—Press Association -NEW PLYMOUTH, February 5. A story of how his herd of 150 bullocks was scattered with heavy losses by the week-end storm was told by Mr Alex McMulligan today. “One moment my drover was driving a fine herd of bullocks through the Tangarakau Gorge,'’ he said. “The next moment the herd was scattered by two great landslides and divided into three bunches with probably many buried under tons ot earth and debris. Until the Gorge is opened and the cattle are mustered I will not know how many I have left. They are worth £7 to £8 each.” The herd was being diiven by Mr “Mick” Coogan who gave a graphic description of tlier mad antics of the elements. He had penetrated about miles into the gorge, despite the wind and rain, and was congratulating himself on his progress when suddenly great masses of earth, trees and debris roared down from the precipitous hillside full into the strung-out herd, flinging the bullocks in all directions and dividing the herd in two. Many animals were probably buried by tons of earth. Mr Coogan rode forward to turn back the main portion of the wildly millin££ cattle, but another enormous mass hurtled down from the hillside and split the herd in three and scattered them in all directions. Jhe cattle were mad with excitement, and the air was filled with fiymg leaves and branches. Mr C oogan managed to turn back the rearmost portion of the herd to open (■ountry, where they were secured in a paddock. Another portion was driven up the valley, and the third was simply scattered into the bush.