TREES ACROSS WIRES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19625, 9 May 1938, Page 3

TREES ACROSS WIRES

PARKED CAR STRUCK ENCROACH HUNT liV SKA .MOTORISTS’ ESCAPE A violent gale which blew until an early hour on Thursday morning did little damage on the Rangitaiki Plains roads, all the main highways being open. Toll telephone lines suffered extensively. The new beach line to the East Coast, via Opotiki, was washed out by the seas, and fallen trees broke the Whakatane-Tauranga circuit. Damage to the railway line outside Tauranga was repaired by the evening and the Tancatua express was able to proceed at 7.13 o’clock.

The sea broke through the Matata Lagoon at midnight ana the waves were crossing the highway. About a mile on the Whakatane side of the township a motorist was caught and had difficulty in getting his car out. As the gale subsided Hie water fell. Much damage was done in the Tc Puke district. Residents of No. 2 load were startled at 7 p.m. by the crash of a large blucgum tree, which fell across the road and struck a catparked under its shelter. The road was blocked, but council workmen began the work of clearing the obstruction immediately. The car was extensively damaged.

A large poplar tree fell across the main telephone lines in the vicinity of the Kaituna bridge and a bluegum tree came down across the main road at the entrance to Te Puke, breaking telephone and power lines.

A motorist had a narrow escape from injury near Pukehina, when a large bough fell across the bonnet of his car.