PATH OF STORM

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19808, 9 December 1938, Page 13

PATH OF STORM

■TRAIL OF DAMAGE CANTERBURY EXPERIENCE SERVICES INTERRUPTED TREE CRASHES ON TRAIN LAMP PAULS IN STREET (P«r Truss Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. ■Extensive damage to power and telephone services m North Canterbury /was done yesterday by a northwesterly gale of exceptional severity. Numerous faults occurred in the telephone system in Christcnurcn, these being caused through wires crossing and limbs of trees becoming entangled in the (wires. Ni> serious damage was done and the only case of injury was that of a woman whose hand was cut by flying fragments of glass when a tree fell against the carriage of a train on the wav from Christchurch to Rangiora. The gale was most intense in North Canterbury, where lines and poles were broken. Whole trees and branches were blown across the roads. Breakdowns of electric supply and telephone services were reported from many districts, and linesmen were out working under the most unpleasant conditions all day. Trees uprooted by the fierce wind fell across the' wires, at several places up to 20 miles north of the city, although extensive damage to private property was not serious.

Wheat and oats crops escaped damage which might have been caused had the crops been -more advanced. Little damage was also done in orchards, although at Loburn apples were shaken from the trees in the more exposed orchards. A brick parapet, 3ft. high and 4ft. 6in. long, and about 12ft. of woodwork were blown on to the roof of a twostorey grocer’s shop at North Brighton. No one was injured. A number Of poplar trees at North Brighton were also blown down. When a big safety-week banner, anchored to a heavy iron lamp bracket above the entrance to the municipal offices, was caught by the gale, the lamp was torn from its base and crashed 25ft. into the centre of Manchester street, bringing with it part of the balustrade. Warning that the lamp would fall had been given by the picture theatre rmm'mer and a qu n ue of children waiting to enter the Civic Theatre to attend the screening of a safety-week film were moved out of danger. In the ißotanic Gardens and city reserves, branches were blown from trees, but little damage was done to plants. As is the practice during strong winds, the larger trees in the Botanic Gardens were kept under observation by the staff’ in the interests of public safety.

TOWN STREETS AWASH TARANAKI FLOODING BLOWING OF FUSES (IVr Press Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, this day. The power supply was cut off in South Taranaki and the telephone services from New Plymouth northwards were disrupted by a violent electrical storm which passed over the province yesterday morning accompanied by torrential rain and wind of gale force. Hawera was without power for two and a half hours and at Patea, which is supplied from Hawera, the emergency plants had to be brought into operation. Minor damage to electrical equipment was reported from all parts of the province, transformer fuses being blown out, accompanied at times by loud reports and vivid flashes. Telephone subscribers were cut off and household electrical appliances were affected.

Streets were awash in towns during the height of the downpour and water entered several buildings at Olcato, the coastal area receiving the full force of the fierce westerly. No other serious damage was reported and the storm passed quickly.

TREE FALLS ON TRAIN WINDOWS SHATTERED PASSENGER HURT (Pur Pniss AHHOciatlon.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Crashing on to a Carriage in a passenger train at Styx during the journey from Christchurch to Rangiora yesterday afternoon, a tree, which was brought down by the north-west gale, broke most of "the windows on one side of the carriage. A cut on the hand was received by one of the passengers, Mrs. Bultitude, 10 Edenbridge street, Spreydon, but none of the other passengers was injured. The tree crashed down on tho track after the train had passed, cutting the wires by which the Railway Department maintains communication with Rangiora. The signalling system was not affected.

Due at Rangiora at 12.57 p.m., the train did not arrive there until 1.16 p.m. and was eight minutes late in arriving at Christchurch on the return journey, as there was considerable work to be done in removing the tree from the lino. The damaged carriage was replaced at Belfast.

POWER SHUT OFF

LIGHTNING CAUSES FAULT TARANAKI AFFECTED I Pur Prns» Association.) HAWERA, last night. Lightning this morning caused one of the biggest faults that has developed in the South Taranaki Power Board's undertaking for many years, as a result of which all industrial