WELLINGTON GALE

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 7, 30 July 1930, Page 5

WELLINGTON GALE

BUFFETED BY STORM i:Jjm STEAMER RETURNS HIGH SEAS BREAK ON BOARD WELLINGTON, July 2i). The .steamer Ngaio left U clnnglou according to schedule last night, tlie conditions being suck tkat it was -decided to attempt to make the trip lu shelter of the harbour the severity of iiie sionu was fully apparent and CapNelson, but once she was clear of the tain Vasia decided to turn back when the Heads were reached. Conditions outside the entrance were described as being the worst lor many years. The ship ran into severe squalls accompanied by more than a sprinkling of sleet. The wind was a full gale, driven before exceptionally high seas, which repeatedly broke on board. Despite the pounding, the Ngaio came through undamaged, but one of the firemen, J. Sauudersou, during the height of the storm out near the Heads, was thrown from his bunk and had some ribs brotcen. He was taken to the hospital' by the city ambulance after the vessel had berthed at Taranaki fct. Wharf about 9.30 p.m. The Maori aud the Matangi, which arrived this morning from Lyttelton and Nelson respectively, had a following wind and arrived on time. Hutt Valley has been fortunate in oscaniiur serious damage, but the full fury of the storm, combined with the extremely high tide, made the Day’s Bay road almost impassable. Last evening and again this morning for practically the whole length from Point Howard to Eastbourne, waves lashed over the road, carrying with them not only sand and shingle but boulders of 10 or 15 pounds weight. The most dangerous part was Point Howard, for the recent road widening had left on the side not only boulders but heaps of clay which, washing over the highway made travelling dangerous. In addition to other obstruction mounds of kelp littered the road in heaps IS inches high. The County Council had this morning cleared the worst of the debris and men are now engaged scraping theb itumen clear. In the height of the gale, about 7.30 o’clock last evening, a wild swan struck aud carried away all three wires of the 11,000-volt main feeder on the Pctoue Esplanade. The disturbance in the load resulted in the main cut-outs, throwing practically the whole of the Power Board’s district into darkness with most impressive effect for those who happened to be abroad. The damaged section was isolated and power was turned on again in about twenty minutes. There was another interruption about 6 a.m. today, but by 8 a.m,. the damego had been repaired and the supply was reported to be normal. The effect of the abnormally high tide in the backing up of harbour water by the southerly gale was seen at high tide yesterday afternoon, when the sea rose within two inches of the level of the bitumen surface at the 1 corner of .Randwick and Hutt Park roads, Lower Hutt. The water rose higher two years ago, but on that occasion the combination of high tide and southerly gale was accompanied by an abnormally heavy rainfall which Hooded the Hutt River.