THE WEATHER.

Colonist, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8300, 15 July 1895, Page 4

THE WEATHER.

HEAVY SHOW SiORMS IN THE SOUTO. A CORRESPONDENT of tllG * North Otago Times ' writes : — Never since a white man settled in the Upper Waitaki district is there any recollection of a winter like the present. Heavy snow storms there have been, but never such a continuance of snow storms as have been experienced this winter. The ' Otago Daily Times ' says : — A large slip near Deep Stream blocked the Otago Central railway line on Saturday, and the morning train to Hyde could not get through. The passengers walked across the slip and were taken on by a ballast train. It is estimated that about 100 tons oi stuff fell on the line. A gang of sixty men with two ballast trains were at work clearing away the slip, and it is expected that the train to Hyde will be able to run right through this j morning. The evening train from Hindon had a very narrow escape from what might have proved a serious accident. After leaving Hindon the engine crashed into a huge bouldei which had fallen between the sleepers. The engine mounted the boulder and was brought to a standstill, instead oi being thrown off the rails. Tbe ballasting had to be dug away from around and underneath the boulder in order to remove it. A number of Ellesmere settlers have come up to the townships while others are sticking to their houses, and going to and fro in boats. One man (says • Press ') spent several nights on a table, and was rescued later on from a perilous position by some neighbors with a boat. Before he removed his wife and family they were tramping about the house with six inches of water over the floor. In addition to the discomfort in the house the whole of the land was under water. Another settler had two feet of water in his house. His family were outside camped on some higher ground a distance away under a large gorse fence, where they had kindled a large fire to warm themselves. There are a number of cases equally as bad as these two. The ' Press ' Timaru correspondent writes : — There is very bad news from Mackenzie. The country has been wholly under snow this month past, and not a bare patch is to be seen. The ranges on the east side are badly snowed too, and the loss of sheep will be enormous, on some runs practically total. At Tekapo station the men have not even been able to get out to look at the sheep. The snow is Bft on the flat, and 10ft on the ranges. Only fragmentary news is to hand of the disasters by the snow in the Mackenzie country. Mr Cowan, of Tekapo station, it is said, cannot find any of his sheep on Eollesby ; also nearly all the sheep are lost on Mount Nessing, only about -100 having been found out of a flock of 4000. Mr Arthur Hope is trying to save the most valuable of his stud flock, but it is said to be doubtful if he will be able to get them on to the low country in time to save them. Mr John Rutherford has a large party of men out, and has succeeded in saving a good many sheep so far. The Council's snow plough has been kept busy at work, but as fast almost as a track is made it is snowed up again. The disaster is certainly the greatest which has befallen the Mackenzie country for many years, and it will be weeks yet before the full extent of it is known. The weather is the worst experienced for years on the West Coast. Burkes Pass is blocked with snow.