BREAK UP OF THE DROUGHT.

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 13049, 8 March 1911, Page 6 (Supplement)

BREAK UP OF THE DROUGHT.

FIERCE SOUTH-EAST GALE.

'FREES BLOWN DOWN

SHIPPING DELAYED

(From "The Colonist," Feb. 27.)

Tlie loag speil of dry weather was broken by a badly needed rain which eet ii.il c:i Friday afternoon- and continued steadily throughout the night, doing a.n immense amount of good to root crops and grass land, and replenishing the oity water supply. Tho rain tfeli steadily all Satuulay morning, and in the afternoon a vio.otit south-east gale sprang up, accompanied by lioavy rain .squalls, and continued with unabated' fury until tho early hours -of yesterday morning. The gaie appears to have baen felt with greatest severity in the Wakapuaka district, where large treo-s" and telegraph posits were blown down. ComnniiMcatiMi \\Mi several suburban offices was interrupted. A large trey was blown across the road near Mr N. A. Maclaren's residence, and several trees at Moiitiiath were blown down. It was reported that the church at Hillside was partially unroofed, also that a chimney had been blown dowiii near Bay View.

The gale was also very severe in the city, but the damage was confined to the breaking of branches and the. uprooting of trees. In Willow Walk four la>rge willow trees were blown across the footpath, and these were cleared away yesterday morning hy Boy Scouts. At the back of the Technical School the trunk of a large willow tore was split, while along the banks of the Maitai and at the Uo-ta-njco.l Reserve branches of these trees wc\rl:- smashed off and carried some distance away. The limbs of several poplars in the Maitai Valley wore blown down, and sonic sheet iron on the roof of-Raglan Brewery was cfii'rkd away. On the Church Hill several gum trees were broken down. A shod, belonging to Mr J. Anstice, baker, which contained a motor ear, was blown over, and the boards had to be removed before the car could be got out. Shipping was delayed by the gale. The Mapourika, which left here on Saturday morning at nine, o'clock for Pioten and Wellington, did not reach the former i>ort until nine o'clock yesterday morning—the trip thus occupying twenty-fonr hours. She was probably beating about the ISay all aright. The"Mapourika. resumed her voyage to Wellington yesterday morning, and readied her destination at 3.5 p.m. The Pateena, which kft Nelson at 1 p.m. on Saturday for Wellington direct, did not reach that-port until 10 -10 yesterday morning. The Aralnira, which sailed from- Wellington for Pic-ton and Nelson on Saturday, had a rough trip across the Straits and .stayed in Picton until yesterday morning, when she resumed her .journey, reaching here at 1 p.m. The. XSikaii had a rough time in the Straits, but "ot here at six o'clock yesterday monidu--;. It hew very hard from the south-east again b.Kt mghtt.