WINTER’S BLAST

Waikato Independent, Volume XXIV, Issue 3224, 27 May 1924, Page 5

WINTER’S BLAST

TERBITIC STORM.

RAIN, RAIN, RAIN!

' The bad weather of the past week or more culminated last night into one of the worst- storms ever -experienced in this district, which usually escapes the heavy gales that cause such damage in other parts off. the province. Following extremely unpleasant days on Saturday and Sunday, with a lot of rain each •day, it settled down to a steady rain yesterday, continuing with scarcely any break:- At night the wind grew' fiercer, and in the very early 'hours of the district was visited by a violent wale, that caused grave eonceru to many. The majority of local residents were awakened about 1 o'clock this morning by the wind, which came 5n fierce blasts from the south-east, east, and north-east. Houses strained against the elements, in some eases creaking and groaning in such a manner as to cause alarm to the Inmates, and. in certain directions the noise of crashing branches of trees added to the confusion. The ferocity of the storm was at its height between 1 and 2 a.m and shortly after 2 o’clock the wind dropped very rapidly, giving plaee to a calm within a few minutes. Heavy Rainfall.

The present month has been an exceptionally wet one. Rain lias fallen on. fifteen days, the total, to 9 a.m. today being 5.49 in. To-day is the. eleventh wet day in succession, though there was only a trace on tin? 18th, and only .(Klin on the 19th. Eight points fed] on the 20tli; .18in on the 21st; •76in on 22nd; .28in on 23rd: .70in on 25th, and for the 24 hours up to 9 a.m. to-day no loss- than 1.92 in was registered in Cambridge. ‘ • ■ Slight Damage in Town.

Considering the ferocity of the gale, comparatively little damage was done in the town itself. The verandah of Messrs D. Hastic and Co. \s shop premises, Victoria Street, collapsed at. ono end. A sign at Miss Stewart’s Was hurled down - . The glaas in one end of Mr Grime’s verandah was' all smashed, and several weak fences' in various

parts were razed to the ground. The Rtorm appears to have boon in - the nature of a cyclone, for its track was distinctly marked. If seems' to have been exceptionally severe through . Karapiro, and was not quite so heavy on the far side of the river. Old buildings at the eastern end of

Buko Street suffered severely, portions being deposited in various directions. • Several huge limbs of trees came down .-:in the school grounds. Those living along Victoria Street, between the junctions of Quoen Street .-. and Hamilton Road, had a rather territying PlP£<u%Bcd, as many small branches of trewl were deposited on the roofs of their houses, while gardens in the • vicinity "'were in wild disorder with ~ heaps of leaves and branches of trees, from the trees on the main road. The gale was responsible for splitting and demolishing, a larger portion of a very handsome and interesting tree in St. Andrew’s Church grounds—a noble deciduous cypress, a very rare tree in "New Zealand. A large tree near the

Vi ear ago was also demolished. Several large gums, in the vicinity of the water-tower, Hamilton Road, were brought, to' the ground.

A window in Mr H. Bell’s residence

Leamington, was blown in. Half of a largo willow tree near the Drill Hall was blown down, falling across the electric lines. Several large limbs off pinus insignis trees at the poliee station were blown off, and flattened feneos through their’ fall. So severe was the gale that the eon- • crete on the copping of Mr W. Vickers' motor garage, Duke Street, was stripped off. TELEGRAPHIC AND TELEPHONE WIRES. SERIOUS INTERRUPTIONS. CAMBRIDGE ISOLATED. The damage done has caused a very serious interruption of telegraphic and telephonic communication.’’ Wires are down in all directions, and so serious is the damage that Cambridge was completely isolated from the outside world, with the exception of one telephone wire to Hamilton, in place of the usual half-dozen or so. Gangs of men are out effecting repairs, and it is hoped communication will be restored shortly, but as yet the extent of the interruptions is unknown. HAvjjJC WITH POWER LINES. PARTICfte'AELy IN NORTH W.EST AREA. An Independent, reporter accompanied the Power Board's engineer (Mr H. G. Oaten) early this morning in an in--fcpeetion of the north-west portion of the district, particularly the Hautapu No. 1 and 2 Station Roads, and in the vicinity of the Showgrounds and Hamilton Road. The damage to power and telegraph linos is very oxtensiyjj, and * bears striking testimony of the tjtestfue-r-tive power'of the cyclonic'storm.

On the road to Hautapu, a continuation of Vogel Street, the Public Works Department gang is hard at work repairing a main 11,000 volt- high tension •wiro, which has been completely broken by a huge macroearpa from a belt of trees on the Showgrounds. The break is right alongside Mrs Watt’s residence This road presented an indescribable picture oarly this morning, with twelve trees down in various places and with the telegraph lines smashed. With the -open paddocks before,this belt of trees, they experienced the full force of the gale.

The Public Works Department 50,000 volt high tension main line is down between Cambridge and Mystery Creek. The exact spot has not yet been located. Along the Hamilton-Canribridge Road, at Messrs J. Fisher’s and A. Forrest’s properties, the Cambridge Power Board’s gang has much damage to repair, large pines having come down in two places and the 3000 volt lines being broken in about a dozen plaecs. The full fury of the storm appears to have been felt more in the north-west region of the district, as on the southeast (Leamington side) only one break has been notified, next Mr F. Lye’s property at Pukekura, the line being down through a falling tree. AT HAMILTON. HORAHORA POWER INTERRUPTED By Telephone—Special to Independent. HAMILTON, this day. The storm last night was terrific, but comparatively little damage was done in Hamilton. Horahora power was cut off, causingvery serious inconvenience, and it was feared this might interfere with the Show arrangements. However, the break was made good at: about 9 a.m. A great number of trees are down on the road between here and Morrinsvillc and the road is in a frightful state, as a result of the continued rain. Word has been received that much damage has been done in To Aroha by the floods, which are, exceptionally high. The. Waikato River is very high, having risen about six to seven feet, and is still rising. FLOODS AT TE AROHA. THE WAIHOU OVERFLOWS. (By Telegraph—Press Association) AUCKLAND, this day. The Waihou River at Te Aroha overflowed, and many farms are covered with water. . A shop in the Gordon district, the Shaftesbury Bridge and its approaches are submerged. At Mangaiti all low farms are flooded. The river has risen seven feet siiqm Friday, and is still rising. DELUGE AT TAURANGA. • THREE DAYS’ DOWNPOUR. FALL OF H INCHES. (By Telegraph—-Press Association) TAURANGA, last night. Notwithstanding a material daily rise in the barometer reading since Thursday, until it now stands where we should have the finest of weather, Tauranga has had almost continuous rain since that day, and at present there are no signs of improvement. There has been a fall of 5-J inches of rain in the last three days. No damage is reported, but car services are almost impossible. STORM AT PAEROA. OHJNEMURI RISING RAPIDLY. (By Telegraph—Press Association) PAEROA, last night. A severe easterly gale is blowing here accompanied by torrential rain. Since last night Ohinemuri River lias been rising rapidly. No .damage has been done’so far. 'Electric power failed this morning owing to several poles falling and damaging the lines. EFFECTS OF STORM. SLIPS AND WASHOUTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association) AUCKLAND, this day. Heavy and continuous rain in Auckland has prevented cargo work and as berths are all occupied four vessels will have to anchor in stream to-day. North-ea»f storm oil the coast has been very severe, and delayed shipping, especially coasters. Puhoi reports state that flood waters are again as high as in April, and.goods in the stores have been; removed to a plaee of safety. • Two slips on the railway between Auckland and Helcnsville, near Swanson, caused interruptions in the service, passengers to and from the city transferring by motor cars. North of Helensville there is one bad slip and the line is under water. Minor slips oecurrod on the Waihi line near Karangahnke, and there are washouts at Mangaiti on the Thames line.

It is hoped that the Helens villc line will be cleared to-day. .

HOUSE BREAKS UP. RESULT OF RAINS. SUNK FOUR FEET IN NIGHT. (By Telegraph—Press Association) AUCKLAND, this day. As a result of the heavy rain an eight-roomed residence of Percy W. Balland at Northeote Inst, night began to sag, and Balland, his wife and family removed to quarters elsewhere. This morning the house had sunk four feet, the whole lower storey being hopelessly wrecked, while the upper structure looked like breaking in the middle. Neighbours assisted in removing the furniture at some risk from breaking timber. Balland suffered a similar loss a few years ago. when a landslip carried his tenant’s house over the cliff and destroyed their house on the opposite side of the street.