The Weather.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 376, 23 July 1903, Page 5

The Weather.

A RECORD GOLD SNAP.

The weather prevailing in Alexandra during the last ten days has been the severest experienced within the memory of the oldest inhabitants of the district. Succeeding the snowfall, came an exceptionally severe frost, which had the effect of entirely suspending all outdoor work. ' The severest sold was expereinced on Thursday and Friday last, and the piercingly cold mists, which have almost continually obscured the sun, added a degree of discomfort that had to be experienced to be adequately realised.

On Friday, in Alexandra, the thermometer registered 6 degrees below aero; but we have not heard of any one who was sufficiently courageous to teetfthe temperature during the coldeat part of the night, A good deal of damage was done in various shops, owing to the bunting of bottles containing liquids, and it was a common sight to see bottles of lemonade, 4c,, frozen in a solid mass, with the glass of the bottles burst into pieces, The local butchers were for several days obliged to cut steak with a heavy chopper, the meat being frozen solid. The snowfall in tAlexandra was comparatively light, and the snow has almost disappeared from the lowerlying flats. In the neighboring district*, however, snow is still lying to a depth of a foot and 18 inches, and mining operations are of course entirely suspended. In the Ida Valley. Matakanui, Ophir, and Bald Hill Flat districts, it is feared the losses of stock will be heavy. The severity of the weather has been highly destructive to rabbits and •mall birds—especially to the latter, which have perished by hundreds.

The train and mail service to Central Otago has been-completely disorganised, and the train to Ida Valley is not yet able to run with ordinary regularity. Should a wind arise before a thaw sets in, it is feared that the railway cuttings near Wedderburn will be blocked with drifting snow, and cause farther delay in restoring communication.

For a week past the mails between Alexandra and Dunedin have been despatched via Roxburgh. The road from Ida Valley to Alexandra is in such a fearful state that it is positively unsafe to travel over it, and the coach only gets through with difficulty after a protracted journey.

It is a fortnight yesterday since the last waggon-load of goods to arrive at Alexandra |§& Ic *a v *M e y railway station K is still practically impassable for heavy traffic. Great credit is due to the drivers of Craig and Co.'s coaches for the efforts made by them to deliver the mails and take passengers through. They must, verily, be possessed of even more than ordinary British grit to have attempted the task at all; and it pleasing to us to be able to add that, notwithstanding the dangers and difficulties that beset the .drivers, the journeys have been with- ' out aeodeal,, gg£ 0& :: '' Yesterday; at Alexandra, the weather was slightly warmer, the mist having dispersed, and for a while the thermometer stood at a few degrees above freezing point. At Bald Hill Flat some 18 inches of snow fell during the storm, but this has since thawed somewhat. The frost during the week has been very severe, putting a stop to all outdoor work. It is feared the loss of stock will be rather serious, especially it the weather does not break soon.

The work on the Otago Central Railway between Ida Valley and Ohatto Creek had to be suspended on account of the severe weather.

The " Mount Benger Mail" says:— The frost which has been experienced this last few nights is the hardest ever known in the district. On Wednesday morning there were 13 degof frost and yesterday morning 17 deg, while this morning bids fair to supply another record. Mr John Elder informs us that a number of fowls roosting in trees at his place were lying dead under the trees yesterday morning, and several half grown cats were also frozen to death.

Says the " Like County Press ": The heaviest snowfall for many years —in fact the oldest residents say it is the heaviest that has ever fallen on the low-lying country in the Wakatipu—occurred on Friday night, 10th inst. For a week before residents had been commenting on the mildness of the winter, but they received- a rude shock on Saturday morning. There was fully 18in of snow in the main street, while at the Arrow Junction there was two feet. Considerable damage has been done to the telegraph lines, and Arrowtown has been cat off from communication with the outside world since Saturday. The Wanaka mailman was unable to get through on Saturday with the mails, and the Cromwell coach did not reach Artowtown till near 9 p.m. The telegraph linemen are busily engaged in making repairs to the lines, but it will be some time before telegraphic communication is restored.

At Benmore Station (Waitaki) on Friday there was four feet of snow on the flat, and it was thought impossible to save the sheep, the efforts of the station hands at Kurow being directed to succoring the horses and cattle. Tn that district the mortality among sheep wjll be heavy. At Gladbrook station last Friday the thermometer registered 13 degrees below zero, and on Saturday 7 degrees below zero.