THE WEATHER.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16263, 13 July 1918, Page 9

THE WEATHER.

SKCHV SLOWLY DISAPPEARING

LITTLE NEWS OF STOCK LOSSES

The weather yesterday was as pleasant as it was disagreeable the day before. There was very little frost in the early morning, and all day the sky was practically cloudless, with bright sunshine. In the sun it was positively hot about ipidday, but last evening the glittering stars and the clear-cut moon gave promise of a frost.

The transmission of power from the Lake Coleridge Hydro-Electric Station ha 3 now regained ita normal condition of monotonous efficiency, and the same may be said of the railways. The post and telegraph offioials, however, are still hard at work repairing the tangled mess of telegraph and telephone wires on the northern route via Waiau and Cheviot. At the present time tho telegraphic communication between tho North and South Island consists of a direct "quad" from Wellington to Dunedin, and from Christchurch two "quads" to Wellington via tho West Coast, a "duplex" to Wanganui, and a "duplex" to Nelson. It may bo explained that a "quad" is a line on which, at each end, two men can send messages and two receive them. Tho lino is now reported fairly clear between Waiau and Kaikoura, and it is expected that it will bo in working order to-day, though the repairs are, of course, of a temporary nature; A tangle still remains to be unravelled, however, on the Choviot route, and it will be some time yet before it is accomplished.

OXFORD. The rainfall since the commencement of the storm on July Ist is 3.74 inches. It has been stated that it takes about 10 inches of snow to equal one inch or rain. By the 6th there was a thaw equal to .98 inches. On the 10th there was a great thaw, and 2.4 inches were indicated. The balance of the thaw, together with the rain on Thursday, was responsible for .36 inches. There is still a considerable amount of snow everywhere. While spurs and steep slopes are beginning to show surface, on the flat there is very little clearance. Yesterday afternoon there was about 6 inchcs at Cast Oxford. The roads are in a very bad state. It is thought that something might have been done by tho County Council to make tracks, but this has not been done. At the present rate of thaw it will be some days before road traffic returns to normal.

HANMER SPRINGS. The weather has been fine since the snowßtorm, and the snow is gradually disappearing. Business is going on as usual, and no real hardship has been experienced. On Wednesday, a car from the Queen Mary Hospital got to within 8 miles of Culverden, but could get no further, as nothing had been done to the road at that end. Two trips with tho road grader would have made a good track. In spite of tho difficulties experienced at the Culverden end, Mr Mockett got through to Hanmer about 8.30 p.m. on Thursday with his motor, and the hospital received a supply of flour and butter. There are a few people wanting to leave Hanmer, but they will have to remain prisoners for some time yet. Tho mountains are a beautiful sight. No information is to hand regarding the sheep and cattle that are snowed in. It is nearly impossible to cross the passes to tho Clarence Valley, where the bulk of the stock is. The local people are waiting very anxiously for the traction engine to come through, as horse feed is getting scarce, and there are tons of chaff to be cut.

CULVERDEN. The snow is making very slow, progress towards disappearing, in spite of several beautifully fine, days, and one day's rain since the big fall. Losses of stock are being reported in the district. The sheep were got out of the snow all right, but the dry feed is telling on them, and a good many axe dying. The snow is still lying on the paddocks, and as frost is experienced nearly every night, there seems, a prospect of it remaining for 6ome time yet. LEE'S VALLEY SETTLERS. A meeting was called by the Mayoi (Mr H Holland) yesterday, to discuss the taking of steps to relieve the men snow-bouna at Lees Valley. Th were present besides his Worship, SubInspector Mullaney, Mr L. M. Is 1". MP Mr J. B. Laurenson, and Mr \v. Massey. The, Mayor tendered an apology for absence from Mr W. J • Dickief M.P., who stated that he was ready to co-operate in any scheme. The Mayor said he had been approached that morning by eome gentlemen who were anxious for something to be done to get into to" ch , w i th ;™, men at Lee's valley. He had communicated with the Telegraph Department, but they coula not get communication beyond Rangiora. He did not think the men would starve, because it was a sheep country, and they must have stocks of potatoes and flour, but the danger was that they might try to get out, and get frost-bitten, and starve fn doing so. Mr A. Boyle had told him that a party of seven that morning haa expected to get through by the evening He (Mr Holland) Ead thought of utilising the generous offer of. the Automobile Association and organising a search party. They also had a soldiers' car which could carry six or seven persons comfortably. __ Mr Massey said that Mr Geo. White had interviewed the polico authorities on the subject of providing a relief party, hut they had referred him to the military authorities. Owing to Colonel Chaffey being engagea he could not be seen, and Mr C. W. Hervey secretary of the Aviation Company, had then been interviewed. He had got into touch with the Hon. H. F. Wigram, chairman of directors of the company, with regard to a proposal to despatch aeroplanes to Log s Valley, hut Mr Wigram said the machines could not go further than 30 or 40 miles without re-charging- , „ Mr Laurenson stated that Mr C. Wood, officer in charge of the C.D.C., said he was only too willing to cooperate in relief measures The Mayor said that while Lee's V alley was outside his jurisdiction, he was not going to let any feeling of courtesy interfere with the saving of life. Mr L Birks had informed him that the Public Works Department were acting energetically in the matter and the •services of a guide from Mt. Cook had been secured. Mr F. Copper, secretary of the Efficiency Board in Canterbury, had reported that a number of snowrakes would arrive that evening from Fairlie. He (Mr Holland) therefore felt quite satisfied that the Government authorities were moving in the matter He did not think anything further could be done by those at the meeting until the following day Sub-Insi>ector MuTlaney said morning, if circumstances required it yesterday afternoon, a. party C °^nment g G. Gnrtley (Lands <w£w«*J K?*! Mttlcrt, ip'tt Christflinrch called - that during the hold-up of the

Lake Coleridge electrical transmission lines last week, Mr Young did excellent work amongst the Bnow, The party, which left bv motor-car, had with't three pairs of ski, and one pair of snow shoes. They expected to reach Bennetts last evening, the limit of travel by motor, owing to the depth of the snow between that place and Oxford. They expected that they would have to walk the five or six miles between Bennetts and Oxford.

The immediate objective of the party is to ascertain what has befallen Mr George Bruce, one of the Lee's Valley soldier settlers. Mr Bruce accompanied Mr Waters'b party, which was unable, earlier in the week to reach Lee's Valley, for a P»rt of the way, but parted company with it at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, when it reached the Ashley Gorge road. Mr Bruce was most anxious to reach his hut, which is situated four or five miles westward of the Wharfdale huts, liis anxiety being intensified by the fact that he had left a young fellow about 20 years of age in the hut. Consequently Mr Bruce decided t.o attempt the Ashley Gorge road route, and refused to listen to the advice of the other members of the party. Since then nothing has been heard of Mr Bruce, and, though a search-party left Oxford yesterday to endeavour to find him, it is nob anticipated that it would he able to go far. The party which left town yesterday is not very optimistic regarding the possibility of effecting communication with the snowed-in settlers via the Ashley Gorge route, as it is surmised that the road will be obliterated by tho heavy snowfall.

LITTLE RIVER. A heavy sou'-westcr set in on Thursday, increasing in violence towards the evening. Lake Forsyth, which is very high at present, was very rough, and the water broke over the railway line. Yesterday morning the surfacemen reported that it was undermining the railway bank about three miles from Little River. The bank is washed out in a dozen places, the longest about thirty feet. The train from Little River did not run through yesterday morning, but was expected to get through in tho afternoon. Tho weather moderated during the night, and yesterday was a perfect day. The Wairewa County Council's men went down yesterday to start letting out Lake Forsyth.

GERALDINE. Tho snow is fast disappearing in Geraldine, •and the loss of stock will not be nearly so great as at first feared, though somo runs will suffer and care be needed with the sheep that havo been snowed in. Ono settler took four days driving his sheep 16 miles after getting them out. Some snow-rakers report cdming across a fairly large horseshoe piece of clear country amongst the snow on which a considerable number of sheep had taken refuge.