THOUSANDS OF BALES OF WOOL DAMAGED

Chronicle (Levin), 18 February 1947, Page 5

THOUSANDS OF BALES OF WOOL DAMAGED

WELLIN(}TON, Fuh. 17. The AVool DisposaL Commission, which owns all tlie wool at Rongotai exposedby the storm, has not yet had time to tally the exact number of bales affiected but it will run into some thousands.' Danger from falling tiniber prevented" a complete examination yesterday. The wool affeeted will be sorted out, and. the wet bales -will be seut to tlie scouring works for drying, and the drv bales stored elsewhere. The storage questifin presents no difiiculty, as there has been a good elearance of wool lately, but the task of seeuring labour and heavy transport does present a problem. "You had better not go insidethere 's still stuff fij'ing around in there," remarked a P.W.D. oiticial wlten a photographer and reporter arrived al the Exhibition grounds this morning. No. 5 shed, the building nearest Lyall Bay beach, was tlie building he re ferred to. Here -the wind had appar e.ntly first swopt in the big sljdiiiig doors, faeing south, lifted oif the root for a considerable distance, and then blown out both ends.

Tlie undamaged part ot the root shows terrific sears wliere great lieains and sections. of the roof, torn-loo.se at the height of tlie storm, smashed through the remaining planking. Om ■large section of the roof, liaving blown loose, was dragged by the wind some 50 yards across the rest of the roof, and its course is ouflined by deep scoring of tlie tarred-paper rooling. Ncfir the north end of tlie building stood a cistern of fair capacity. Now it leans crazily ov.er the wall of the iiuilding, torn from its bed and dragged out of shape, and is now suspended only by its ,pipe connections.