GALE DAMAGE IN PALMERSTON NORTH

Chronicle (Levin), 16 April 1947, Page 6

GALE DAMAGE IN PALMERSTON NORTH

• AEROPLANE AT MILSON SWEPT INTO DITCH / Yesterday morning Palmerston North awoke to a trail of storm damage following tlre heavy easterly gale whieu reapked 60 m.p.h. at times., A hev Lodestar aircraft at Milson aerodronm was picked up from its xnoorings by the force of the wind and linaliy depositeil in a ditch on the edge of the iiying' field. It is' understood tliat the crai't was awaiting the installati'on . of it-. engines and .consequently p'ossessed a buoyancy. whieh made it an easy pre.y of ihe gale. When the wind .wai at its lieight coneern.was felt t'or the safety of the aircraft parked on the tarmac, and it was deeided that the light, engineless ehassis would be better for some reinforcement of its moorings. While arrangemeuts were beiug made for a securer anchorage, the crai't disappeared into the darkness, aud was later discovered on the far side of the field, still upright but considerably daniaged. Other aircraft parke'd ou tho tarmac withstood the most strenuoui efforts of the gale to dislodge them. At Massey College1 a large pine trc-e was blown aeross a student 's car whieh was extensively damaged. The iron roof whieh landcd on the house occupied by Mrs. J. C. Marchant in Oakley Street, came from off a slied in the horse lines of the Showgrounds where the gale also removed several doors from the cattle pens and, in addition, damaged a length of fence, facing Cuba Street, and a large corrugate.l iron building on the. Waldegrave Street side of the grounds. At Awapuni racecourse, in additionto minor damage to trees and gardens, a large seetion of the horse-box building has lost its roof whieh is lying aeross the road at the main entrance. One resident in the northern seetion of the city who left his large touring car parked in the street last night, awoke this morning to find it blown some 40 yards down the street and minus all traces of hood and sideeurtains. The Linton district also was hard hit. One farmer awoke to find his cowshed open to the weather, with its rooling iron scattered, and damage was also suffered by haystaclcs and shelter trees. The gale hit Linton, Awapuni, Longburn, Bunnythorpe and right up as far as the Pohangina Vallev, where the supplv of power was interrupted at midnight. The first call was at 2 a.m., and subsequent complaints co,ncerned mostly brolcen wires struck by falling treest i Approximately 100 power lines were brought down in the city area, about 50 of whieh were between houses and poles. In the vieinity of Massey College approximately a quarter of a mile of power lines Avere blown down, including one or two power poles.*