STORM AND FLOOD

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2621, 17 November 1915, Page 6

STORM AND FLOOD

DAMAGE UP NORTH LIGHTNING SHATTERS TIMBER AND STONE Tho storm on Monday night and. yesterday caused a good (leal of minor damage in and about the City, and vessels arriving from Cook Strait report very heavy weather outside. The velocity of tho wind locally was 50 miles an hour, 60 miles being reorded at tho wireless station on Tinakor. Hills. A number of electric light wires were blown down in the City and suburbs, but no serious mishaps are reported. In the South Island. 'The Secretary of tho G.P.O. received the following tclogjam yesterday morning from tho postmaster at. Christchurch : —"Heavy ;slips on the Otira side of the West Coas'; Road. Coaches are not expected to got through before Thursday. Portions of roads carried away." _ , A Press Association message received yesterday afternoon states: "Washouts last night on the Westland railway near Otira. Tho train will not be at>le to run before Thursday next. There is a large slip in the Gorge, and the coaches are hold up."

The Telegraph Department advised at 9 a.m. yesterday: "Communication with Westport- is totally interrupted." Owing to a heavy flood in the Rakaia River, two piles w;re washed out of the railway bridge, and the second express from tho south could not cross. There wore a large number •of passengers aboard, including a detachment of recruits bound for Trentham. The Waimakariri River is also in heavy flood, the surrounding country being submerged to a depth of several feet.— Press Association. Auckland District Suffers. Two thunderstorms of exceptional severity and long duration were experienced throughout the Auckland district during last week-end. The thunder was protracted, and was unusually heavy and severe. Vivic. flashes of sheet and forked lightning illuminated the whole city. A report received from Mr. Clement L. Wragge, of Birkenhead, states that further disturbances are in progress in the sun, under wli ,ch tho earth, by wireless vibrations, is responding. Thus the indications, lio says, are for still further rain and electric disturbances. Ho adds that there are alss indications that the drought in New Sauth Wales, including the north coast, will break before long, and be followed by copious rains. Considerable damage and inconvenienco have been caused throughout the Auckland Province as .a result of the storms. Washouts and landslides occurred along the Main Trunk line, and telegraphic and telephonic communications have been considerably interrupted. The lines between Auckland and the north were cut, and a number of posts were reported to be down at Albany. Considerable damage was done in the King Country and Ranrptikci districts. The Waimiha-Tangitu Road has slipped, and entirely blocked tho road to traffic. The torrential rains at Oliura caused severe losses in stock, fences, and. crops. Telegraphic and mail communications were temporarily cut off. Tho rivers rose to a record height, and much damage was done in the township. Many houses were flooded, and in. places the water was 15ft. above tho level of tho road. Taumarunui's Troubles. 'A report from Taumanmui indicates that the water supply was cut off. A quantity of tho piping which conveys tho wator from the. reservoir was washed away, and the petrol gas supply, worked by a wheel from (he water supply, was disarranged. The 'x)wn was thrown into darkness. Very ieavy floods occurred all over the Taumarunui district. The Waiiganui and Ongarue Rivers rose to within 9in. of tho recent record. The AVaikato River was considerablv swollen, although no damage at Hamilton has been recorded.

A solid concrete wall, 4ft. deep, and with substantial foundations, was struck by lightning in linlmnr.il Road, Auckland, at 4 a.m. on Sunday, and was, shattered. A largo portion of the Mount Roskill district was flooded, and areas were inundated to a depth of sft. in places. The switchboard in the Electric Tramway Company's workshops at Epsom was fused liv the lightning on Sunday morning, and a fire was caused. The outbreak iva<; extinguished by the company's local appliances. The lightning split a liouso chimney in Manukan Road, Onelmnga, from the top to the roof. A tall pirns tree, standing some way back from. Church Street East, was split from top to bottom. ■ Other trees in the'town were damaged.