THE STORM IN THE SOUTH

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 247, 6 July 1918, Page 8

THE STORM IN THE SOUTH

s r By Telegraph—Press Association. 9 Christchurch, July 5. •<■ The electric supply is again available from Lake Coleridge, one transmission !- line being restored late last night, e Telegraphic communication with the North Island is confined 'to olie line on 1 the West Coast route, and there is no i- hopeful news concerning the East Coast lines, e , Tho weather lias now cleared, but reo ports state that serious loss by sheep e owners is expected, particularly in the ,1 'baok country. Later, y There are indications to-night of a r north-west wind (warm) setting in, in 0 which case losses of sheep will not bo so r heavy as at first anticipated. It is nnt derstood that in some districts to-day, ii under tho influence of tho warm sunr shine and nor'-west wind, about a foot of snow disappeared; and from vantago r points holes mado by snowed-in sheep r are visible. There is only one telegraph e line through to Wellington. Power is i again being derived from Lake Coleridge. The Whitcclift's, Oxford, and West Coast - railways are still snow-bound. Much s damage has been caused in tho country t through stables, barns, verandahs, and s other buildings collapsing under tho j weight of snow, t Tho Dominion Meteorologist, Mr. D. C. Bates, who returned from tho south yesterday, informed a reporter that tho snowstorm in Canterbury was reported to bo the most severe experienced for a long time. Though a little sleet fell in the far south, and the weather was very cold, there was hardly any snow. It was in Canterbury chiefly that tho snow fell. Last Friday warnings of the pro- . bability of a snowstorm wero sent out by i tho Assistant Meteorologist, Mr. Pemberi ton. In Christchurch on Thursday even- - ing, added Mr. Bates, it was fltrango to i' sco tho trains coining in carrying a foot 9 of snow in the trucks, and tho cow- ■» catchor piled up with 6now. One train i was reported snowed-in in tho country 5 beyond Springfield, and no mails had f been sent to or received from the West • Const for a week. 1 Tho Secretary to tho General Post - Office (Mr. AV. R. Morris) yesterday received the following communication from t tho postmaster at Greyinouth :—"The 5 weather at Otira and Springfield was i fine this morning. Up to 8 o'clock last i night tho Railway Department had clear- ) ed the line to Kowliai Bush. Beyond f that the trains cannot proceed until « - special locomotive with ice-scrapers, ex--3 pected early to-day, arrives. The chances 3 of a train running from Arthur's Pass ' I to-morrow are not good. A horse-track I has been completed over the gorge, and i an effort to have it fit for light vehicles to-morrow is being made."