GRIPPED BY SNOW

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20000, 27 July 1939, Page 6

GRIPPED BY SNOW

ACCESS CUT OFF BANKS PENINSULA AREAS 15FT. DEEP ON ROAD LAUNCH TAKES FOOD PLIGHT OF SETTLERS (Per Press Association.) •CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Fifteen feet of snow is covering carts of the m'ain highway to Akaroa and practically the whole of Banks Pcn’insui'a will 'be isolated for the best part of a week.

So tilers in the outlying districts will be in a bad way, lor they have received 'no fresh food since Friday. Sixty men in a Public Works Department road camp near Duvauehells 'had been without food for two clays until the launch arrived with supplies .from Akaroa this interning.

At Little River a rapid thaw set in to-clby, increasing the possibility of a serious flood. An attempt'will be made to open L'ake Forsyth -to-morrow.

To-clay the weather had cleared on the peninsula, although Hilltop was still experiencing occasional snow and sleel showers.

The steamer John Anderson left Lyt teflon this morning with food supplies for the eastern bays, which arc isolated. Lake Ellesmere, which yesterday almost blocked road traffic at Knituna, had receded to-day with the slackening of the south-west gale, which had banked the waters over the highway. Washout's on the railway line at Birdling’s Flat -and Kaituna still blocked the trains.

The storm which raged over the peninsula for three days struck Christchurch last night, the fall starting about G o’clock and continuing in fierce squalls until the early hours of the morning. In southern parts of Christchurch upwards of Sin. of snow lay on the ground this morning. In the northern suburbs the fall was not so heavy.