SOUTHERN GALE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 528, 11 May 1933, Page 5

SOUTHERN GALE

(Press Assn.-

I TERRIFIC VELOCITY ROlOF BLOWN FROM GUARD'S VAN OF FERRY EXPRESS TRAIN SWAYS ON LINE

-By Telegraph — Copyright).

Christchurch, Wednesday A terrific southerly gale, of an estimated velocity of 80 miles an hour, did considerable damage in and around the city last eveninlg. It blew a section from the roof of a guard's van on the returning ferry hoat express, and caused it to foul the overhead equipment, so that th'e Ghrist-ehurch-Lyttelton railway service was seriously dislocated. The earriages of the train rocked until passengers and crew thought they would be blown from the rails. The sway was more than a foot, and •ominous creaking followed each lurch. Some men were blown from the track on the Woolston station. One passenger, who was waiting, was blown •across the line twice when tryinig to make for the sdgnal box in order to find out when the . train was due. As th'e train approached he had to hold j on to the hand-railing heside the plat- j form to avoid being blown under the I wheels of the oncoming unlighted I train. i Signial Box Sways { There was a signalman on duty in | the signal box at Woolston, and he J was afraid that th'e tall two-storeyed huildinig would be blown over. Between 9 and 10 o'clock the box swayed alarmingly at times, and the rear | of the building lifted inches from f the foundations and tilted alarmingly j over the track. [, Many exciting incidents occurred in the eourse of repair work to the electrified railway. A gang of linesmen, working at the h'ead of a swaying | ladder, held in position by the efforts of six men, freed the overhead electrie power line of the steamer train. It was diificult and danigerous work,

wmcn, witn otner complications, took two hours to complete. Meanwh'ile the crew and passengers of the 9.40 p.m. train from Lyttelton were marooned between Heathcote and Woolston. Frequent power failures occurred in the city, many fences being blown down. The gale also damaged boats in the harbour.