TE AROHA HIT

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 342, 1 May 1928, Page 13

TE AROHA HIT

LARGE HALL RAZED BY GALE HAVOC IN TOWN AND COUNTRY (From Our Own Coi-rcspondent) TE AROHA. To-day. Extensive damage has been done in Te Aroha, and its surrounding districts by the heaviest gale for some years which began on Sunday night and continued all Monday, accompanied by heavy rain. The most serious casualty among a lengthy list of damage to buildings is the wrecking of the big drill hall at Herriesville, which the hurricane razed to the ground. The building was very large but the wind tore it to bits, carrying a huge wall, about 100 ft by 20ft, over a fence nearby, blocking the roadway. The rest of the huge structure is either piled on the foundations or scattered along the neighbouring roadway.

On the same road a new bungalow roof was ripped off and sections carried a quarter of a mile.

At the height of its force yesterday the wind was terrific even making walking on roads and streets hazardous.. It was ludicrous to see people hurled along by the gale, clutch posts and trees for succour. One casualty was a small boy of six years, who was bowled over by the storm and carried several yards.

Roofs, chimneys, fences, garages and outbuildings of various descriptions, and windows, all in various parts of the town were extensively damaged. Motor-car travel was dangerous, many cars having their hoods ripped off.

A serious aspect arose when the power lines crashed. Both telegraph and telephone lines were broken making any communication outside impossible and the business of the whole town practically at a standstill. All the main power lines are down and the local standby plant had to take over.

Most of the damage was confined to roofs lifted, fences levelled, outhouses displaced, or ripped asunder, windows stove in, and trees broken, but in the country districts considerable damage was done to haystacks. In many cases the gale simply hacked stacks to pieces littering the paddocks. Last night heavy rain fell continuously swelling the Waihou River to the first flood of the winter, and making conditions unpleasant for roofless and partly-roofless householders.

The telegraph was re-established last evening. To-day other communication is still broken but gangs are. at work at emergency speed.

The gale caused a postponement of all public functions and the boxing tourney headed by the professionals, Loveridge and Broadfoot, had to be abandoned. The gale has now abated to a stiff breeze. MOTORISTS ESCAPE HALL FALLS ON CAR MOTOR SMASHED (From Our Own Correspondent) TE AROHA, To-day, A motorist and his son had a thrilling experience when the drill hall, under which they were sheltering in their car, collapsed, and smashed the framework of the vehicle to matchwood. They were proceeding along the road when the fury of the gal e nearly lifted the car into' a ditch, and threatening to rip the hood oft. The driver pulled in to the showgrounds and' were sheltering under the drill hall when there was a tremendous burst, and with a cracking and groaning of the beams, the whole building collapsed.

The motorist and his son just had time to jump under the car as the tremendous building hurled itself to the ground, smothering the car, smashing its framework to matchwood and extensively damaging the body. Except for minor abrasions from flying debris they were little the worse for their terrible experience. FLOODS AT PAEROA RIVER RISES FOUR FEET (From Our Own Correspondent) PAEROA, Monday. The heaviest gale for many years has been raging for 24 hours. The Ohinemuri River has risen 4ft, while several verandahs and fences have been blown down. It is difficult to get about, but it seems probable that considerable damage has been done in the outlying district. The electric light service is disorganised. The low-lying lands are flooded and it is generally feared that much damage will be found to have been done. BUSH-WORKER KILLED BY FALLING TOTARA Press Association. TAUMARUNUI, Monday. A bushworker, John Michelach, who was employed on a contract bushfelling at Ongarue, was killed this morning by a falling totara tree, which was blown down by the wind. Mr. Michelach was sleighing posts at the time, and his mate, who observed the danger as the tree fell, called out to him to jump aside. The warning came too late, and he was struck by the tree, being so severely injured that he died within half an hour. Pie leaves a wife and four children, all under the age of 14 years. DARGAVILLE’S SHARE HIGH WINDS AND BIG SEAS (From Our Own Correspondent.) DARGAVILLE, Monday. A lot of minor damage was done in Dargaville to fences, trees and telegraph lines. Communication by telegraph was difficult all day, and it was almost impossible to get in touch with Auckland. The steamers at the wharves received a buffeting, and the waves on the river, backed up by a high wind, are reaching great heights. In the afternoon the wind moderated a good deal and the rain slackened. Eome of the smaller creeks were temporarily flooded. The rain will effectively stop all tourist traffic through the Waipoua Forest road, and it will not be advisable for motorists to attempt a passage until late in the spring, by which time the metalling, now in proi gress, should be nearly completed. TEMPESTUOUS ROTORUA THREE INCHES OF RAIN Press Association. ROTORUA. To-day. The weather here during the past 24 hours has been tempestuous and

very heavy rain has fallen. Three inches have been recorded. It is stili unsettled.

WAIKATO DELUGED MOTOR-CARS IN DITCH DUCK SHOOTERS ABROAD The ravages of the storm were visible along the Main South Road through the Waikato district, yesterday afternoon and last evening, the heavy rain and fierce wind leaving a record of damaged property and flooded areas in its wake. Several accidents resulted from bad visibility, the narrow portion of the road between Mercer and Rangiriri taking a toll of two vehicles. A new heavy Sedan of late model nose-dived precipitately into an eight-foot swamp at the side of the road. A few yards further on a light motor-van succumbed to the treachery of the loose metal and leaned over ungracefully at an acute angle, half in and half out of tke same swampy ditch. Elaborate preparations had been made by sportsmen in anticipation of the opening of the shooting season today, but their carefully constructed bivouacs on the banks of the river, and ; the decoys for wild duck were affected by the storm.