STORM HITS WELLINGTON

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 434, 16 August 1928, Page 1

STORM HITS WELLINGTON

Night of Destructive Fury

roads and railways blocked

Press Association.

WELLINGTON, To-day. SO far from easing, the southerly storm which prevailed all yesterday, increased in fury as the evening approached, and the night was an exceedingly wild one. Fences and trees suffered everywhere, and quite a number of big pines were levelled. A house was unroofed at Island Bay, where it was exposed to the full force of the wind, and was thrown on two other houses, which were damaged.

The launch Lorna, which was wrecked sometime ago at the Heads and refloated, was thrown ashore high and dry, and other small boats at Island Bay also suffered. Through the electric lines being damaged, the power was cut off in byall Bay this morning. Numbers of windows have been blown in at various places. Slips are reported everywhere, none however, being apparently serious, except the great one on the Hutt Road at the new tunnel mouth and extending to the cycle track, almost cutting off traffic. It is lucky it has not done so as the railway washouts are such that, from present reports, it may possibly be some weeks before traffic can be restored. The looee, rotten rock, where the new railway line at Tawa Flat leaves the Hutt Road, has always given trouble, and it is here that the big slip has come down on the Hutt Road. It is at least half the size of the slip near Ngahauranga last winter. There is just room for one-way traffic, as was also the case a year ago. It is fortunate that the ground above the tunnel did not give way as the workers might temporarily have been imprisoned. Small slips have occurred at other parts of the deviation works. The public works department is collecting all plant, men and material that can be spared, and all the resources of the department are being placed at the disposal of the Railway Department. A steam shovel is being put on and material from the slip will he used for the railway washouts. Apart from the big slip on the Hutt Road no serious slips are reported, though minor ones have occurred in a number of places. A lorry ran into one in the Horohiwi Valley, where a big slip occurred recently, but the road was cleared by 10.45 a.m. Service cars, however, by that time had sent passengers and luggage on by rail. Small slips are reported on the Rimutaka Hill and also In the Taita Gorge.

The City Council was assisted by the release of all possible conveyances, but was obliged to carry on its own bus services in the suburbs, and so could relieve the position but little. It had its own problems, slips on the Seatoun, Brooklyn, and Wadestown Roads having to be cleared. On the Wadestown tram route early passengers had to be conveyed by bus. Every available vehicle will be put on the Hutt Road to cope with the heavy homeward loading this evening.

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SEA UNDERMINES LINE petone trains held up Press Association. WELLINGTON, To-day. Heavy southerly seas breaking on the line to Petone have breached the wall and temporarily stopped trains. All traffic is at present conducted by buses. The line is a double one, and the outer one is hanging by the sleepers in several places. This has always been a weak spot and frequently suffers in heavy southerly weather such as is being experienced this week. According to advice received from Wellington by the Railway Department this morning there is no traffic except by bus between Lower Hutt and Lambton station. Passengers wishing to go over this route must make other arrangements. The heavy storm which has been raging in Wellington has been responsible for a number of washouts between Petone and Ngahauranga, and all trains are unable to run. Repair gangs are out and the damaged line will be restored as Quickly as possible.

SLIP AT MT. MESSENGER

TRAFFIC HELD UP (Special to THE SUN) NEW PLYMOUTH, Wednesday. The road between Taranaki and Auckland was blocked by a big slip on the south side of Mount Messenger this morning. It is reported that about 200 tons of earth and debris fell to the roadway, and traffic was held up for many hours while the track was cleared. The first cars got through this afternoon. The heavy rain which had been falling practically continuously during the past three days has ceased. MAORI AND WAHINE MEET STRONG GALE Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, To-day. The Wahine arrived from Wellington at 9.15 a.m., over two hours late. She met with a strong southerly gale, and the vessel pitched heavily. The expresses were delayed for the convenience of through passengers. The Maori was delayed by the storm, and did not reach Wellington until 10.30 this morning. To save time, she berthed at the Taranaki Street wharf.