CYCLONIC GALES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 695, 21 June 1929, Page 11

CYCLONIC GALES

FLOOD AT HUNTERVILLE EXPRESS’S NARROW ESCAPE (Special to THE SUN) ' MARTON, Today. Heavy rainfall, accompanied by cyclonic gales were experienced at Rangtikei yesterday, close on two inches falling in 24 hours. The roads in the Hunterville district are inundated almost to a point of being impassable, while water has entered shops in Hunterville, inflicting minor damage. Several back-country roads are blocked by slips, but the highways fortunately are all clear. Disaster almost befel the south-bound New Plymouth express when, at the Turakina higway bridge, a big slip came down and derailed the front bogey wheels of the engine. Fortunately the train was not travelling fast, otherwise a serious mishap would have been recorded. The slip evidently came down simultaneously with the passing of the train. Workmen and the train crew got. busy and within thirteen minutes the engine had been righted and the train was on its way. The bridge referred to was built last year, eliminating a level crossing, and one of the approaches runs under a fairly steep bank. It was part of this bank that came down on the line. Further small slips have taken place since, but the line is being kept clear. GALE AT WHAKATANE ROOF BLOWN OFF STORE (Special to THE SUN) WHAKATANE, Thursday. During a sever© easterly gale in the Whakatane district yesterday, the power board’s store was unroofed. The wind caught the iron roof and scattered the sheets along the street. A section of the roof was carried bodily for a considerable distance. As a result of the roof being removed, the electrical goods in the store were damaged by rain. A plate glass window in the building adjoining the power board’s store was blown in, and a large hoarding at the corner of Louvain Street was blown down. Many haystacks in the district were damaged, and two or three cases are reported of motor-car hoods being blown off. A settler of the White Pine bush area, Mr. R. Burr, had an unenviable experience At the height of the gale, the corrugated iron covering blew off a haystack. During a lull in the storm Mr. Burr got on the stack to repair the damage. Just as the work was almost finished, another gust of wind blew the covering off again, carrying Mr. Burr with it for about 20 yards, but he escaped injury.