STORM IN WELLINGTON

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1037, 30 July 1930, Page 16

STORM IN WELLINGTON

STEAMER DRIVEN BACK WATERFRONT DAMAGE Press Association WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The steamer Ngaio left Wellington according to schedule last night, the conditions being such that it was decided to attempt to make the trip to Nelson, but once she was clear of the shelter of the harbour the severity of the storm became fully apparent, and Captain Vasta decided to turn back when the heads were reached. The conditions outside the entrance were described as being the worst for many years. The ship ran into severe squalls, accompanied by more than a sprinkling of sleet. Tho wind was a full gale, driving before it exceptionally high seas, which repeatedly broke on board. Despite the pounding, the Ngaio came through undamaged, but one of the firemen, J. Saunderson, during the height of the storm out near the heads, was thrown frorfi his bunk and had some of his ribs broken. He was taken to hospital by the city ambulance after the vessel had berthed at the Taranaki Street wharf about 9.30 p.m. The Maori and Matangi, which arrived this morning from Lyttelton and Nelson respectively, had a following wind, and arrived on time. The Hutt Valley has been fortunate in escaping serious damage, but the full fury of the storm, combined with an extremely high tide, made Day's Bay Road almost impassable last evening and again this morning. For practically the whole length from i?oint Howard to Eastbourne, the waves lashed over the road, carrying with them not only sand and shingle, but boulders of 101 bor 151 b weight. The most dangerous part was Point Howard, for the recent road-widening had left on the side not only boulders, but heaps of clay, which, washing over the highway, made travelling dangerous. In addition to other obstructions, mounds of kelp littered the road in heaps IS inches high. The county council had this morning cleared the worst of the debris, and men are now engaged in scraping the bitumen clear. In the height of the gale, about 7.30 o clock last evening, a wild swan struck and carried away all three wires of the 11,000-volt main feeder on the Petone esplanade. The resulting disturbance to the load caused main cutouts, throwing practically the whole of the power board’s district into darkness, with the most impressive effect for those who happened to be abroad The damaged section was isolated, and power was turned on again in about 20 minutes. There was another interruption about 6 a.m. today, but by 8 a.m. the damage had been repaired, and the supply was reported to be normal. The effect of an abnormally high tide in the backing up of the harbour water by the southerly gale was seen at high tide yesterday afternoon, when the sea rose to within two inches of the level of tho bitumen surface at the corner of Randwick and the Hutt Park roads. Lower Hutt. The water rose higher two years ago, but on that occasion th€> combination of high tide and sdutherly gale was accompanied by an abnormally heavy rainfall, which flooded the Hutt River.