NEWS ITEMS

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 53, 21 January 1953, Page 5

NEWS ITEMS

The guests at the Terrace Hotel, Taupo, had a peculiar experience last week during the height of the electrcal storm. A brilliant flash of lightning broke off Mt. Tauhara and travelled in the direction which went. over the roof of the hotel and/ onward. The flash which was described as a fireball burst^with a series of explosions. As a result the fuses in the hotel were blown and the tclephone put out of action with no damage. ☆ A fire originating in the lighting plant of a house in /Kaimanawa Street owned by Mr Gawan Holden, of Dannevirk, on; v Wednesday last, was quickly suppressed by the Taupo Fire Brigade before much damage was done. A street and house-to-house colleetion is to be taken on Saturday next when members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade will collect on. behalf of the Association. The proceeds are to be applied to the Building Fund to providJe a gnrage for the ambulanee and a training room on the site allotted to the Association at the corner of Paorahape and Ruapehu Streets1. At present through the good offices of Mrs Gillies, the ambulanee is housed andi serviced at Gillies Garage. ☆ Parishioners and visitors to St. Andrew's Church during the holidiay period have been admiring some fine caTving wrok which has been executed for the altar front by Rev C. G. G. Salt. Carved in three separate pieces and later fastened to the panel of ihe altar the work represents the text of Isaiah VIII 8: "He shall sweep onward into Judah; he shall overfiow and pasS through; he shall reaeh even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadtih of thy land, 0 Imtmanuel." The carvin'g comprises an arrangement of leaves of the vine with bunches of grapes together with the wings of the eagle surmounting the world. Mr Salt, spent many hours on the intricate carving which ha completed just in time for Christmas A monthi or so earlier he had also completed a pair of hands and arms which protrude through the wall to hold the credenee table in realistic fashion.