STORM IN WELLINGTON

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 249, 27 February 1911, Page 5

STORM IN WELLINGTON

CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO STREETS. TRAM TRAFFIC INTERRUPTED. By Telegraph.-4'ress Association. Wellington, Last Night. The heavy ruin which set in on Friday night continued practically without "a break all day Saturday, culminating in an unusually heavy and sustained downpour at night, accompanied by a driving southerly gale. The accumulations of storm-water were unable to And sufficient outlet and caused a good deal or damage in various parts of the city. In Kent Terrace a large sewage drain, running along under the roadway, was inadequate to meet the sudden tax on its capacity, and a considerable patch of wood blocking was lifted. The cellars of some business premises in the low-lying area along the Quay were flooded. Streets on the hillsides were also badly scoured in many places by the rushing torrent of storm water. Portions of the Hutt railway line were) under water this morning, and traffic on the Manawatu line was temporarily interrupted.

At eleven o'clock last night portions of Lambton Quay were like a river, the water running right across in one lake like a sheet, covering footpaths and all. This morning in places there are four and five inches of silt. At Karori a big wash-out interrupted tram traffic, and will entail a week's work to repair. Fortunately there is one car on the other side of the break, so that surbanites will not be entirely isolated.

At Island Bay there was four feet of water in portions of the fiat last night. In Victoria street the novel sight might be seen of men wading across the thoroughfare with their boots slung over their shoulders, the water being about knee deep in places. Altogether the storm was one of the worst recorded here, and the City Council will be put to heavy expense in repairing the damage to the streets. At a quarter to four this morning the gait stopped for a few minutes, and a sharp earthquake was experienced. Then the wind blew again as hard as ever. So far no damage is reported as a result of the earthquake. The Mararoa's departure for Lyttelton was delayed till five o'clock this morning, owing to the gale. The Maori arrived about eight o'clock from Lyttelton, having had heavy weather and continuous rain all the way up.