Hokitika's Plight

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 270, 15 April 1914, Page 4

Hokitika's Plight

AJMXIOUS TIMES.

THE WOltK OF DESTRUCTION CONTINUES.

Afw , , Hffkitika, April 1:1. and lie. , v' V ° n • vs , of v ' o ' e,lt atorms seven ( i«v- S f as waterfront and 'V^ let .v and strenuous but of t... g ' ". fe ' a " lßt tlle onslaught!) shores ft 1® toi f. t lat pounded the ■i d sconsok < t ry t Uda > residents wear ina rf ?Wr - and an'ntensefeelHokitika Pprevalls ' rl "' town oI uid dismni extri ''n (, lv( forlorn On the si ffTV 06 at " 00 " to-(lay. Un tlie sea front huge breakers wp™ hammering the bacfc g portions of S and residents. 0 rfU ° dre * CDcd thc town

THE WORK OP DESTRUCTION. Recent tides have carried on the work of destruction along the beach. During VLaterdny afternoon a strong southerly gale sprang up and the *are»\vere soon rolling on the teach. At live o'clock the gale gave no signs of abating, while the sea increased. High tide was at midnight, and there wag evory annearance of a disaster. The wind fell between eleven and twelve, but an anerv sea was running. Gigantic breaker, lashed the teach, and as the taae tost more damage was wrought liptfn the whole sea front. The southerly! gale gave th« ■ • breakers a northerly 8 (f, and immeni*- ■ waves were soon dashing furiously upon a big stable wjiere the protective works had defied the previous tides.. Tile incessant pounding of the heavy breaker# and .the northerly set of the sea began to work havoc upon the protectiv* works, nnd after withstanding severe pounding the southern endi of the work wa3 dashed in and thc heaw breakers began to scour the sand out from under ' the stable. The sea dashed 'upon thfe structure and the foundations of tUtfc building soon developed a very dmidrdCL i list to the south, but the stilt-like foiifV dation poles prevented the buiMiqg top-® pling into the sea, which had cut JB to •i depth of fully ten feet und#r the stable. Ropes were brought into use, and though tiie sea raged furiously the building was- prevented from falling into the sea despite the fact that the sand foundation was washed away, with the exception of a small portion at th« north-east corner.

SEA MAKES SERIOUS INROADS.: The sea made very serious inroads along tho bcaeh, ae much as ten feet being scoured out of several of the freeholds. Tho sea is within a very short distance of the main street ,ia soma places, only about: fifteen feet separatism the sea at high-water from the street There was another high tido at nooa to-day, and further erosion took place along the water front. Buildings art being dismantled, in order to save tkern from the ravages of the sea. There are numerous sheds and smaller buildings toppling to destruction. The sea has made such inroads noar the Exchange Hotel that the big chimney of tho dining-room is threatened, but iihs proprietor has thrown up an embankment of sacks of sand, and hopes t* save the chimney. The sea at irigh water splashes against tile parvata rooms of many premises, and grar# fears are expressed about the future. Near the wrecked premises of Messrs McKay anil Sons tlm sea continues its work of destruction, only the shell oi the building remaining. 'The store and showroom, which were wrecked by Tumday's and Wednesday's storm, have entirely disappeared. Some of th« timber was salvaged, but quite a lot went' out to sen. Only the front shop >b the big drapery establishment remains, and during the noon tide to-dav tha spray dashed into the building, ami the waves scoured out under the building. At this point the sea is within fifty feet of the main street, and the erosion continues with every tide. ERECT] XG RELIEF WORKS. The beach presented an unusual appearance to-day. Parties of ltffen wera engaged filling sacks with aand and sinking posts uiul constructing barrieii, behind which the snicks of sand wera being deposited. Thousands of tliesa have been washed off the beach, if*d !d many places the groynes nnd facings, V'bich did service over forty years avo, have been exposed to view' 'Brery <Wtion in the vicinity is full of timber and " debris, and every right-of-way has it# qitota of broken timber, and portions of fences and buildings. Indeed, the whole b'each presents a scene of destruction, and immense damage Ims, keea done. The rava»«s of the sea hava overawed the residents. Who have had an extremely anxious tifiie in their attempt to commit (be terrific onslaught* of the seas.—Dominion correspondent,