WINTRY WEATHER.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 July 1918, Page 5

WINTRY WEATHER.

WIND AND RAM. HEAVY SNOWFALL IN SOOTH ISLAND.

Bitterly cold and unsettled weather has ' continued in many parts of the Dominion, particularly in Wellington and the South Island. In some places the snowfall has been very heavy. For instance, at Bealey, on Tuesday morning, there was a depth of 2ft 6in of snow. The snowfall has brought down many telegraph wires. There was a heavy fall of snow in Ashburton County on Tuesday night. Reports from the back country indicate falls of Win at Springburn and 12in at* Methven. The fall was not so heavy in the low-lying country. It is feared there will be heavy loss of stock on the hack-country runs, where it is still snowing. The Union Company's "ferry" steamer Mararoa, which usually arrives at Wellington between ssven and eight o'clock in the morning from Lyttelton, did not reach port until shortly before fiveo'clock, after a most tempestuous passage up the coast. Captain J. P. SpringBrown stated to a New Zealand Times representative that the Mararoa got away from Lyttelton at 6AQ o'clock on Monday evening, and immediately encountered a heavy easterly gale, with mountainous seas, thick weather, and heavy rain. The vessel, which had verylittle cargo, rolled considerably with the beam seas, and a considerable quantity of water found its way along the decks and alleways. The stewards' storeroom and the firemen's quarters were invaded by the water. The Mararoa, with her engines at full steam ahead, fought her way through the gale, which raged violently throughout the night and all day. The vessel was off the Wellington Heads before threa o'clook in the afternoon, but owing to thick weather waß compelled to dodge about till conditions improved, and then came into port, making fast at the ferry berth at 4.55 p.m. Some 200 passengers had every reason to be pleased when the Mararoa reached the shelter of the harbor. Traveller* of many years' experience stated that it was the worst gale they had ever been through. Very few were not affected by seasickness, and many were still somewhat upset when they disembarked.