Giant Pine Meets End at Hands Of Expert Bushman Familiar New Plymouth landmark felled.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 September 1942, Page 2

Giant Pine Meets End at Hands Of Expert Bushman Familiar New Plymouth landmark felled.

"How are the mighty fallen!"— well might this quotation have been in the minds of the large gathering of interested onlookers who witnessed the fall of one of New Plymouth's oldest landmarks, a hoary Norfolk pine which had stood at the corner of Young and Dawson Streets for more than 90 years. Some reluctance about felling the tree was felt by a contractor who intends to erect buildings on the site. Its presence, however, was considered a defimte rnenace and the decision to dispose oi it was made. The section, on the seaward and town side of the intersection, was' originally owned by Mr. John Knight, an English banker who settled at New Plymouth. It is thought by an authority on local history that two pine trees were planted on the proper ty by Mr. Knight about the year 1851. Both trees flourished and stood in commanding grandeur until recently, when one, which had been in a state of decay for several years, was brought down in a strong gale. The remaining tree, which had grown to a stately giant of 94 feet, six feet wid» at the base, met its end in a fitting and dignified manner at the hands of an expert bushman, an employee of a New Plymouth timber firm. The method used to estimate the distance the tree would fall intrigued those watchers who were not familiar with approved tactics. Making a rough estimate of the height oi the tree, the bushman paced out a certain distance, then with his back to the tree bent down to look through his legs. Again he moved forward, took another sight and, finding that he could then see the top of the tree, marked the spot as the approximate extept of the pine's fall. When the tree fell with a mighty crash, without the aid of any guiding ropes or wires, spectators were amazed to see that its top came to rest within a few inches of the marked spot. Thus ended the long life of a tree that was familiar to most New Plymouth residents. All that remains of its former glory is about 13,000 feet of sawn timber.