GALE DAMAGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 January 1939, Page 5

GALE DAMAGE

TREES AND CROPS SUFFER IN HAWKE’S BAY

POPLAR AND OAK GROVES KNOCKED ABOUT. ESK VALLEY DUST BOWL. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) HASTINGS, January 16. Losses by falling and bruising ranging up to 30 per cent in the case of Gravenstein apples and William Bon Cretien pears have been caused in orchards in the Hastings district by a severe north-west gale which, except for a brief period last night, has swept Hawke’s Bay since yesterday morning. The wind dropped at sundown this evening to a light breeze. Yesterday’s gale, which died away about 10 o'clock last night, sprang up again with increased violence just before midnight and continued with undiminished violence throughout today. The strength of the wind averaged more than 40 miles an hour with frequent gusts of fully 60 miles an hour. There is every indication that general damage throughout the province will total a considerable sum. The principal sufferers are orchardists, but damage to grass seed, hay and ground crops is considerable. The famous poplar grove in Pakowhai presented an extraordinary sight. The whole roadway between the trees was carpeted to a depth of a foot and more with leaves and small branches, with an occasional large branch to trap the driver who was not exercising the greatest care. The giant poplars which form the avenue * stood to the gale without injury, but several younger trees in a nearby plantation were badly damaged.

The equally-famous and historic oak grove in Karamu, which was planted by the late Hon J. D. Ormond, and lines the drive to the old Ormond homestead, presented a similar sight. Some of the oaks, however, were unable to stand up to the wind as bravely as did the poplars and several were uprooted. A large poplar tree alongside the oak grove crashed directly on top of a fence strainer post, driving it into the ground fully a foot. In addition to damage to orchards, crops and gardens, the gale was responsible for several elective power and telephone interruptions. The NapierGisborne telephone service was interrupted this morning because of breaks in Bay View and at a point south, of Wairoa, but these were repaired during the morning. Further trouble occured in Bay View during the afternoon. and telephone services in the Esk Valley were not restored till evening.

Lightering work on the overseas liner Sultan Star in Napier roadstead was held up all day because of the rough sea.

Conditions in Esk Valley both yesterday and today were extremely trying, and motorists going through the valley found driving conditions at times dangerous. Despite enormous quantities of dust blown seaward from the silt-covered valley, a settler said tonight that it had made no noticeable difference to paddocks, because as fast as the dust was blown off it was replaced by dust blown from the slipscarred hills.