Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 5120x6656 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail

Article text

HAILSTORM RUINS
APPLE CROPS
Heavy Mt. Barker Loss;
Other Areas Suffer
A fierce hailstorm, the worst since 1925, which
swept a large area of the Mt. Barker district
yesterday afternoon, stripped apple trees, cut the
fruit to pieces, ruined clover-sweeping operations
and caused damage estimated at many thousands
of pounds.
The hailstorm was de
scribed last night as a
district tragedy. It is
believed to have seri
ously affected 100 out of
180 orchardists in a long
strip of country running
from the north-west.
Electrical storms in the agri
cultural and Goldfields areas
of the State yesterday started
fires, interrupted railway traffic
and caused heavy downpours
of rain in widely-scattered dis
tricts.
Railway dams benefited con
siderably from the storms and
as a result rail haulage of
water in some districts will be
curtailed. The best falls were
recorded between Northam
and Mullewa and Yalgoo and
Mt. Magnet. The level in some
of the dams rose by 2ft. to 4ft.
and further rises are expected.
Cut To Pieces
The fierce hailstorm in the Mt.
Barker district struck with un
heralded violence at 4 o'clock yes
terday afternoon. In 40 minutes
it had swept a fertile portion of
the district's fruitgrowing area
and left a trail of ruin in its
wake.
Hailstones as large as pigeons'
eggs were whipped down by a
snarling north-easterly gale and
the wind rose to a strength of ap
proximately 40 m.p.h. Damage
was caused to buildings in the
township, including broken win
dows and bashed roofs, but this
was insignificant compared to the
havoc wrought in the hinterland.
The real damage was in a fer
tile agricultural area where apple
crops were almost totally ruined.
The jagged hail, coupled with the
driving force of the wind, cut the
fruit to pieces. Several orchard
ists reported yesterday afternoon
that their crops were a total loss.
Many others are believed to have
been spoilt.
A big proportion of fruit in the
area will be unfit either for ex
port or for the local market and
much of it will never be har
vested. It is expected that many
trees will be damaged for next
year's crop.
Not Insured
It was stated last night that
most of the fruit in the area af
fected was not insured against
hail and that direct losses to
growers would run into some
thousands of pounds.
After the hailstorm rain fell
continuously and a rain gauge at
Egypt, on the L. A. K. Sounness
Estate, registered 150 points. This
was expected to have a disastrous
effect on the subterranean clover
seed sweeping operations in pro
gress in the area.
It had been expected that
clover-sweeping would continue
for a further four to six weeks,
but now it is unlikely that further
sweeping will be possible. One
farmer had £900 worth of clover
swept. After the rain all that was
left was the equivalent of about
one bag.
The washing away of topsoil in
orchards is another factor that
will cause indirect losses. The
ultimate overall damage is ex
pected to run into many thou
sands of pounds.
Fires On Farms
During a severe electrical storm
over Bindoon yesterday afternoon
a vivid flash of lightning started
two fires within a few chains.
While the first fire on Mr. D.
W. Martin's property was being
extinguished, the second fire on
Mr. H. C. Martin's adjoining pro
perty gained a hold, seriously
menacing a new homestead and
several feed paddocks. A call for
help brought a ready response
from neighbours and the outbreak
was under control in about half
an hour.
A large portion of a number
of fences was washed out on a
farming property west of Cunder
din when 85 points of rain fell
in a short time. On the Great
Eastern-highway a concrete spill
way was completely covered. Ap
parently about 2ft. to 3ft. of water
had been over the road.
Telephone services were dis
ruted west of the town when
lihtning brought down overhead
wires. When lightning struck a
house in a high part of the town
ship a fuse blew and started a
fire in weatherboards on the
house. But for the quick action
of a neighbour who smothered
the flames with a blanket the
house would have been burnt.
A Kellerberrin motorist on the
road was troubled with a boiling
radiator. When forced to stop he
found himself surrounded by acres
of floodwaters. The radiator was
refilled with the only receptacle
on board-a drinking glass.
Rail Washaways
Floodwaters from the storms
caused a train derailment near
Bullfinch on Monday night and
also delayed the Kalgoorlie ex
press at Waeel for about an hour.
The express was halted because
of a flooded culvert about a mile
west of Cunderdin.
Late yesterday afternoon the
main railway line between Nor
tham and Merredin was out of
service because of a washaway
between Baandee and Doodlakine.
Two stock trains travelling to
Midland Junction were held up,
but the line was repaired in time
for the express from Perth to
Kalgoorlie to pass over the sec
tion during the night.
The derailment on Monday
night was caused by a washaway
on the line near Perilya Siding,
about five miles from Bullfinch.
An engine and three trucks of a
train travelling to Southern Cross
left the lines. No person was hurt
and no serious damage was done
to the train.
The line was flooded for about
50 minutes before the arrival of
the train when about 2in. of rain
fell in a sudden cloudburst. The
engine was travelling slowly over
the section when the accident oc
curred. Two passengers and the
train crew were taken on to
Southern Cross by road.
Rail gangs worked throughout
the night and yesterday on the
section and prepared the line for
normal traffic this morning.
$