HARD TO REALISE

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 68, 22 April 1929, Page 5

HARD TO REALISE

Special to Telegraph.

THE D1SASTER IN TASMAN 1A. M1NISTER HASTENS HOA1E.

AUCKLAND. This day. "As far as 1 am able to judgc, the damage donc by the disastrous floods 111 Tasinaiiia is in the neighbourhood of a niillioii pounds sterling," said Sir> YYalter H. Lee, Tasnianian Alinister of Public Works, before leaving by tlie Uliniaroa 011 liis hurried return journev. ri'he AJinister is anxious to assist in arranging for roconstriiction works ■. hicli will hc carried out hy the Public Works Dcpartincnt. "No sm h disastcr has ever ^ hcen known in Tasniania," said Sir Walter, "The news which has come by mail absolutel.v amazes 111c. For instance, I find it hard to reali.se that thc eleetric powerhouse abovc Hie Cataract Gorge, Launceston, lias been wrecked, also tliat the solid stone bridge wliieJi was built in the earlv days by eonvicts across tlie South Esk river at Perth has been literally waslied away. I am informed that hardlv any bridges remabi in Nnrthern Tasniania. "Worsfc of all," added Ihe Ministcr, "is the news that 30 deatlis have been caused by tlie floods. Tlie citizens of Launceston have had a particuhirly trving experieiice Ihrougli tlie overflowing of tlie Tamar, and large numbers are liomeless. "Hie Government and the citizens are doing all tliat is possible in giving rclief."