DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO.

Much Damage Done.

Residents Alarmed. About 1.30 p.m. to-day the residents of Ashburton were alarmed upon hearing* a loud rumbling noise approaching from the south-west direction and all eyes were strained m the direction whence this strange phenomenon proceeded. Ib was at once realised that danger was forthcoming, for the air was strewn with leaves, rubbish, and other debris while the noise overhead was deafening. Coming at an enormous speed, the tornado carried everything before it. It appeared to come from tho'direction of Longbeach and m passing overhead struck with full force against the side of the large produce shed of the Farmer's Cooperative store. The building was right m the track of the tornado, and suffered considerably. The rate which the wind was travelling at can easily be surmised when it took the western end of the building completely away scattering the timber like sheets of paper m all directions, finally depositing much of it m the adjoining enclosure. The store was canted over to an angle of about 30 degrees, and at the moment looked a3 though it was coming down altogether. Tho tornado swept on, and as Mr Thomas's Bfcore was right m its course it came m for a share of damage. The end of the wool store was blown right off, and the building at that point completely wrecked, the debris falling all over the place. Fortu- i nately those engaged at both these stores mentioned sought places of safety as fast as their legs could carry them, or the con- I sequences would have been serious for any- \ one who happened to be m the vicinity of where the damage occurred. A building ( close to the wool store escaped injury, j strange to say, the only damage done being i some of the large roofing iron being dis- I placed a little. Pursuing its course, the j tornado passed over the corner of the j Borough school grounds, where a large , pine tree and a poplar wera hurled to the j ground as easily as though they werebut straws. No one was passing at the time, although one or two vehicles were approaching from the opposite direction some dis- j tance away. The tornado appears to have : been travelling at a regulation height, for j small buildings m the track escaped with j little or no damage, ; Some exciting incidents occurred while the gale was at its height. While the pieces of timber, corrugated iron, and other material were being hurled about by the wind a sheet of iron struck the' shaft of a cart outside Mr Stonyer's, to which was harnessed a draught mare belonging to Mr McAlister of Greenstreet. The end of the shaft was broken clean off by the force of the impact, which was ao great that the corner of the piece of iron struck into the mare's shoulder, inflicting a long flesh wound to the depth of some inches. The animal was immediately taken to Mr J. M. Cambridge who sewed the wound up, the mare meanwhile standing perfectly quiet during the whole time. Mr J. E. Steele reported that his wind mill was blown to atoms. He thinks that he can ponfldently lay claim to the distinction that his residence was the last place visited, as the tornado passed on without apparently doing any further damage m tHe ' vicinity. A large'apple tree at D'f Boyd's, which Mr Steele plante~d twenty-six years ago, was blown to the ground. ' * Mr EoVrfc Clark, coach painter, Tancrw stEe'et|had a somewhat narrow eacapa. A piece of timber came right through the the roof and stuck into the floor of his workshop, close to where he was working, but luckily Mr Clark escaped any personal injury, although ho was naturally much alarmed at the time. Mr Stonyer's four front windows were broken, and the telephone wire was snapped. The lead ridging on the roof of Messrs Friedlander Bros.' grain store at the corner of Havelock street was taken right off. The large pieces of timber which flew about apparently were lifted from the timber yards of ftfesSrs Collins and Cd. and J\ Tvidker|. One Wg'e piece 1 of timber was liurled 4o a"*'st; **'c Ir<m1 r<m roo^ °f'^r Shyer's shed with the_ dexterity of a spearman, pieycljjg the rq'of sigKt through, ' and strifeing the weatherboard ing at the end of the building, where its force was spent, and pushing the boarding right out. After leaving the town devastated to the extent mentioned above, the tornado travelled m the direction of the Eakaia Gorge. It must have passed m close proximity to the Convent; which escaped damage.

United Press Association—By Electric v • Telegraph. v ' ■" - O.ymaru, Jan. 27. The heavy rain last night culminated m a tKttnd6r aM 'hailstorm: to-day.' l^appily it was of a brief duration, otherwise serious injury wqql4 ha^e' resulted to 'crops. 4s it is, many heavy fields haye been badly laid,