CAMP HURRICANE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8839, 16 May 1914, Page 5

CAMP HURRICANE.

DISASTER At fcOWAI. '

A SCENE OF DEVASTATION

(Per Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, May 16. Tho casual camp at Kowai for those Territorials who were on leave, or otherwise missed their annual training , at the main camp, cajne to a dramatic i and unexpected conclusion yesterday. At midnight on Thursday a strong nor'-west wind was blowing, and' it increased to a gale in the early hours of yesterday morning. The men jinder canvas knew'-it could blow at Kowai, but anticipated nothing quite so disastrous as the events of the next few hours. Before daylight a hurricane was raging. v * ,- At 8 o'clock the roof of the cookhouse was carried away; it descended violently on a neighbouring tent. The old canteen, a corrugated iron building, broke its moorings and disappeared - from the scene. The Post Office had^a rough time, and the instruments were in danger, but willing helpers assisted the postal officials in r>a,ving these. An oil-heater upset, ard stationery and departmental records were burned. The supply stores were practically destroyed. Nearly alt tho tents were down. ', "> It was then daylight, -and ninny of the men mode strenuous efforts to pre-

vent the officers' tents from sharing the fate of the others. - The big marquees were among the first to go. A Territorial told a rpporter that it was quite a pathetic sight to see the arm-chairs in the officers' mess jumbled together in a disordered heap, broken and battered. , . An officer estimated 'that the wind I*'1*' was Travelling at SO, miles an hour. ' - „ Strange sights were, soon when - tho men wore able to stand up' and look about them. A cask-of ginger-beer had got Ifoso. and started on a violent t career. It attained sufficient momentum to jump a five-wire fence. Pieces of the ra7itecri were picked up a distance of 200 yards away. Where.tho iron sheets had come into contact with fences.'the fences had' oomo off,worst. A table from the V.M.C.A. tent, after" that institution had collapsed, was hurled skywards.. When it volplaned to" earth, it struck the ground with such force as to be smashed to matchwood. , The big 400-gallon tank was not shifted by the gale, but several beams, which hurled against .it,' pierced tho iron and let out all tho water. The tank is over oi) feet from the ground, and ihe incident provides further evidence of the force of the wind. Then the rain caire down, and under such unhapny conditioiis it was considered advisable* io forego the Satur- . day's training, and camp was broken at noon. '' - - The camp cook was the hero of tho [day. His quarters were shattered, but he emerged triumphant ■ with a hot breakfast at 7.30 o'clock. 1 ■ At 6.o'clock last night the men were ■ back in. Christchurch. There was; ,a lot of cheering when the special tram pulled into the station,, and all the, men appeared to be in the best of spirits.