DAMAGE TO SMALL CRAFT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 46, 24 February 1893, Page 2

DAMAGE TO SMALL CRAFT.

Terriffic Gale at the

Thames.

THE TOWNSHIP FLOODED.

HEAVY RAIN IN TEE WAIKATO.

Captain Edwin's prediction yesterday of the approach of a norbh-easb to easb and south heavy gale with heavy rains proved only too true, and during last night one of the heaviesb gales that has been experi" enced here for some considerable time past waa prevalent, apcompanied by a correspondingly heavy downpour of rain. The gale was at its height a couple of hours after midnight, and was then alternating between east and north-east to north, blowing with terrific force. The rain was not falling so heavily ab that time, the greater part of the deluge having como down prior to midnight. The rain then fell continuously and in torrents, and if it accomplished no other good it must have had a beneficial effect in thoroughly cleansing oub the drains and sewers of the city. Auckland waa not the only place visited by the sale of yesterday, and reports from the Northern coastal towns state that similar weather was prevalent at those places yesterday. The regular running of the coastal steamers Clansman and Wellington was interferred with, as both were compelled to seek shelter throughout the day. The s.s. Te Anau, due from Sydney yesterday morning, failed to put in an appearance, and the gale has probably been the cause of her delay. DAMAGE IN AUCKLAND. In thecibyitself thedainagewroutihbby the strong blow was inconsiderable, consisting for the most part in fallen fencas, trees, and sign boards, Ib was in the harbour, however, that the full effect of the gale was felt, and the destruction and damage to small crafb has been very great. The loss of property, as far as can be roughly estimated, being about £500. The fore shore thia morning presentod a mo3b unusual appearance, being STREWN WITH WRECKAGE of all descriptions. A large crowd of gatherers were ab work during the day, and they reaped a veritable harvest of drift wood, both big and small. Lying out from the shore in the harbour were many melancholy evidences of the severity of the gale, comprising swamped and dismasted vessels, and a heterogeneous mass of floating spars, ropas, etc. DAMAGE TO SMALL CRAFT. In the height of the gale the fishing boat Caprera, one of the besti of fishing fleet attached to the port, which was lying between the two wharves, broke away from her anchorage and drifted against the Queen-street Wharf near the lumper's resting shed. Here all her spars and running gear were carried away, the sticks breaking into small pieces, and the crafb sunk. Nothing definite as to the extent of the damage'to the hull has yet been ascertained, but from the wreckage belonging to her that has washed ashore, there are grave doubts that she is seriously injuried. The old fishing boat Italy, now a yacht owned by Mr H. Brown and others, sunk near the Hobson-streeb Wharf, bub before going down all her standing gear went by the side. The fishing boat Laurina, lying off the Fishmarkeb, was similarly dismasted, although she is still afloat. Near the same place the cutters Mary Ann and Teaser both had their bowsprits smashed off close and were otherwise knocked about, while the steamer tug-boat Huia, employed in towing the Harbour Board's mud punts, was sunk by the heavy sea.. Captain Hill, of the British barque Himalaya, "berthed at the Queenstreeb Wharf, reports that his vessel was in danger of breaking adrift last night and that the crew had to get up and brace round the yards and get out more ropes. It is along the breastwork to the east of the Freezing Works that the greatest amount of wreckage occurred, and over half a dozen of small yachts have gone to pieces. The half-decker boats Rosie, Dixie and Huia are totally wrecked, their remains being piled up on the rocks. The Isis is lying eunk near the rocks, but until the tide goes down no Idea can be got as to the damage sustained. Ib is feared, however, tbab she has nob come off very lightly. The large open boat Taniwha, built this season, dragged down to the rocks near the.Wynyard Pier, taking her entire moorings with her. She is now afloat lying on her side, all scraped and knocked about, with many of her seams wide open. The crack open boat Clytie is lying submerged off the Pier, and the half-decker Katie is off Si. George's Bay with her bowsprit gone. Messrs Carmina and Lewis' yacht May had a marvellous escape from becoming a total wreck. She was lying at the Moana's moorings when her bits carried away, bub she fortunately drifted right through the narrow entrance into the intake and is now lying apparently uninjured near the railway embankment. The yachts Aorere and Tangaroa both dragged a considerable distance but received no damage. DAMAGE AT PARNELL. Nearly all of the sheds in Judge's Bay were knocked in, bub the St. George'a Rowing Club boathouse received no damage. The studs of the City Rowing Club's shed near the Wynyard Pier, however, were swept clean away, and it is thought that had the gale continued the whole concern would have come down. Its presenb supports appear to be of a very slender nature indeed. AT DEVONPORT. The North Shore crafb did nob escape quite free, and one total wreck is among the number. The twenty-five foot open boat Sis is ashore under the Calliope Dock Wharf badly injured, while Mr Wells'? yacht Nelson is smashed upon the beach with her fore end knocked clean out. The schooner Atlanta, which was lying off the Devonport; Wharf bumped against the ferry steamer Tongariro, and had her stern smashed in, and Captain Gibb's scow Lagoon is another vessel ashore. She hass not received much damage. Apart from the large vessels mentioned above, quite a large number of dingies and small pulling boats swamped and" were washed ashore at Auckland, North Shore, and Northcote. Captain Stephenson, of the s.s. Wellington, which arrived this morning after a delayed trip down from Whangarei, reports that there was an enormous sea running yesterday afternoon off Marsden Point, and that it is still very rough on the coast. The wind has now shifted round to the north-west, and continues to blow very freshly. DAMAGE AT PONSONBY. ! Nor in Ponsonby, on the upper southern side of the harbour, were signs of the fury of the hurricane wanting. Open sailing and pulling boats scattered all along the beaches, wreckage resting on ledges of the rocks or floating with pieces of boat - sbeds and bathing - houses, all spoke eloquently of its doings. Limbs of trees and bird nests strewed the roads, and broken fences lay across the footpaths. The major portion of the damage was done in the small bay ab the bottom of St. Mary's Road, where no less than seven small craft sank and came ashore. The bay presented a sorry appearance this morning. One of the Harbour Board's big punts full of mud lay right across the entrance of the little cove, whither ib bad drifted from Freeman's

Bay\. jOn her Paß3aSe she had' CM » j great damage, as, crashing thwart 5* mosquito fleet she had snapped tof* KhOm aftfu aQCbor cbain' e«Kd 2? booms and bowsprits, and had finally S with terrific force against the La , the sewer, smashing it°into \pSlZ "I mooring chain dropped from her i* and on the end of this , T as the 2' taon of anothsr punt, showing thar i. must have torn away from a consort P hind her lay the yacht Startle, driven from where she had been hauled for mi!? ing. She had received a severe strainin on the transit, and had narrowly ear ■! j being totally wrecked by the W Mr Daldy's stonewall under wtoS she had just previously P a S9e d. %. new, but little-known, yacht Cot lay in a dangerous position, bub her £ draught had proved her salvation for »T had grounded on the sand before the rock! were reached. The Awatea also had nar rowly escaped. Splinters of seven small boat 3 lay upon the beach with the wreckage of a large slip. The tram lines down which boab truck runs was cockled up and twisted by the burapings of the big mw j , a Dozens of people were on the?<beach durin? the course of the morning filling sacks with painted and varnished planks and spars for firewood, whilst on the still tossine waters were as many more in small dingies seeing to the sunken craft. The yachts' Lulu, Iris, Isca and Violet, were at their moorings quite snug, and those on the beach spoke highly of the way in which they rode the gale. It is estimated that fully £iqq damage was sustained in this little bay alone, in which amount Messrs R. Reid'and J. Clare are the principal sufferers, IbVas fortunate for the formorbuilderthatthe gale gave signs so early yesterday of its approach for ib washisintention tohave launchedanew yacht named the Gladys, and the chances ■ are that had she been in the water she would have suffered. In Shelly Beach and in Maeefield'a Bay the scene was very similar, but perhaps the saddest sight of all was the champion open sailing boab May piled up near the shore end of Ponsonby Wharf. She was split fair in half along tha keel, and had loab her stern and lay with all her blushing honours thick upon her in the shape of her spotless sails and champion flag. Like most of the other boats, she must have come ashore at full tide or she could never hare found the resting - place she did. The May was but recently bougbi'-by Mr R. Carder, junr., but in the lato regattas he has more than cleared her purchasemoney. His brother's yacht Verona lifted her moorings and drifted righb up to the long reef off Cox's Creek, but was got off this morning wibhoub much damage.

As showing the- peculiar nature of the gale Jasb night we may mention that the May drifted in a south-easterly direction to her fate, the Verona in a due westerly, and a dingy belonging to Mr Dennis crossed the track ot the Verona and drifted in an easterly direction to Masefield's Bay, where she went to pieces. The yacht Liola dragged from Cremorne Bay for a considerable distance towards the reef, but brought up in time. The Merry Duchess, Darling (late Minera) and Mona being better sheltered kept faithful to their moorings. . ■ At the Ponsonby Wharf the sea mußb have been running very heavily, for, the spray has washed a good portion of the footpath away. Most of the vessels lying off Freeman's Bay dragged, and the cutters Chelsea and Paku were found at day-break in very precarious positions. The former was within an ace of the rocks, whilst the latter was all but on the breakwater. Two mud-pnnts found the bottom, and the ketch Tokerau, the scow Excelsior and a cutter were much closer to the wall than was comfortable. Several small open boats with the eicepbtion of their mast heads were lost to light, ana a beautiful Rob Roy canoe lay almosi pulverized on the foreshore. EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH TIDE. A phenomenally high tide occurred last night, the waters evidently being banked up by the easterly gale. At the North Shore the sea waa within a very short distance of the doors of the Flagstaff Hotel. The total rainfall in Auckland from Thursday morning till this morning was 2-83 inches.