THE STORM.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 116, 17 May 1924, Page 5

THE STORM.

PREDICTION FULFILLED. SHIPPING DISORGANISED. TELEGRAPH COMMUNICATION INTERRUPTED. LAUNCHES WRECKED AT DEVONPORT. The warning of an approaching storm issued by the Government Meteorologist on Thursday evening was fulfilled in all earnestness last evening, when the gale, which rose on Friday morning, increased in velocity until last night the Waitemata Harbour was a raging sea, and with rain teeming down the storm was at its height. The movement of the barometer since mid-day on Thursday is phenomenaL The mercury column, which had been steady at about 30.25 inches for some days, commenced to fall at mid-day on Thursday, and within 24 hours had fallen to 29.72 inches- The fall became very pronounced during yesterday afternoon and last night, and at midnight the reading •was 29.38 inches. This figure was the lowest reading for some days, and when at 9 a.m. to-day the column had fallen to 29.035 inches and had still a falling . tendency, there appeared a probability I that it would fall to a level seldom . reached in New Zealand. This supposi-' ' tion proved correct, and the official reading at 11.30 a.m. was 25.92 inches ! and still falling. Thus during the past 27 hours the barometer has fallen over three-quarters of an inch. Tho barometric pressure is abnormally light, and, only on one or two occasions has the reading been lower than it was at noon to-day. On December 29, y923, the •barometer fell to 29 inches, and this was considered a record for the port over a period of nearly 50 years. Since barometric records were commenced to be taken about 70 years ago, the lowest reading for Auckland was during the month of -July, 1567, when the column fell to 25.73 inches. At Wellington in March. IS7I, the baroI meter registered 28.5S inches, and in July of the same year it recorded 28.55 • inches—the lowest reading for the Dominion —at Martendale, Southland. The velocity of the wind for the 24 • hours ended 0 o'clock this morning was ; 3SI miles, while the rainfall for that period amounted to .80 inches. North of Auckland the storm was experienced in its intensity, and all telegraphic communication is cut off. ' In those areas south of Auckland—Papakura, Tuakau, etc.—the full extent of the storm was not felt till this morning, and little damage beyond delays in the telegraph service is reported. Outside the disorganisation of the coastal shipping services the most serious damage has been done along the foreshore at Devonport, where several launches were either wrecked completely or suffered considerable damage. Inland many gardens unsheltered suffered, and fences were here and there blown down, but so far no serious damage to buildings is reported. Launches Completely Wrecked. When daylight broke this morning ample evidence was produced as to the severity of the storm at Devonport, where the foreshore was strewn with wreckage and the usual flotsam and. jetsam which is thrown high up on the beach in rough .weather. The high seas played havoc with many of those launches moored anywhere between Calliope Dock and Duder's wharf, and several small launches were smashed to pieces, while others again were damaged j almost beyond repair. In two or three instances the engines were found lying .on the beach amongst the wreckage, and in the case of Mr. J. Patterson's ' r launch, one of the biggest at the marine i suburb, practically every board has been ■ torn asunder. This launch was moored i close to Duder's wharf, and the engine and wreckage were -thrown in a heap on the beach. Tn another instance all that can be seen of a small launch is one side floating. The remainder, together with the engine, has entirely disappeared. Many : other of Auckland's small craft aTe in 1 a sorry plight, but the full extent of the damage cannot be ascertained, although it can be entered up as considerable. A Floating Pile. Just off Victoria wnarf this morning I was a floating pile which had apparently | 1 been swept down from somewhere oj ! the vicinity of Calliope Dock. Breaking I 1 away its stationary, vertical position I 1 made it clear that one end was water- : lodged, and that the lower end had 1 become embedded in the floor of the ! harbour. This is not unusual at low ! water, and, with the rising of the tide, ! the pile is loosened. ' Quite a number of people who made i the trip to Devonport in the early part ' of the evening to view the searchhgnt ! display were not at all inclined to return !to the city:a few hours later, when the 1 storm had increased and the sea had L- assumed an angry demeanour. Witn I tremendous waves sweeping in to the ! foreshore and breaking over the King 8 I and Queen's Parades such did not inspire j confidence, and many people P"^* to remain overnight at the marine suburb rather than brave the storm m the ferries. The early ferries to the city this morning carried ™ mbe ™.. °f strange faces, and the accommodation was fully taxed. ; No Interruption in Ferry Service. I Despite the intensity of the storm I there was no interruption to the ferry ! time-table, though the heavy seas 1 occasionally resulted in a boat reaching j the wharf a few minutes late. Since the Fleet arrived a week ago the Ferry ! Company has run a midnight trip to the : Ships in the harbour, takingf on bwrd ' some 500 sailors each night. The NgOiro made the trip last night ** ™ u £ , but ™ going alongside the Repulse lost her : flagpole. No damage is reported to any |of the fer~y boats. ' I 'It is the worst sea we have had since ' I can remember," said Mr. . n S I», owner : of the launch Olivene, this ™°™»S----"For ten years the Olivene has made a trip to the Rangitoto quarries to bring 1 the employees to Auckland, but this morning she only got as far as the Rangitoto channel and then turned back. She might have made Rangitoto all right, but the risk was too big. Rounfi-the-FLeet Trips. Launch owners last night called off all round-the-fleet trips after half-past eight o'clock. Prior to that hour numbers of persons desirous of having a. • farewell "close-up" of the squadron had a trying experience. The launches were tossed about in the heavy- sea and many ■ passengers, particularly the ladies, sutI fered from mal-de-mer. It was an i experience not likely to be soon lori gotten. _..'._••■'_■—

logs and Coal Baskets. Along the northern foreshore across the harbour timber is strewn, and in addition there are two logs and a number of coal baskets which have been washed up on the sands. In some cases the timber was sent right up on the roadway, and the triangle, close to the Devonport wharf, was flooded with flotsam floating about. Considerable damage is reported ashore, and the storm has played havoc with numerous gardens and orchards. Except in sheltered positions all gardens have suffered more or less, and in some cases have been completely ruined. Much serious damage has resulted to trees, many being razed to the ground, and in the low-lying areas the storm has left its mark. A high fence at the back of the Masonic Hotel at Devonport was laid flat, and a gate in Stanley Street was blown from its hinges. No serious damage to buildings is reported. DANGEROUS SEA ON COAST. SMALL VESSELS WEATHRBOUND. Tho coastal shipping services were disorganised to-day on account of the easterly gale. All the steamers at outports remained in shelter, and those en route ran for the shelter of bays and headlands to escape the fury of the gale. A dangerous sea—one of the heaviest experienced in New Zealand for some time —was running on the East Coast. j Early this morning the Manaia, which left here for Whangarei at 10.10 p.m. yesterday, returned to port, having met with a heavy gale and turbulent seas immediately after reaching the open sea, beyond the shelter of Rangitoto. This was the first occasion that the Manaia was compelled to put back on account of rough weather. To-night she is to leave Auckland at 10 o'clock for Whangarei, and will leavo Whangarei at 7 a.m. to-morrow on the return voyage, making only a short stay there, in order to arrive back here to-morrow afternoon and take up her usual running on Monday. Karori Hove-to. Tho Karori, which is en route from Westport to Auckland, encountered the full force of the gale after passing Cape Maria Van Diemen early yesterday morning, and reported by wireless this morning that she was hove-to about 100 miles north of Auckland. As the Karori ha 9 a cargo of Westport coal to bunker H.M.A.S. Adelaide, the cruiser will not leave with the Special Service Squadron to-morrow morning. A number of steamers were still delayed at outports when the "Star" went to press, including tho Ngapuhi, which was held up at Russell, being unable to leave there last night for Auckland. The Kawau has been weatherbound at Warkworth since last night, and is not expected to arrive back here before to-morrow. All the scows in port were sheltering in the vicinity of the Western wharf today, and a number of scows at outports were also reported to be weatherbound. The Tuhoe, en route to Paeroa, was sheltering under Ponui Island, the Pono at Whangarei Heads, the Mahurangi at Mahurangi Heads, and the Paroto in the North. The Matangi left here at 7.10 p.m. yesterday for Tauranga, and as she had not arrived there this morning it was thought that she was sheltering under Cape Colville, pending the abatement of the gale. On the West Coast conditions were, of course, comparatively ' normal. The Rarawa, leaving New Plymouth for Onehunga, experienced light easterly winds, increasing to a gale this morning. Rain squalls set in at daybreak, but this did nothing worse than make the trip unpleasant. The bar was easily negotiated, and the steamer arrived at Onehunga at 8.30 a.m., being up to schedule time. Though heavy easterly winds swept across the Manukau Harbour, making the water very choppy, the steamer covered the 22 miles from the Manukau Heads to the wharf comfortably in two hours. The Ngatiawa also arrived back at Onehunga this morning, completing her trip to Raglan and Kawhia. Owing to .the westerly weather early last week she has been unable to catch up to her timetable, and Monday afternoon's trip will therefore be to Hokianga instead of Raglan. Passenger Steamer Changes. Owing to the boisterous weather tho Northern Company's steamer Taniwha will not leave Auckland for Paeroa- tomorrow. The Claymore's trip to I Whangarei to-morrow has also been | cancelled; and both steamers will: remain at Auckland to resume their I usual time-tables next week. The Claymore arrived from Whangarei at 10.35 a-m. to-day. The Apanui and the Daphne, which were to leave here at noon to-day for •Russell, did not sail, on account of the arrangements for the Fleet to anchor off the Bay of Islands being cancelled. Accordingly the Apanui's departure for Awanui has been postponed until midnight on Sunday, and the Daphne's, departure for Houhora, 'Kaimaumau I and Totara North has been postponed until noon on Monday. GALE AT TE AWAMUTU. HURRICANE FORCE AT TIMES. (By Tolegrapli.—Own 'Correspondent.) TE AWAMUTU, this day. A heavy gale raged last night, and is continuing to-day, reaching at times hurricane force. The parapets of the •business premises and macrocarpa trees and hedges were blown down, but no serious damage is reported. The electric transmission lines were badly affected, the current failing several times in a few minutes. The st.tff is busy attending to the breaks. Bain accompanied the gale last night, but ceased this morning. TELEGRAPHIC INTERRUPTION. Telegraphic communication suffered as a result of the storm, and all telegraphic communication north of Auckland is interrupted, while Waihi is completely isolated. South the telegraphic service is more or less affected, and the traffic is subject to heavy delay. FLEET VISITORS DELATED. <By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WHAKATANE, this day. After a spell of several weeks' fine weather, an easterly gale was experienced here last night, accompanied by heavy rain and high wind. It was still ■ blowing this morning, and the return home of forty Whakatane school children who are returning home on the Matangi after visiting the fleet has been delayed.