WHIRLWIND HAVOC

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 185, 7 August 1935, Page 5

WHIRLWIND HAVOC

STORM IN TARANAKI. BUILDING AS SHUTTLECOCK. TREES BLOWN INTO AIR. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) NEW PLYMOUTH, this day. A -whirlwind of considerable velocity swept inland from the heaeli at Bell Block, four miles north-cast of New Plymouth, yesterday morning, and the trail of havoc included a small building lying on its eide, an uprooted tree, and a disintegrated roof torn from a milking shed. The blowing over of the building was witnessed by Mr. A. Aitken, over whose property the whirlwind first passed. After a peaceful calm Mr. Aitken saw a manuka bush twisted olf its stem, which was Oin through, and whisked into the air to a height of about 25ft. It was dumped again close to the etump. The whirlwind then picked up a small corrugated iron outbuilding, which was lifted over a 4ft fence and dropped on the other side. Immediately it was again lifted and carried back over that fence, over a low clothes line, and over another fence, where it was dropped on its side with the door wrenched off.

At this time Mr. Aitken was driving a milk wagon down the road, and a macrocarpa branch, about 3ft long, which he noticed whirling about above him, dropped beside him into the wagon, brushing him as it fell.

More material damage was done on Mr. C. Hoskins' neighbouring farm. After racing across the paddocks, the whirlwind split "several trees as it passed through a macrocarpa plantation. At a nearby milking shed, two -thirds of the roofing and several purlins were whisked into the air and dumped anywhere within about 50 yards of the shed. A heavy puriri post, which had been 13' ing on the roof, was hurled through the air to plough up the soil as it lauded 40 yards away.