WHIRLWIND'S FURY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 206, 1 September 1936, Page 15

WHIRLWIND'S FURY.

HOME DEMOLISHED.

OCCUPANTS NOT INJURED.

TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

lIAWERA, Monday,

Lifted bodily and dumped 20 yards away- in a mass of tangled wreckage, the four-roomed farm residence of Mr. and Mrs. R. T. Gatenby, of Te Kiri, near Opunake, was demolished by a whirlwind at the weeK-end. Debris ww hurled a mile away. Furniture and household effects were caught up and the wrackage scattered over the paddocks. Mr. and Mrs. Gatenby, however, miraculously enlarged almost unscathed from the Hying timbers, iron and bricks. All of the house that was left in position was part of the verandah flooring.

Cowsheds 011 adjoining properties were lifted 200 ft. in the air and smashed to pieces. Power lines were snapped by Hying iron, and, 011 one farm a cow was electrocuted.

'A storm of unusual severity occured throughout the district late in the afternoon. Hailstones fell the size of pigeons' eggs. Then came an uncanny stillness. Mr. Gatenby and his wife were in the kitchen of their homo, where Mrs. Gatenby was preparing a cup of tea. The stillness was broken by the roar of a terrific wind and tlxe house rocked on its foundations.

| Seemingly in a flash the house was lifted and dropped 20 yards away in a crazy jumble of broken timber and twisted iron. Mr. and Mrs. Gatenby icrawled from the ruins and watched the roof, walls and contents of the house sailing over the hedges. In five minutes all that remained was part of the verandah llooring. Debris Carried a Mile. On top of a hedge a chain away rested the lloor of the sitting room. The kitchen lloor was hurled over a hedge and came to rest 100 lards away near a cowshed, which also was demolished. Other parts of the house were strewn in the paddocks, and some came to rest on the ISlthani-Opunake Road, a mile distant. Furniture, smashed to matchwood, was scattered over a wide area.

"It was a niracle we were not killed," said Mr. Gatenby. "We ware buried in the wreckage >ind I was pinned by timber and iron. My wife was able to free herself and she crawled over and released me. We managed to get outside. It was lucky for us that we were not hit by flying debris.

"It seemed to bo all over in a few seconds. It certainly was a terrifying experience. Our only injuries were minor cuts and abrasions, but my wife is suffering from severe shock. We were married only six weeks ago, and you can imagine what a blow it is to lis. I spent £100 on the furniture and every stick is smashed."

/On neighbouring farms haystacks and outbuildings were demolished, while a belt of shelter trees snapped off like matchwood. Farm implements were hurled about like straws. A trail of minor damage indicates the path of the visitation for about two miles. The track is about 200 yards wide.

A similar disturbance occured in this district four years ago.