HIGH WIND AT GREYMOUTH

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23813, 5 December 1942, Page 4

HIGH WIND AT GREYMOUTH

Considerable Minor

Damage

BUILDINGS AND OTHER PROPERTY SUFFER

(OR.) GREYMOUTH. Dec. 4 Considerable minor property damage was caused by the high wind swept the province throughout today from the early hours of the morning onwards. Although the general direction of the wind was fr°nj tne north-east, in some portions of G r mouth it turned to south and at timethe gusts reached gale force, causing buildings in more exposed areas to Heavy damage was caused to a number of skylights, windows, fences, verandahs, wireless aerials, gardens, fruit trees, and flowering shrubs, tn one of the fiercest gusts, a substantia portion of the corrugated iron roof of a house in Murray street was litteu bodily and deposited in the street, narrowly missing a butcher’s cart, ine horse was frightened, and bolted, but was promptly halted. Sheets of flying iron from another house in tne vicinity soared above an adjacent dwelling and dropped two sections away. The front verandah of a resl ” dence in Blaketown was detached and deposited several yards away. Because of the extraordinary strength of the wind, watersiders working on the timber trucks at the Greymouth wharf had to cease work. The Post and Telegraph Department escaped lightly, but in the early part of the day the coastal line to Westport was out of service, apparently through the blowing of fuses in the Barrytown area through contact wiw a power line. Although the Public Works Department's lines escaped damage, the Grey Electric Power Board’s gangs were kept busy throughout the day attending to numerous cases of broken service lines to residences, but in no instance was a major break reported, nor were any poles snapped. The engineer (Mr S. Trotter) stated that in Cobdea wireless aerials had fouled a service line. An exceptional gust about midday removed the whole superstructure of the front green beacon on the Greymouth wharf. Temporary repairs were effected to enable the light to be shown to-night, but the whole structure will require renewal. A window was blown out of the Post Office and a skylight was blown in at the police station. Fortunately, the heavy overnight rain had abated early this morning.

GALE AT WESTPORT

(0.C.) WESTPORT, Dec. 4. A strong southerly gale this morning at times rocked buildings in the town. Throughout the district considerable damage was done to fences, wireless aerials, and chimneys. The train from Seddonville was delayed by the head wind. A 20-yard portion of the iron fence at St. Joseph’s School in Russell street was blown down, and damage to roofs and fences was caused in the town. By 2 p.m. the wind, though still severe, had slackened.