THE RECENT SYDNEY STORMS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 67, 12 December 1907, Page 5

THE RECENT SYDNEY STORMS.

EXTRAORDINARY FALLS OF HAIL, {PROM OUR SriClAr, CORRESPONDENT. .Sydney, November 30. , Had a stranger to Sydney been told on Saturday morning, in the hot, oppressive atmosphere then prevailing, that there would be a storm of hail before -midnight-, he would probably have laughed at his informant. But that night, at 8 o'clock, hailstones as l>ig as pigeon's eggs were falling in the city and suburbs, playing upon iron roofs with all the- vigour of a military bombardment) and whitening the streets and lawns. A nuge cloud bank began to approach from the west in the afternoon, and hung portentously over the. city, its . dark volume showing - with vivid distinctness against tho clear blue of the afternoon sky, whilst the rays of. sun illumined its prominent features with singularly striking cffect. "When the cloud burst, rain descended in sheets, and presently, as .tho people were thinking of setting out for the Saturday night theatres, the hail came down with- a noise like that produced by a fusillade of rifle bullets. Windows were broken in many places, aiid_ in some instances, the heavy lumps of hail penetrated iron roofs, and thus the rain came through, injuring tho goods of traders. In the outlying suburbs and in Bathurst ; and- other country districts, the wheat and fruit crops were badly One farmer at AYliite Rock, near Bathurst, loses £200, and others in that locality liavo suffered considerably, the crops having been cut up like chaff. The.fall-of hail was so heavy in the suburbs that; a tramcar' bound from tho. Spit Junction to North Sydney was derailed, the rails becoming, blocked by tho accumulation of hailstones. The car, thus tnrown out of its course, ran across the street and footpath, and knocked down a brick wall in front of a terrace of houses. Fortunately no one was injured. It took two hours to put the car back upon the rails. On Tuesday another storm,-of less duration, but much more severe, burst over the city.: The lightning was more vivid, and the peals of thunder were so close as to be absolutely, terrifying. The dangerous character which this storm assumed was evident from the damage wrought by the lightning. The Imion S.S. .Company's steamer Oonah had just-cast oft from the Margaret Street Wharf for Hobart, when her foremast , was struck by lightning, which shattered the truck • a loud report-, and brought the flag and halyards to tho deck. Naturally there was a good-deal of excitement amongst those on board • and tho people on the wharf. A tramcar on the North Sydney line, bound from Milson's Point to Crow's Nest, was struck — the wires being fused — ana thus came, to a sudden halt. Nobody was injured, fortunately,, but : the car was rendered useless for that, journey, and had to bo hauled off for repairs. Electric light Vires were fused in various parts of the city, and from this cause many buildings were plunged -into darkness. A city dentist had a novel experience. As lie was attending to a lady, patient-, the electric light was suddenly extinguished, and at tho same moment a heavy peal of- thunder was heard. Tho patient, springing out of the chair, and throwing her arms round the dentist's neck, implored him not on any accountto leave her, as she was sure the end of the world had come.

At Collarenebrj, a town in tho north-west of New South Wales. 60 miles from Burren Junction railway station, tho inhabitants bad ail exciting experience. There the wind blew with tho force of a tornado, and verandahs and roofs were carried away. A cottage near tho lloyal Hotel was struck by ligntning, and the contents destroyed, wliilo the roof and verandah, were splintered into matchwood. A woman who was alone in the cottage, becoming frightened by tho thunder when the storm began, ran out to seek refuge in the hotel. But for this, sue might have been killed when the .place was struck by lightning. Tlie influence of the storm was felt in Victoria, and on tho same day, at Murrumbeena, in that Stato, a hugo fiieball, accompanied by a great pcai of thunder, struck a house, knocking the chimney stack down, and damaging the furniture. Fortunately none of the inmates were' injured. A neighbour- who saw the fireball coming was so terrified at the sight that lie bolted panic-stricken' into his • own houso.-