GALE IN SUVA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 161, 1 April 1908, Page 8

GALE IN SUVA.

SHIPPING SEVERELY.. ' BANANA "PLANTATIONS BADLY'' , damaged; • (dt TEr,FGitArii. —press' , .... Auckland, March 31. Fiji files .to . hand- , to-day- state : that :a so.voro. galo. raged' iniSuvav oir Moiiday, evening,. March 23, causing considerable damage. There .was" a strong wind, blowing from' tlie north-east all day, with 'lioavy 'rain" squalte, accbmpanicd by a falling barometer. : About 6 p.m. it' hauled, round' ti the' north, arid the ,gale coriimenced in ' earnest: It gradually, workod round, to tho westward, aridVit was from this quarter that ''tho'worst .of-''tho galo was'.felt l and tho daina^o 1 caius'ed.-' ,At eight o'clock .tho glass - read ! 29.35," and' then gradually rose. At about Mn..'o!clock .the galo, blew itself out with an exceptionally heavy squall. Then it ceased . almost:.entirely, and ' thb baroriietor rose '.rapidly.Tuesday morning was bright and ' clear, and tho danger, was past. . •' , . Tho shipping in the harbour suffered very :sovorely. ' The stwmbr ' Sangola, ; 9476, was lying at arich.br with rio.,atoani,.up. . She; dragged ( her anchors and-went-ashore about' bi^ht'.-o'clock.,oh' the.';-mud.-.off" Walu.:-'Bay. Sho,;:was : towod off.;by:, tlie i ' Government steamer Rariadi. % Tho ~ steamer Talurie. had h'er : lines' fast, but . did;; riot .requiro to use them'. , ; ''• " , \. ' Tho R.M.S. •*. Jlarama- -arid tho - 'Stbamer' Talurie wore,. riioored .to.-.tho.^'wharf,...tho; decking of : . which'. was . started iir'-many - places; Tho ...steamers, , hov;evpr',' afforded,. an • excellent breakwater 'for 'the smaller 'craft..;'. ;..

; ' The v steamer-= • Clydo '-was-: .blown.' -up ; the Tamayua,.and 1 a'-' coal*'hulk'' weiit';' ashore-, opposite, the .'Cable "Wharf."'T , • • .■'/ "... • ErosV;oil.llauhch" and,"Mr." Bradnan's ..oil' launch were Hying neat' > the -'wharf; and were' smashed up; ahd /spnk'" alongside the • wharf. -.' Several • othpr"4auhphes, euttfers,. and small boats, wcro."driven'.islioro' or. sink with ihoreyo'r./lcss-damage. .;V,' ' ' Tlio ■ Government' steamer Tianadi rbde-.it out at anchor. , " '•••'' 'a*:'-'. ' .-Ashore, tlio principal ■ damage was' to' tlie balcony-of the Pier Hotel. in T.hcmscln Street; which.. was -.blown. .away;''Tße, .ibalooriy of. Marrinon's.i Buiidihss in' yietoria' Barflde; and ,tho verandah .o|. :Co]Ho',s,''>hon "yrerp blown 'downi and-maiiy; buildings,'lost tlieiihad/niinor. damages.p ' .The ;.. shade-' .trees . aloii£ ;the. aro spoilt. Fully' 20 ..per cqiit: .are uprooted, -arid the .balanqo - .are; all '.more or .less.' dpstroyfed; huge limbs-.being missing. from.'niost:of-th'eni. Noedless'. to ..say,' private gardens suffered. .. . Tlio ,' banana. 'plantations- ih'.Hhp,, distfict havo;'gono .under." ■ Mr.' : ,H. ,A*.' .Treacy; of Nasimu, . f is.,again. a loser. , variety is entirely destroyed; rind 'about 30 per cpnt.'.of-the Chinas. He .estimates his loss \ at. over <• £10;000. .' The" plantatio.ns '! on the Tamavua: are ..also , nearly swept: out. of existence. The. Gros.Michels-arb; liearlyall down,-'and about 50;. per corit:,of ■ the,' Chinas. .other' plantations, have , alsomet .with ■ itlie samo fato.' ' '■ " . : The island of , was, seriously/damaged ■by thp .gale. I'Ho.uses- and,.banana 1 'trees were levelled. ■' i : .