NORTHERLY GALE SWEEPS CITY

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 12, 9 October 1928, Page 12

NORTHERLY GALE SWEEPS CITY

WIND REACHES CYCLONIC

FORCE

HOUSE UNROOFED AT HATAITAI BERTHING~OF~ MAUNGANUI DELAYED Wellington yesterday morning was swept by a northerly gale of exceptional strength, which sprung up at about 8.30 o’clock. So severe was the force of the wind that the seas were soon spraying the road along Clyde Quay and Oriental Parade. The Maunganui had to steam slowly for some hours in the harbour before the gale moderated sufficiently to enable her to come in to the Queen’s Wharf. The wind reached tornado force on the heights surrounding the city, and in the suburbs, where considerable minor damage resulted, . including the unroofing of a residence at Hataitai.

The gale sprang up with startling suddenness, and the harbour presented a most picturesque spectacle while it was at its height. White horses chased each other across the bay in endless procession, and broke in unbridled fashion upon the breastworks on the southern waterfront, sending showers of spray upon Clyde Quay and Oriental Parade. The tumult of waters made a spectacle of awe-inspiring grandeur in the sunlight at about 9 o’clock, but shortly afterwards dense masses of clouds banked up from the north, which settled like a huge pall over the city and harbour, and subsequently heavy rain set in. The force of the wind caught the tops of waves and hurled them bodily through the ■air for hundreds of yards, until the whole harbour became a confused mass of flying scud HOUSE UNROOFED AT HATAITAI , EXTENSIVE DAMAGE About 9.20 yesterday morning during the height of the storm an overwhelming gust of wind struck the residence of Mrs. E. K. Alderson, 119 Moxham Avenue, tearing off the roof, which was carried high into the air to land on the far side of No. 121, occupied by Mrs. R. Birch. Considerable damage was also-done to the side of the next house, No. 123, the residence of Mr. F. B. King. Another section

of the roofing, with a chimney, was whirled away up Goa Street for a distance of twenty yards, carrying away a chimney-stack on a neighbouring house occupied by Mr. G. N. Morey, chemist, of Hataitai. “It was just like an earthquake,” said Mrs. Alderson, describing her experience to a “Dominion” reporter, “the house shook terribly. I was standing at a table ironing, when suddenly there was a roar, and the chandelier above crashed down on to the. table! I rushed out and into another room, but everywhere it was the same. ...” She indicated a heap of fallen bricks brushed to one side. “Those came down just as I went into the hall. At last I managed to draw the attention of some men across the street by knocking on the window, and one of them came over and helped me.” The effects of the great shock which Mrs. Alderson had sustained'were still apparent. The house was a seven-roomed one, built entirely of brick, and a glance through the interior with its orna-

mental ceilings showed that its appointments had been beyond the ordinary. But now all was chaos—only a

small fraction of the slate roofing remained in position, badly wrenched

and stayed down by iron wires; plaster hung ripped where bricks from the chimneys had fallen through, and all

furniture had been, removed during the course of the morning. Outside the ground was strewn with debris. A chimney top had collapsed on to the pavement in Goa Street, smashing the fence and narrowly missing a man who had come to Mrs. Alderson’s assistance. Shattered slates, broken beams, and torn spouting lay in confusion. Along Goa Street Mr. Morey’s residence had been struck by a flying section of timber, which had wrecked a chimney and dismantled guttering and tiles, but the worst damage had been caused by the main portion, which was

described by eye-witnesses “to have been lifted twenty feet into the air.” - This had just failed to clear the top of No. 121, and had carried away a chimney to slide sideways on to the side of No. 123, where windows were broken and a concrete veranda support suffered considerably. Mrs. Birch, the occupier of No. 121, said that a minute or two before the occurrence, a slate had been dislodged from No. 119. A woman who assisted her in the house had gone out to retrieve it, and had barely entered the building again before there was a roar and a noise of breaking glass. In view of the fact that the ground outside all the buildings was littered with brick, slate, portions of a chimney, and good-sized pieces of wood, it was very fortunate that the occupants of the houses were inside when the mishap occurred. That nobody received any injury was little short of miraculous. Yesterday afternoon many helpers were at work on the scene, removing the wreckage from the housetops, and covering in the damaged portions with tarpaulins. NARROW ESCAPES A coal lorry going round the corner of Rakau Road, overlooking Kllbirnie tunnel, had the narrowest escape of going over the bank. A heavy gust lifted two of the wheels of the lorry off the ground, but fortunately they came back on the road again, and the driver was glad to get through into Hapua Road. A boy on his way to school was blown down several times, lost his hat. and at last gave up and returned home. Another resident lost hat and spectacles at the same corner. A new house is being erected on the lower side about 100 yards away overlooking the tram terminus. Some roof iron which had been delivered was blowing about all over the place like paper, and flooring and joist timber littered the hillside. A number of fences were blown down and much general damage done,

HEAVY GALE AT ASHBURTON

WORST FOR FORTY YEARS (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Ashburton, October 8. The strong nor’-west winds which had prevailed in Ashburton County for the previous two weeks reached a climax on Saturday evening, when the gale attained hurricane force, lasting until daybreak yesterday morning. 'Roofs were lifted off sheds and fences were broken. It is stated that this was the worst windstorm in the Methven and Rakaia districts for 40 years. On many of the county roads traffic was suspended through the routes being blocked by trees. On one stretch of half a mile in the Alford Forest district sixty broken pines were counted.

Electric light and telephone wires are down, but it is stated that the Power Board’s loss in .poles is less than in the August gale. The eastern portion of the borough was without power for three hours on Saturday evening, and again during the night. Damage amounting to between £4OO and £5OO was done to the grandstand at the Ashburton racecourse, when the entire east end of the main stand was blown out. The main -roof sheltering one line of horse stalls, numbering 30. was ripped off, and the stalls were considerably knocked about. Another line of horse stalls was moved bodily.

Timber Plantation Damaged.

In the Staveley district the gale fanned the smouldering bush fires, which are spreading to the half-cleared scrub. The fire destroyed several outbuildings, though the residences were saved through strenuous efforts. In one plantation of some 20,000 trees, it is believed that from one-third to one-half are down. v ■ ' ’ MAUNGANUI DELAYED SIX HOURS IN THE STREAM The R.M.S. Maunganui arrived in the stream at 6.20 o’clock yesterday morning, from Sydney direct. She was boarded, as usual, by the Port Health Officer, and Customs officials. A fresh northerly, which had been blowing, then increased to a heavy gale, and the Maunganui, with two anchors down, gradually drifted slightly to leeward. The anchor cables eventually fouled each other, but after -some manoeuvring these were cleared, and the ship moved right up to the Kaiwarra Bight, so as to gain better anchorage.

By 9 o’clock a large crowd had assembled near No. 1 south (outer tee), Queen’s Wharf, where the Maunganui was to berth. The public took shelter in the lee of the wharf sheds from the heavy rain squalls and violent gusts of wind. Those waiting eventually realised that it was impossible to berth the big liner during the prevailing conditions, and at 11 a.m. they left the wharf for more congenial shelter. At 11.30 a.m. the wind slackened considerably, and it was then apparent that the Maunganui could come alongside. The big boat picked up her two anchors and steamed slowly around, coming in to her berth without incident at 12.25 p.m. The public, in the meantime, had gained knowledge that the ship was moving .in to her berth, and a goodly muster welcomed the voyagers on board the vessel as the gangway was lowered.

SPECIAL FLOOD WARNING TO CANTERBURY

HEAVY RAIN AT ARTHUR’S PASS

Dominion Special Service.

Christchurch, October 8.

For the first time in , history the Government Meteorologist for New Zealand issued a special flood warning this morning. An urgent message from Dr. Kidson at Wellington received in Christchurch at 11.15 a.m., read: "There is a likelihood of further heavy rainfall in the ranges and a danger of high flood in Canterbury rivers. Please circulate this information.” The staff of the Waimakariri River Trust have been prepared since yesterday to endeavour to cope with a big flood, and patrols are guarding all danger points in the banks on the lower reaches. Reports received this morning showed that heavy rain was fall ing all the way up the river from Halkett, which is within twenty miles of Christchurch. Last night the river rose to eight feet above normal, inundating the lower portion of Coutts Island, but this morning it had fallen by two feet six inches. The sudden rising of the river was due to an exceptionally heavy fall of rain at Arthur’s Pass late on Sunday 'night, and in the early hours of yesterday morning. About nine inches of rain fell between 10 p.m. on Saturday and 5 a.m. yesterday and this was accompanied by thunder and vivid lightning The river in the gorge was soon a raging torrent. The beginning of the rise was noticed at Halkett at about 1 p.m. yesterday* and four hours later it set in at White’s Bridge.

DAMAGED TELEGRAPH LINES

Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, October 8.

Battling with high winds, telegraph linesmen were fighting to-day to maintain communications. All over the province damage was done by the big storm on Saturday night, and in the face of many difficulties much of the damage was repaired to-day. The worst break in the telephone system occurred between Bealey and Darfleld, where the telephone line connecting Christchurch vzith Greymouth had been brought down. There was still a gale raging in that part of the province to-day, the wind bringing with it pouring rain. Gradually, however, the linesmen got the wires joined again, _ restoring communication. Minor damage was also done both north and south of Christchurch, but it was not sufficient to stop telegraph traffic. OCEAN WEATHER CONDITIONS “VERY DISTURBED”

Dr. E. Kidson, Director of Government 'Meteorological Services, stated yesterday that conditions were very disturbed over the Tasman Sea and right across southern Australian to beyond the Australian Bight. Pressure was very low and strong north-wester-ly to westerly winds prevailed.

MUD-LADEN SHOWERS AT BLENHEIM

(By Telegraph—Special Reporter.) Blenheim, October 8.

The dust clouds reported as passing Sydney out over the Tasman Sea apparently reached New Zealand during the week-end. Unusually dense black clouds swept over Marlborough this morning, but the threatened deluge of rain resolved into heavy showers which sprinkled motor-cars and roofs with a thin coating of mud, doubtless due to the dust carried by the storm from Australia. For an hour or two the dense masses of cloud made it so dull that lights had to be used in shops and offices in Blenheim. CROSSING THE RIMUTAKAS Heavy mist with a fair wind made driving difficult on the road across the Rimutakas, especially during the afternoon. One motorist stated that thunder and lightning was very frequent about 2 o’clock, and that he. had to continue for a number of miles at only ten miles an hour.