LAST NIGHT'S GALE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXI, Issue 5571, 5 July 1875, Page 2

LAST NIGHT'S GALE.

For several days past the barometer has given evident indications of * coming storm. On Saturday the appearance of the norizon was such that old salts predicted that there would be a heavy "blow." On Saturday evening the wind came down from the northward, and blew in heavy gusts, increasing in violence during the night, accompanied by a heavy downpour of ram. During the night the wind veered round to the northeast, and blew a perfect gale, some of the squalls being unusually severe. Some slight damage was done to the coasting fleet, the • Alice' cutter fouled another vessel smashing all her counter, carried away her bowsprit, and sank to the westward of the intake ; the • Start' cutter, bound to Mercury Bay, was compelled to run back to harbour for shelter with mainsail split. The little schooner ' Firefly,' lying to the eastward of the wharf, slipped her* cable and dragged to the wharf at the watermen's steps, and suffered considerable damage, sustaining loss of bowsprit and having all her stern and starboard quarter knocked in. A very heavy swell was rolling in at the time and it was difficult to get her out of her dangerous predicament. Ultimately, however, she was shifted into a safe position alongside the inner tee. The cutter 'Swift' also lost her bowsprit by colliding with another coaster during the gale. A number of other casualties occurred but none of any serious consequence -the larger vessels lying at the different T«, being securely moored, were enabled to ride out the gale with safety. Yesterday there was no appearance of the weather abating, and at the turn of the tide, the wind chopped round to the northwest, and blew very strong. Several vessels which had left the harbour on Saturday were compelled to run back through stress of weather. In the afternoon the wind shifted into the westward, and about eight o'clock, when it was high water, blew with hurricane violence, with a heavy sea running, the spray making a complete breach over the wharf. Just about this time there was considerable damage done to the shipping at the building yards, the frame of a new schooner building at Messrs. Henderson and Spraggon's yard being overturned and broken to pieces, and the workshop of Messrs. Waymouth and Son was also levelled to the ground ; in fact, the whole of the buildings were one mass of wrock, from Waymouths' to Henderson and Spraggon's, the full force of the wind andsea being experienced there. The schooner ' Coronet, which was on the stocks at Mr. Gouk'syard, being recoppered, was carried away by the high sea, and had to be scuttled in order to prevent entailing any damage by drifting down on the other vessels. She n as sunk near the yard, but sustained no damage. The b.s. 'Gemini,' lying to the westward of the wharf, dragged her anchors and drifted to Messrs. Oxley's store, and it is supposed that she has done a considerable amount of damage to the building, but it was impossible to ascertain the extent of the injury, owing to the intense darkness of the night and the driving wind and spray,. The steamer v> as at once scuttled, and is said to have sustained little or no damage herself, and the last report was that she would be enabled to live the gale out in safety To show the force of the wind we may mention that two of the watermen's boats, which were lying on the skids, were lifted clean away and tossed into the water, both of them coming to grief. Up to a late hour last night there was no appearance of any dimunition in the force of the gale. Mr. Lander expressed his opinion that there was no fear ot any accident occurring to the larger vessels lying at the wharf, and the coasters, as far as could be learned, were riding out the gale with ease. Every precaution that the harbour authorities could adopt in order to prevent the occurrence of casualties was taken by them. At a later hour the following additional losses were ascertained : — The cutter 1 Magic,' which was lying at the Gore-street jetty, has had her stern severely damaged, if not completely destroyed ; the ketch •TiriTiri,' lying off the west side of*the wharf, was sunk ; the cutter ' Diamond,' belonging to Captain Shera and Mr. Hutley, was also sunk where lying to the westward of the wharf ; the cutter ' Mary Ann ' had her mainsail not securely fastened, and by the tlapping caused by the wind it has been whipped into ribbons. The ketch ' Speedwell, on the western side of the wharf, was sunk, as was also the yacht ' Lizard,' lying in Freeman's Bay. A considerable number of minor casualties seem to have taken place, I but owing to the darkness and blinding | spray it is impossible to ascertain exactly the amount of damage until daylight. The boat of Mr. Keene, the waterman, which was driven from the westward of the wharf, was afterwards picked up beside the breakwater, not much injured. Other watermen's boats seem to have suffered a good deal, and it is roughly estimated that they have sustained loss to the extent of something like £40. In the town we fear the gale will be mo?e destructive than amongst the shipping in the harbour. Owing to the intense darkness of the night, it was impossible to «ee what injury was being done to citizens properties, but it was evident that the wind was trying the weak parts of several of them. Every now and then, wherever one went, was to be heard the crash ©f breaking glass, the result evidently of some unfortunate window yielding to the force of the wind. Sheets of corrugated iron were also being torn off roofs and verandahs, for some were occasionally to be seen tossing in the streets by midnight wayfarers. The shutters were torn from the windows of Mr. Shalders' shop in Queenstreet, and pitched about in the street, but whether more injury was done to the property it was difficult to ascertain. Fences of a certain age were levelled in all parts of the city.

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