HAVOC OF THE GALE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 123, 26 May 1932, Page 12

HAVOC OF THE GALE

RELIEF CAMPS WRECKED

TENTS WHIPPED AWAY

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") . AUCKLAND, This Day. Havoc among the tents of relief workers was caused by a fierce southwesterly gale which swept over the camps at Aka Aka and fttaioro beach early yesterday morning. At Aka Aka No ; 2 camp only three tents out of 21 were left standing, while nine tents out of twelve were blown down at Maioro beach. Scenes of desolation at both camps bore ample testimony to the force of the gale, which simply whipped the tents away from above the sleeping men and scattered their personal belongings far afield. To add to their discomfort, heavy rain and sharp gusts bearing hail accompanied tho gale, and the men were thoroughly wet almost before they had time to realise what had occurred. The greatest damage occurred at Aka Aka camp, where the gale broke with surprising suddenness shortly after 6 o 'clock, when it was barely daylight. In many instances tents were lifted bodily with wall-boards, poles, and pegs, and blown away, some being carried as far as 30ft from where they had been erected. Many of the tents were ruined, the fabric being ripped to shreds, while heavy ridge and side poles were snapped like matchwood. The suddenness of the gale completely surprised the 44 men at the camp. They had no time to save their personal belongings. Suitcases and kitbags were whisked away, their contents being scattered over neighbouring fields, while odd garments in tents were carried by tho gale until they were canght on a fence or came to rest at tho bottom of a ditch near the camp. Most of the tents were' reduced to sodden heaps of flapping canvas, with broken poles projecting at all angles.