BROKEN KILL BATTERED

Evening Star, Issue 18158, 26 December 1922, Page 4

BROKEN KILL BATTERED

A TERRIFIC STORM. HEAVY DAMAGE IN TOW. SALVATIONISTS' NARROW BBOAPE. A fierce storm ©wept Broken Hill, New South Wales, [recently, and played havoo throughout the city. About 11 o’clock in the morning it was evident that a storm was impending, the sky in the south-west being black wath low, heavy clbuds, which wore sweeping toward ‘Broken Hill with a great velocity. The dust jras so thick aa to darken, the interior of every building like midnight. The sound of the wind mingled with that of verandahs, fences, laud roofs being tom to pieces and scattered over the ground. When it was possible to drive through the streets it was obvious that the damage done by the storm was the greatest ever' experienced in the history of Broken Hill. Buildings of all kinds were more or less damaged. Some of them wore totally destroyed ; others had the verandahs stripped off, fences kid low, .and others, •again, had the whole or portion of the roofs blown away, the debris being scattered in some cases far beyond the reach of recovery. A survey of the city showed that the damaged places included public buildings, warehouses, shops, and residences. Electric light and telephone poles and wires and (trees in the streets and parks also suffered considerably. Among buildings more or less seriously damaged were the Salvation Army barracks in Wolfram street and 1 the (Railway Town “ Pictureland,” the Trades Hall, the municipal electricity works, two Hillside theatres, the Metropole Picture Theatre, tho South Broken Hill Sunday School, a large drill hall at Railway Town, and the hospital. Among the business places whore the greatest damage was visible through the streets one of, tho most conspicuous was that of Wilkin, and Sons’ wholesale warehouse. A great portion of the roof had been tom off and blown over several intervening buildings and across Oxide street, where it smashed down the front, of Pincombe’s store and Mr Potter’s premises. Further up Blende street a considerable portion of the roof of the Trades Hall was spread across the street. The masonry parapets of two hotels, about 100yds apart, were blown on to the roof, in ouo case the masonry having carried the whole roof with it down info the interior of the building. Down Oxide street advertisement hoardings and wrecked verandahs and portions of roofs and buildings were strewn all over the road. It was evident that, had not the storm occurred on a Sunday morning, when there was very—little traffic, personal injury and probably loss of life would' have resulted from the flying debris. The storm took place shortly after the people bad assembled in the churches. The streets • * deserted, and thus the absence, of ca ’’Cities is accounted for.

In the parks, as well as in the streets, large trees were torn up by the roots. In some places trees growing in private gardens were blown down, and fences and outbuildings were carried away. Poles which had carried electricity mains and -telephone, wires were blown down across the carriage way, and a. staff under the direction of the manarer of the works was hard at. work in clearing away the wreckage which had fallen, and in securing ■other, poles which were in danger of falling. Many heavy pohs were in this position, and were a menace to traffic, , Mr Behr, who had his leg broken in Railway Town, war, one of a number of men who were standing outside the Hillside Picture Theatre when the storm broke over it. They were blown across the street and into Hillside Reserve. Portions of the debris of the shattered theatre struck Behr and broke bis leg. As soon as the violence of the. storm had abated the whole city resounded with the noise of hammers. Nearly everybody’s residence was damaged. It is difficult to estimate the amount of damage' done (wrote the correspondent, of a Sydney paper after the Storm), but hi all it will certainly amount to many thousands of pounds, and it will probably be a long time before repairs are carried out, as for some time past it has been very difficult to obtain skilled tradesmen to do any construction work, such as repairs to buildings.

The greatest wreck of all was the Salvation .Army Citadel in Wolfram street, which has been the headquarters of the Salvation Army in Broken Hill for. many years. It was a largo timber structure with a big gallery, and capable of seating 650 people. The 11 o'clock service had just started when indications of an approaching storm were noticed. Ensign Cknty was in and there was an attendance of fifty men, women, and children. Tho electrio light had been switched on, and the windows on the windward side of the building had been closed to keep out the dust. The force of the gale suddenly increased, and the building started to rock. In relating his experience. Ensign Canty said 5 "My first idea was to open the doora on the onposibe side of the building to that in which the wind was blowing. The door would not open, arid I knew then that wo were in difficulties. I said to a worker near me; ‘We must switch the lights out or there; will be a fire if the building goes over.' At the same lima I made a jump for tho switch some distance over my head on lira wall. As I jumped tho wall went with me outwards, and I slid along it and turned the switch. Members of the congregation, of course, were alarmed, but there was no panic. When I switched off the lights they were singing. First one portion of the roof fell, and then the other portion followed. 'Die first portion fell over the building and dropped clear, but the other half crashed down, bringing the walls with it right over the heads of the small congregation.

“ At tho front end of the building tho timber frontage collapsed practically in Its own apace, and blocked all exit from the Wolfram street frontage. Tho congregation had a wonderful escape. Portion of the roof which came down over' their beads kept Intact, and was on one side hold by its own girders, and on the other side by benches which arc used by the congregation. A few of tho .people had left the building before the final collapse, but the remainder of tho congregation was in this small space just able to stand upright. All wore able to crawl out safely between tho two girders whore tho wall had broken away. Three persons were slightly injured. Mr G. K. Lissold, who Is on a visit from .Sydney, was struck by a Eicon of timber, and his back was badly raised. John Hocking sustained a sprain to one of bis legs, and May Goldsworthy had a badly cut foot. She received first aid from the Army officers, and then when the storm cleared she was taken to hospital."