SOUTHERLY STORM

Evening Star, Issue 21723, 18 May 1934, Page 6

SOUTHERLY STORM

CYCLONIC FORCE IN THE NORTH

HOUSES WRECKED IN NEW PLYMOUTH

[Per United Press Association.]

NEW PLYMOUTH, May 17

A wind of cyclonic force swept in a narrow path across the back of New Plymouth at dusk this evening, and was followed by a heavy downpour or rain. Several houses and other buildings were damaged, and minor damage was caused to trees and fences in the track of the storm. The tornado struck the land at Moturoa, near the harbour, and travelled across the back of the town to Avenue road. Beach House, at Moturoa, was severely damaged and practically collapsed. At the Public Hospital, on the hill, several windows were broken in one adult ward and in the children’s ward. In the latter ward several children in their cots were soaked with the rain that followed hard on the wind. Part of the roof was lifted off Mr Eliot King’s house, and a quantity of timber from another building was deposited on the verandah. The cyclone seemed to reach its height on avenue road, where most or the roof of Mr Harding’s house was lifted off. Several power and telephone poles in the track of the storm were smashed. For a few minutes the whole town was in darkness, and portions are still without a light or power. At the height of the storm on Avenue road a motor cyclist, Mr Raymond, was struck lay a car when lie was attending to the light on his cycle. He was taken to hospital with a fractured thigh. The wind was strong all over the borough, but the damage was confined to one track. Many wireless aerial poles were snapped off and gardens suffered severely. Death was narrowly escaped by Mrs J. Scohle and her baby when their house in Mill road was wrecked by a tornado. They were sitting down to tea when, with a roar, the wind descended on the house. It tore the roof away and sent the brick chimuey crashing down into the kitchen. Mrs Scohle suffered a severely injured knee, and her leg is probably broken. The baby escaped iujury. Mr Scohle arrived homo soon afterwards. The debris of the roof and walls and of the shod was carried a considerable distance.