HEAVY WEATHER

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11009, 23 January 1926, Page 5

HEAVY WEATHER

AUCKLAND CITY SWEPT. | SMALL GRAFT GET ADRIFT. ' YACHT LIMIT WRECKED. AUCKLAND, Jan. 22, A north-easterly gale of considerable severity swept over the city today, piling up a number of pleasure craft on the rocks and intiwLng minor damage on buildings exposed to the full force of the wind. When the storm was- at its height in the early hours of the morning, several shop verandahs in the city and suburbs were demolished and in several instances windows were broken. Telegraphic communication was rendered difficult during the greater part of the day, a number of lines both north and south of Auckland being interfered with by flie wet conditions. The telephone lines sulfered more seriously, and long distance communication was impossible during a part of the day. Exciting scenes were witnessed in the harbor when efforts were made to secure a number of small craft which had drifted away from their moorings. The damage caused by the gale among yachts, and launches, was heavy, the storm taking toll in the 16ft yacht Limit and half a dozen smaller craft The Harbor Board’s launches and motor pinnaces from H.M.S. Diomede had an extremely busy time rescuing the pleasure craft in the harbor from drifting out to sea or being smashed on the rocks. The yacht Limit, which broke her moorings, was swept on to the rocks in the centre of Judge's Bay, and after being buffeted about for several hours broke up finally about mid-dr.y. In the afternoon nothing remained of the vessel but a few floating pieces of wreckage. Passengers travelling between the.Norcir Shore and the city by ferry during the forenoon had a particularly stormy passage. No cargo work was done ou the wharves owing to the heavy rain. The sailing of the Marama for Sydney was postponed until three o’clock 10-moiTow afternoon. Small coastal ships were unable to sail. Incoming overseas ships report considerable dc]qv. The electric power failed in part of the city to-night, and the trams were stopped running for nearly half-an-hour. The weather has now greatly moderated.- -P.A.

HEAVY SEAS AT LYTTELTON. SHIPPING DELAYED. CHIIISTGHUKCH, Jan. 22. Heavy seas on the coast increased yesterday, and small steamers were delayed. The Wairau, which put back on Thursday after leaving for Blenheim, is still laid up. The,Peninsula steamer John Anderson had to return from the heads. The Waihemo, which arrived in the morning from Newcastle, was compelled to remain in the stream as the port health officer could not go out to grant pratique, and also because her berth was still occupied. The Shaw. Savill liner Maimoa arrived in the stream in the evening, but the captain wirelessed that he did not consider it safe to anchor and put to sea again.Heavy rain in the afternoon stopped all work on the waterfront.—P.A.