STORMY WEATHER

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 52, 13 February 1928, Page 6

STORMY WEATHER

CYCLONE IN WEST AUSTRALIA HEAVY DAMAGE REPORTED. BUILDINGS DEMOLISHED. Perth, Feb. 12. A cyclone, by far the most severe ever experienced in the district, struck Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie and Boulder and caused damage estimated at thousands of pounds. An unconfirmed report states that a girl was killed at Boulder. Everything in the course of the cyclone was shaken, and in many cases buildings were either entirely demolished or badly damaged. The cyclone maintained its full force for only a couple of minutes, but tore roofs from buildings and crumpled walls like so much paper. Telegraph and telephone lines were blown down, isolating the district. Shortly afterwards there was a heavy downpour of rain, which made things more uncomfortable, particularly for those whose homes were unroofed. A rough estimate of the damage is £150,000. As far as is known no lives were lost. Rain fell in red torrent as a result of masses of dust in the atmosphere. A large portion of the roof of the Kalgoorlie railway station fell over the continental express, which was ready to start Windows on the platform side blew in, causing pandemonium amongst passengers seated in the train. A number of persons at various places are reported to have been injured by falling debris, which was carried long distances. The main business portion of Kalgoorlie eseaped lightly, but the residential quarter suffered severely. GALES IN ENGLAND. ELEVEN KILLED; MANY INJURED. London, Feb. 11. The gales throughout England lasted all night. A wind of a velocity of 104 miles an hour was recorded in Liverpool, the highest ever registered in England, though it previously has been exceeded in Ireland and Scotland. The damage to property is substantial. Eleven were killed and many injured by the gale. Typical incidents are given. In Manchester three houses were unroofed. In Lincoln a massive gargoyle fell 250 feet from the central tower of the Cathedral. In Gloucester a chimneystack crashed on to the roof of a house and killed a sleeping boy. In Birmingham the roof of a public house collapsed on a bed in which Frank Garroty and his wife were sleeping. The floor gave way and the couple fell into the kitchen. The man died on the way to hospital and his wife was seriously injured.—-(A. and N.Z.) BITTER COLD IN SPAIN. Madrid, Feb. 11. Heavy snowfalls and bitter cold in the province of Zamora forced inhabitants to shut themselves indoors and stoke up fires in order to avoid freezing to death, also to escape packs of wolves and wild boars, which, emboldened by hunger, entered villages in search of food. The authorities are organising drives to stave off the invasion.—(A.P.A. and “Sun” cable.) AVALANCHES IN NORWAY. Oslo, Feb. 11. Twenty-two persons were killed by avalanches caused by rain, following on heavy snowstorms.—(A. and N.Z.) HURRICANE IN RHINELAND. Berlin, Feb. 11. A hurricane raged in the Rhineland, causing many casualties. People were blown in some instances under passing vehicles.—(A. and N.Z.)