THE WEATHER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 9726, 16 May 1892, Page 5

THE WEATHER.

HEAVY GALE AT WELLINGTON. VESSELS DAMAGED. BROKEN CABLES. [Pes Psssb Association.! WELLINGTON, Mat 14. The weather has been intensely cold &U t day, the result of a stiff, southerly gale which has been blowing since the morning. The arrival and departure of steamers have been interfered with to a considerable extent, and at times locomotion along the thoroughfares was a very difficult matter; Heavy rain fell early in the afternoon, hot has now cleared off, but the gale shows no sign of abating. It took over an hour to berth the Hauroto at the Queen’s Wharf to-day. When she was trying to haul into position, some of the lines snapped like a piece of cotton, and in consequence of this her fore* castle was driven into the stem of the steamer Coptic, which was lying at tho next berth, tearing a hole about a yard square iu the Coptic’s counter, and smash* ing her wooden mouldings. Eventually the Hauroto got clear, and after a lot of work was safely berthed. The cutter Vinnie, owned by Messrs Bender and Son, of Wellington, went ashore at Pencarrow Head on Friday night, and became a total wreck within half an hour after she struck. She was a craft of eighteen tons, and was built at Whangaroa, north of Auckland, about three years ago. Her owners had arranged to sell her for AIIO to a party of Blenheim residents. The little cutter Foam has also gone ashore at Eaiwarra (in the harbour) and sustained considerable damage. The yacht Silver Wave was algo blow# ashore and greatly damaged. Mat 15. The southerly gale blowing since yesterday morning gave out this afternoon, and there is now every appearance of flue weather. The steamer Rotorua, which left for Lyttelton on Friday afternoon, returned to port at three o’clock, and the captain reports that he has been seeking shelter in Cloudy Bay, and as there was no sign of the tempestuous weather breaking, he determined to return to port. The Mane* pouri and Hauroto, which were to have left for Napier and Sydney yesterday, took advantage of the weather this afternoon, and got away. The Govern* ment steamer Hinemoa was also to have started for Sydney yesterday, via The Brothers and Stephens Island, fcufc as there was no probability of her feeing able to land stores at the latter lighthouse. Captain Fairchild wisely decided to wait for more favourable weather. She will probably sail to-morrow. About town no serious damage resulted beyond the uprooting of several trees and the levelling of a number of newspaper hoardings. The Hutt railway antlered ia a slight degree, and at Ngahautanga, besides at other points along the line, the ballast was washed away. Telephone communication with outer signal stations interrupted. Both the cables between here and ■Whits’s Bay have gone. The einglorcore cable gave out during the heavy storm last week, but the three-core went last night. Officers of the department were out to-day, testing, when it found that the breaks are near Wellington. There is no chance of getting the repairing steamer here before the end of June at the earliest, and until then work between the two islands must be sent vid Wanganui and Wakspuaka, which necessarily leads to great delay. Telegraphic communication with Napier and Auckland was interrupted last night, owing to the severe weather, but was resumed to-night.