ISLAND HURRICANE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 45, 22 January 1926, Page 9

ISLAND HURRICANE

BLOW AT RAROTONGA. A CHRISTMAS .VISITATION. RAROTONGA, Jan. 11. Tho night of December 22 was one of little or no rest for the inhabitants, the native portion boing largely engaged in saving their belongings from the wreckage of their homes. The wind blew with hurricane force, starting about 11 p.m. and continued to increaso in force till daybreak, 4.30 a.m., when it was at its worst. By 9 a.m. next day all was as calm as possible, and only the wreckage to mark the occasion. The native-built shacks got a bad run and were to be seen next day in various stages of' ruin. Fortunately no lives wore lost, although one old man was found in his shack a prisoner, and had the one post not stood, his escapo was well nigh impossible. European built houses suffered to the extent of having their verandahs and roofs carried away, while the wharf and lightering plant also suffered damago, two lighters ''o- - lost. The towboat was rescued after an hour’s buffeting. Tho pluck of tho natives enabled the rescue to bo made when the craft had suffered only small damage. Fortunately tlio other towboat is in Now Zealand for overhaul or the rosults might have been different, as tho basin wherein tho plant is moored is very small. The sea was all over tho roads round tho waterfront, tho wharves being out of sight, whilo all round tho island more or less damago was done by the fury of the waves. Many private residences on the beach side of the road got a dusting, and what were nice lawns and flower gardens are now carrying a' heavy crop of large and small boulders, some too heavy for any man to handle. The greatest calamity of all is the demise of Paddy’s Market, tho speciality of tho Public Works Department of tho year 1919. It was completely wrecked. The black side of the picture is tho damago to crops. Bamyiaa aro more or less destroyed, and while a small shipment goes forward to-day per Makura, being the salvage from the wreck, it is safe to say that Cook Island output for 1926 will reach a record low mark. The growers are on strike, and will not plant under the present system of control, so that the total numbor of new plants for the coining year is small, and the blow has taken its toll of the old ones. The orange crop also suffered, and large quantities of half-matured fruit are lying beneath the trees. The coconut palms are also badly shaken up, the centres being blown over and damaged, while most of tho flowers and young nuts are damaged, which will mean a poor year for copra. Food supplies are very short owing to poor seasonal conditions, and the immediate outlook for tho growers is very discouraging.