CYCLONIC CONDITION BOTH SIDES THE TASMAN

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6733, 9 October 1928, Page 7

CYCLONIC CONDITION BOTH SIDES THE TASMAN

Million Damage in Sydney

Tearing Gales in Canterbury

QALES of unusual intensity, with flooding of the rivers, are being

experienced simultaneously in Australia and New Zealand. Fierce winds raged untramelled over the Canterbury Plains, hut in other places in the Dominion the damage was not great. It is computed that the damage in Sydney and environs totals over a million sterling. Latest indications arc that the conditions are abating.

Thousands of Trees Uprooted on Plains ROADS BLOCKED, BUILDINGS UNROOFED. LITTLE DAMAGE IN CITY. Per Press Association. • CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. The galo in Canterbury to-day has been exceptionally, severe, especially over the Plains, where the velocity of the wind has been much greater than in Christchurch. The city has escaped with minor damage to fences and a few trees blown down. In the country, however, there was much more serious damage. In Springfield, several chimneys were blown down and 500 trees came down in the Domain. Some of the roads „ were blocked by fallen trees* and telegraph lines were pulled down. At Kowai Bush, trees were uprooted and some sheds blown down. At Coalgate also, trees suffered and-some outbuildings were unroofed. It is clear from reports to hand that thousands of trees must have been blown down all over the Plains. The flood danger from the Waimakareri ,about which Dr. Kidson sent a special warning, seems likely to pass. The river has not been in very high flood and is already falling. Worst Windstorm for Forty Years • AT METHVEN AND RAKAIA. END OP RACECOURSE STAND BLOWN OUT. ASHBURTON, Oct. 8. The strong nor’-west winds which had prevailed in the Ashburton county for the past two ryeeks reached the climax on Saturday evening, when the gale attained hurricane force, lasting until daybreak yesterday morning. Roofs were lifted off sheds and fences broken, considerable damage being' done. It is stated that this is the worst windstorm in the Methven and Rakaia districts for 40 years. On many county roads the traffic was suspended through . the routes being blocked by trees. On one stretch of half a mile in the Alford Forest district, 60 broken lines were counted. Electric light and telephone wires are down, but it is stated that the Power Board’s loss in poles is less than in the August gale. The eastern part of the borough was without power for three hours on Saturday evening and again during the night. Damage amounting to between £4OO and £SOO was done to the grandstand at the Ashburton racecourse, when the entire east end of the main stand was blown out. The main roof, sheltering one portion of the 30 horse stalls, was ripped off and the stalls were knocked about. Another line of horse stalls was moved bodily. In the Stavely district the galo fanned smouldering bush fires, which, spreading to half-cleared scrub, destroyed several outbuildings, ( though the residences were saved through strenuous efforts. In one plantation of some 20,000 trees, it is estimated that from onc-third to half arc down.

Uncanny Conditions in i Wellington Yesterday PALL OF SUSPENDED DUST. WELLINGTON, Last Night. To-day, Wellington was treated to meteorological conditions of a distinctly uncanny character. After a night of howling Wind, with gusts that shook the houses and tested the fences, the day broke grey, drear and tempestuous, as far away from Spring as one could well imagine. The cable messages reported Sydney as being under a pall of suspended dust and that its general direction was toward New Zealand. Whether this dust comd travel as as far as New Zealand in the time or not has not been establishd but the fact remained that between 9.30 and 11.30 a.m, the light from above hardly corresponded with that which usually prevails in grey, murky weather. It was a dull, sickly yellow light, not unlike the effect gained -when one looks at the world through amber-tinted glasses and the only likely explanation for this effect offered was that it might be due to the action of the sun’s rays coming through a pall of the suspended dust referred to in the cable message. Curiously enough as soon as rain fell ,tho yellow tinge faded from the colour scheme.

House Unroofed at Haitaitai TILES AND TIMBERS CRASH INTO TWO OTHERS. WELLINGTON, Last Night. A fierce gust of wind shortly after nine o’clock this morning unroofed the house of Mrs Emily Kate Alderson, of 119 Moxham avenue, Haitaitai, the timber and tiles being deposited on the roofs of two neighbours, 30 feet away. Portion of the roof broke up in the air, the tiles flying in all directions. The two damaged houses wore those of Mrs Birch, at 121 and Mr King, at number 123. The Aldersons shifted quickly to save the furniture from threatening rain. All the chimneys of Mr. Birch’s house were levelled, and at 12.30 o’clock, another house also lost its roof, but nobody was at home. Fortunately, the whole occurrence was without accident, the children were kept at school and there were ■few pedestrians about. Tho wind was of the nature of a tornado and was* confined practically to one spot. * . Maunganui Unable to Tie up DROPS ANCHOR IN HARBOUR. WELLINGTON, Last Night. Maunganui' ran into a stiff northerly at three o’clock to-day and it was heavy going thereafter to Wellington, where she arrived at 6 j 'clock, but could not be berthed, owing to the gale: She v anchored but dragged her moorings and had to be taken to the northern end of the harbour. By 11 o ’clock, tho wind had moderated and the vessel was safely brought to the wharf. ; \ Otago Central Rivers Rising i KAWARAU DAM DAMAGED. DUNEDIN, Last Night. Heavy rains in the back country of Otago Central have put both the Clutha and Kawarau rivers in high flood, the latter having risen 28 feet in three days. 1 The Cromwell Development Company’s work on the Kawarau rivet has been thrown out of commission by a wide break in the main race, about three chains of the outside wall being carried completely away, and repairs will bo costly. The rain has ceased, and both rivers are falling. They wore down two feet at 9 o’clock this morning. Sydney Computes Cost NOT LESS THAN £1,000,000. DESTRUCTION ALONG WHOLE COASTAL AREA. Received Monday, 8.5 p.m. : SYDNEY, Oct. 8. Damage resulting from yesterday’s cyclone in Sydney and environs is estimated at not less than £1,000,000. Reports of destruction on a lesser scale are coming from all centres between Newcastle and Gabo. Bush fires have occurred in many places. A number of dwellings wore destroyed by fire or the gale, while garages and sheds were levelled in all directions. In the southern districts, floods are reported to bo imminent. The rivers are rising and' settlors of tho river flats at Albury have been warned. Stock is being removed to high ground. The Goulburn river was .15 feet above normal this morning at Seymour and it. was expected portion of the town would bo submerged to-night. Thousands of rabbits and many snakes were drowned. Man’s Flight on Roof of Henhouse LANDS WITH BROKEN LIMB. Received Tuesday. 2.0 a.m. SYDNEY, Oct. 8. A poultry farmer named Williams had a startling experience at the height of the storm at Rydalmere. He was endeavouring to secure the iron roof of a henhouse when an abnormal gust lifted the whole roof, with the man riding on it and carded it over another shed, where it crashed against a tree. Williams was taken to hospital with a broken arm and dislocated shoulder. ■ •>.