THE GALE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9387, 10 June 1889, Page 5

THE GALE.

BAROMETER UNPRECEDENTEDLY LOW. LITTLE DAMAGE DONE. After the lovely day with which we were favoured on Friday, a very decided change took place in the weather, and during the night the wind set in strong from the northward, and working round during the early morning of Saturday to the north-west, blew fiercely from that direction with gale force all day, accompanied by frequent blinding squalls of sleet and rain. The storm did not come without warning, for late on Friday the barometer began to fall rapidly, and on Saturday afternoon registered 28'9, the lowest reading recorded for the past 22 years, in fact, a] full degree lower than the glass denoted at Samoa during the terrible hurricane of March last. Fortunately the storm was not ao florae as the barometric indications would have led us to expect, and we are glad to have no disasters or accidents worthy the name to chronicle. On Saturday the ketch Zillah anchored to the westward of the main wharf, dragged her moorings, and had to call in the aid of one of the ferry steamers to tow her clear of the breastwork. Additional lines being put out, she met with no further trouble. The scow Waitemata also dragged her anchors, and drifted on to the breastwork, but she was got off, and securely moored without injury. The boom at St. Mary's Point, which has for years enclosed the surplus stock of baulk timber belonging to the local mills, was unable to stand the severe strain put upon it, and gave way on Saturday evening, with the result that a large number of heavy logs got loose and drifted down the harbour to sea. Captain Scott, of the b.s. Coromandel, which arrived yesterday evening, reports having passed eight of these unwelcome and dangerous craft between the Bean Rock Light and Motuihi, and it is to be hoped that no vessel approaching the harbour will come into collision with any of the logs. An announcement elsewhere states that a number have been driven ashore near Orakei, and no doubt the majority will be recovered in time from the various beaches in and around the approaches to the harbour. A quantity of sawn and dressed kauri was also floating about the harbour yesterday, being part of the deckload of a barge from one of the coastal mills, which hail been washed overboard. On land there is no casualty to record, save the loss of a few fences and trees which were blown down. During the height of the gale on Saturday, between twelve and one o'clock, a large bluegum tree near the back of Mr. Brook's boot factory, Parnell, was blown down, causing considerable damage to the dwelling house of Mr. Good, breaking through the iron roof and rafters, and knocking the top off the chimney. A Mrs. Hullgttte and her children wore in the washhouse at the time the tree fell, but fortunately they e&caped injury beyond the fright, for the tree, sliding off the roof of the two-storoy house, just fell beyond the corner of the washhouse. The tree, which was a large one, some 50 or GO feet high, had for some time shown signs of decay. There is no doubt great danger from the existence of large trees of this kind being allowed to remain in such close proximity to houses.

From intelligence received from various parta of the North Island, ifc will be seen that the gale had an extended range, though it varied slightly in regard to direction at various points. In the Firth of Thames it wns folb very heavily, and old residents and shipmasters there consider it to have been the toughest blow over known since the opening of the Thames goldfield, exceeding in violence the great storm in which the Tararu wharf was wrecked and broken into three pieces. The p. 3. Enterprise, which left Auckland on Friday evening, had fine weather and smooth sens till crossing the Spit, when all at once the force of the gale was encountered. After much tossing up and down, which caused great discomfort to the passongers, ehe arrived safely. It was thought that the Rotomahana would not come from Auckland on Saturday morning, but she arrived off the Thames Wharf an hour late. The tide being on the turn caught her stern, and owing to the strength of the wind no heaving linos could be thrown from the vessel to tho jetty. Several hawsers were with great labour and difficulty trot from the wharf to the steamer, bub all attempts bo haul her in were for a long time fruitless, and resulted only in breaking the lines. After about three hours' detention two strong warps were got from the Rotomahana's stern and bow to the wharf; but even then she was unable to come alongside properly, and only her midships' section could be brought against the corner of the tee. A gangway was run across at this place, and the passengers landed. The wind was so strong that it was both difficult and unpleasant to walk along the quay, and thoye engaged in hauling the steamer's rope could hardly keep their footing on the slippery planking. Two or three coasting cutters dragged their anchors, and the schooner Glencairn also shifted from her moorings, but all were brought up before any damage occurred. A ketch which was anchored off the Middle Bank, after endeavouring to ride out the wind and heavy seas for some time, got up sail and scudded before the wind for shelter in the Thames River. The Union S.S. Co.'s Oreti was delayed on her passage to the Manukau from Whanganui in consequence of the rough weather, while tho Northern S.S. Co.'s Gairloch put into Raglan harbour because of the heavy sea. She has a large number of cattle on board, and is reported to be short of coal. From Wellington Captain Edwin wired at 2.5 p.m. on Saturday : —"There is every indication of an exceptionally heavy gale between north-west and west and south when the glass rises." At Coromaiidel, Captain Scott found that the wind was so strong he could not with safety moor at the wharf as usual, and therefore kept clear until about 1 a.m. yesterday, when the wind veered to the south-west, and he was enabled to berth his steamer without difficulty. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] Hamilton, Saturday. There was a heavy downpour of rain, with fche appearance of continuous bad weather, and neavy wind and thunderstorm lasb night. At noon to-day Mr. Logie wired bo Commander Edwin :—" Glass, 28.75 ; thermometer, 60; wind, N.W., overcast and gloomy ; glass still falling." Commander Edwin wired in reply : " Thanks for wire. This is the lowest glass here (Wellington) for last ten years, and I have never known it so low in the North as to-day. Every indication of exceptionally bad weather from the north-west to west and when the glass rises." Tauranga, Saturday. A very heavy gale came on yesterday evening, and through the night it blew and rained with great violence, culminating about four o'clock this morning, in a heavy thunderstorm. There is a very heavy sea rolling on the bar, and but little signs of the gale abating, so the departure of the lona has been postponed till to-morrow forenoon. This morning the barometer reached as low as 28"29, and the gale is the severest felt in Tauranga for a very long time back. Marsdkn Point, Saturday. It commenced to blow again last night from the norfch-east, with rain. It subsequently veered round to the wesb, and blew a regular gale. The Hinemoa arrived lasb nighb from Cuvier. She could not land anything there. She will clean the buoys here and return again to Cuvier and Mokohinau. Hokiancm, Saturday. The s.s. Glenelg is at Rawene, weatherbound. A strong W.N.W. gale is blowing. [BY TKI.KORAPH.—PKBSS ASSOCIATION. I Ghkymooth, Sunday. The glass fell yesterday to the lowest point recorded here for many years. One very sensitive glass recorded as low as 27 -90, and fche majority 28 -50. The weather was gloomy and windy, with rain, but nothing very unusual.