CAUGHT IN A CYCLONE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10968, 24 January 1899, Page 6

CAUGHT IN A CYCLONE.

ANIMALS KILLED AND TREES STRIPPED. PERILS OF A DROVER'S LIFE. Melbourne, January 12. A telegram from Gayndah states that Mr. J. J. Kecnan has passed through from St. Helens with 1100 bullocks for Widgcn station. Kecnan reports that when between Hawkwood and Dykehead bis camp was struck by a torrifio cyclone. Three of his horses were swept over a steep bank and killed. The wind travelled at fully a hundred miles an hour, and passed over in less than ono minute. Keenan's roport goes on to "Then, to my surprise and despair, a cloud exploded, and ovor bin of rain, composed of hailstones, large enough to kill a horse, fell for 20 minutoi, stripping, I afterwards found, every tree for 20 miles by three miles wido 'of all leaves and small limbs, and killing kangaroo rats, birds, and other animals. Dead 'possums could bo seen in all directions next morning. Magpies, laughing jackasses, and other birds wore also seen dead everywhere, In fact, noOiing in its course escaped either being killed or more or less hurt. 1 was knocked off my horse sevoral times, and only for getting in tho shelter of a large tree and wrapping ray watorproof coat round my head, I must surely have been killed on tho spot. Twenty-four bourn after the storm it was possible to gallop a horse ovor the hailstones without touching tho earth, and I venture to say such a storm no white man over witnessed before in this colony. My 1000 bullocks were swopt in all directions, and some were discovered five miles away. It took eight hands three days to put thorn together again." Mr. Keenan's cook, named Wilson, says the description of the storm given by Mr. Kecnan is true in every particular, except that it is rather mildly drawn, as there was considerably more than sin of rain. He (Wilson) met. with an accident during the storm, his horse falling with him. Keoiian was badly knocked about, but was able to go on with the cattle. The escape of tho party without broken limbs or loss of life is remarkable