GREAT STORM IN VICTORIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12239, 7 April 1903, Page 6

GREAT STORM IN VICTORIA.

GALE AND RAIN. | A CHILD DROWNED. One of those remarkable climatic phenomena of which Victoria has had one or two experiences lately produced by a combination of dust and thunderstorm occurred on Saturday, March 23. Blinding clouds of dust blew up during the earlier part of the day, and obscured the sky, becoming so thick during the afternoon as to cause semi-darkness in Pome places. The dust particles were carried up to high altitudes, and when about three o'clock in the afternoon ram clouds spread over the sky their fleecy forms were projected with weird effect against the darker canopy above them. About four o'clock a heavy downpour of rain set in about Melbourne, and continued, with accompaniments of thunder and lightning, and with only slight intermission, until a late hour at night. The channels and drains were transformed into rushing torrents, and the streets and roadways were soon washed clean of dust and rubbish. The change was generally welcomed as a relief from the recent dry and oppressive weather, and the cool temperature which followed was much appreciated. The total fall recorded at the observatory was 95 points, 25 points having fallen before five p.m. and the balance between that and about ten p.m. The thunderstorm was the cause of the death of Charles Moffat, three years old, at Brighton Beach. , Mrs. Moffat, who resides in Well-street, was spending the afternoon on the beach with her sister and their children, and when the storm came on they hurried towards the station. When the party arrived at the South Road gates the child mentioned above lost its footing and fell into the gutter at the mouth of a 12in underground pipe, into which there was an inrush of water. In a moment the child was sucked into the pipe and was entirely lost to sight. The pipe extends under the Beach Road for about 50yds, and empties its contents into the sea in the vicinity of the pie*. About an hour after the event the child's body was discovered in the sea 30 or 40 yards from the shore. An unsuccessful attempt was made to restore animation.

Horsham was visited by a cyclone almost equalling in severity the tornado of 1897. From early morning blinding clouds of dust blew from the north, and the town was for several hours in semi-darkness. At about three p.m. the storm reached the force of a hurricane, accompanied by deafening-thun-der, lightning, and hail. Church Hill, the elevated portion of the town, caught the full force. Roofs were lifted and carried yards away; chimneys were blown into roofs, in many cases crashing through the ceiling into rooms below. The railway station suffered. The glass signal-box was smashed, the telegraph wires on the up and down lines were interfered with, and the buildings in the yard were badly damaged. Many narrow escapes were reported. Mr. McLean, the manager of Messrs. Permewan, Wright and Co. had a sensational experience. He was writing in the office, when the wind blew the building over. Mr. McLean was thrown down and covered, with debris and a safe weighing nearly scwt. There was great difficulty in extricating him from the debris. Miss Nesbitt, a. domestic servant employed at McManus', was standing in the kitchen, when a double chimney crashed through the ceiling, the debris completely covering her She escaped with a few bruises. The house of Mr. Gilbert Heritage was badly damaged. J. he roof was blown off, and the chimney went through the ceiling into the front-room damaging its contents. Mr. Heritage's daughter had just left the room when the I ?T n % crashed into it. The racing stables i mi • Hatwell were completely wrecked. The racehorses Tahara Maid and Mick were, however, uninjured. A "splendid horse owned by Mr. Prior, which was tied urj in the yard, was so badly cut with sheets of iron that it was destroyed. Mr. Anew's four children had a miraculous escape. Thev took shelter in a shed, which was blown away carrying the children with ' it for about a chain, the building crashing through two fences. At Stevens' brewery the stack fell through the roof Owing to the wreckage of the telegraph lines the trains were seven hours and a-half _ late. The storm only 14 S in^ a ff V oH mmUteS - • Durin S *hat time