HAVOC BY WHIRLWIND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19419, 30 August 1926, Page 8

HAVOC BY WHIRLWIND.

HOUSE AND SHEDS WRECKED. NARROW ESCAPE OF WOMAN* THROWN INTO NEARBY HEDGE. WATERSPOUT OFF TARANAKi. [BY TELEGRAPH OWN CORRESPONDENT 1 NEW PLYMOUTH. Sunday An exciting incident occurred just north of Urenui. yesterday afternoon when a whirlwind wrecked a small house. Onlookers, who said it came from the sea described the visitation as a waterspout.' A Maori woman who was in the house at the time of the onslaught, had a thrilling experience. She was thrown into a nearby hedge, but she had a remarkable escape from serious injury.

The house belonged to Mr. 0. Skelton. Tho roof was completely torn of! and the contents were scattered, leaving practically nothing but the floor undamaged.

The cyclone continued across the Main North Road, just missing the main building of a Maori pa. A buggy and outhouse were in its course, however, and suffered accordingly. A cowshed belonging to Mr. Thompson was a so wrecked. The disturbance then travelled inland and so far as is known did no further damage. Some people on the balcony of tho Urenui Hotel, about a mile away, saw what appeared to be a waterspout out- at sea. They said it came ashore at the mouth of the rjver and proceeded inland from the north bank. They also saw sheets of iron from Mr. Skelton's house flying through tho air. The occurrence is reminiscent of that which caused tho destruction of a house at Moturoa a few years ago, when a woman and several children who were inside escaped almost unhurt, although the house was left a heap of wreckage.