DAMAGE BY WHIRLWIND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19490, 20 November 1926, Page 12

DAMAGE BY WHIRLWIND.

FARM BUILDINGS WRECKED, A SINGULAR OCCURRENCE. [BY TELEGRAPH-—OWN CORRESPONDEHT. ] TE AWAMUTU, Friday. Soon after eight o'clock this morning a whirlwind occurred, the track being north and south. It was first noticed by a Frontier Road settler, Mr, Burns, who says it narrowly missed his milkiftg shed. Then it reached Mr. L. Nicholson's farm adjoining. There the milking shed was completely demolished and some of the milking plant was badly bent. Roofing iron was carried five or six chains away. The track of the storm was throngh Mr. W; Whitten's yards and here a 40ft. implement shed had its side and almost all the roof removed in.a twinkling. Pine trees nearby were topped and large branches were carried some distance away. Strange to say an old waggon shed almost adjoining the implement shed was not touched. The whirlwind passed down toward the railway line near the bridge over the Punia stream and was next noticed by settlers along the Puniu Road. Large pine trees on Mr. W. J. Melville's farm close to the homestead were badly damaged and one large limb knocked down a stout fence protecting a shelter belt. The storm passed over the road and did minor damage to Mr. Young's farm and on into Mr. G. Spinley's property, where it narrowly missed razing a haystack, the corner only being touched. Observers say tlie visitation was remarkable, for it occurred during very heavy rain and the noise was indescrib able. The hillside slopes that are cov- j ered with tea-tree were swept almost bare, I

but in gullies everything appeared to have been left undisturbed. An old settler recalls a similar experience 25 years ago.