DISASTROUS CYCLONE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19859, 1 February 1928, Page 14

DISASTROUS CYCLONE.

NEWCASTLE VISITATION. ■ t , —_ HAVOC IN THE SUBURBS. iMANY HOUSES BADLY WRECKED. ROOF CARRIED 200 YARDS. XFBOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. J SYDNEY. Jan. 26. ■Great havoc was caused by a cyclone •which swept through the Newcastle suburbs of May field and Waratah on Tuesday afternoon. It lasted about fifteen minutes, but in that short space of time carried everything before it and did ■damage to property to the extent of more than £IO,OOO. Accompanied by a blinding rainstorm, 'the cyclone tore its way along a clearly'defined route about 50yc';s. wide. Iron and tiled roofs were lifted off like paper, and in some instances were whirled hundreds of yards away. In Mayfield many homes are now untenable and rain-soaked furniture had to be removed from them. As the damage is not covered by insurance, the artisan owners cf many of the homes have lost years of savings. The scene that remained after the cyclone had passed was one of appalling devastation. In one street the roofs of five houses were torn off and trees and shrubs were uprooted, while the road way was strewn with fallen tiles and " iron sheeting. The locality had the appearance of having been raked with shellfire. In almost every backyard were to be seen remnants of roofing and other 'debris torn from adjacent property. A Thrilling Story. A thrilling story of her experiences was •given by Mrs. Arnott, "whose home was severely damaged! She said that she was putting some clothes on the line when, on glancing upwards, she saw what looked like a dark spiral column of rain and dust sweeping toward her. The next instant she heard a dull roar, and before she had time to reach the back door she was lifted off her feet. Shaken and terrif.ad, she managed to struggle indoors. Mrs. Arnott heard the crash of the falling tiles, and the rain commenced pouring through the roof. With her husband she waited inside, not knowing what to do, and expecting the house to •collapse at any minute. The cyclone passed, however, almost as quickly as it had come, and on going outside she found that practically the whole of the roof had been carried away. A similar thing had happened to the homes of her four neighbours. Standing unprotected on rising ground •overlooking the steel works, a house ■owned by Mr. James Artnur suffeied :most damage from the fury of the tornado. The roof, which was constructed •of tiles and heavy iron sheeting, was ■wrenched off and carried » distance of 200 yards, where it dropped, on to the chimney of another house at the bottom of the hill. A tree opposite his house was struck by lightning and the trunk was split open. Mr. Arthur, who sa%v the •cyclone approaching, believed the black 6piral column to be a fire, and he made <no attempt to go indoors until a second <or two before it actually struck the i house. Roof and Ceilings Removed. Mr. Arthur had only just gone inffide and closed the door, when there 'was a loud roaring noise, and the house ) teemed to sway on its foundations. This was followed by a deafening sound of .'rending timbers, and the next instant fce found himself soaked to the skin by •drenching rain. The roof and ceilings had been lifted bodily off. After the storm ■ had passed he found a complete plaster ceiling from the dining room in the backyard. It had fallen from the roof as the roof was being whirled further away. Attached to the centre of the ceiling was an electric light fixture containing two bulbs which, by some extraordina I *y chance, were unbroken.