THE GALE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 915, 13 September 1889, Page 19

THE GALE.

After an absence of wind for a long spell, a strong northerly gale sprang up on Monday, driving clouds of dust along tho streets in the latter part of the day. Toward midnight the wind increased, and one of the heaviest blows of the season was experienced Tiie yacht Alabama was driven ashore at Te Aro.

The gale, although very severe in Wellington, did not do much damage, with the exception of a fow loose chimney pots getting dislodged and several fences of a more or less ancient nature getting the worst of the encounter with the wind. The yacht Alabama, blown ashore at Clyde-quay, has a large hole in her side. The barque Rud Josephy, lying off the beach midway between Kaiwarrn and Ngaurauga, dragged her anchors for some distance, bub found good holding ground off the Railway Wharf. Although not so heavy on Tuesday the wind continued very high, with every indication of rain. The gale is evidently an equinoctial one. Although the date of the equiuox is September 22nd, when the sun enters Libra, the gales are often experienced within a range of ten days before or ten days after the date.

(per press association.) Christchurch, September 10.

A heavy north-west gale blew here for a few hours last night, and reports are coming to hand of considerable damage in tho country districts. In North Canterbury the gale appears to have boon particularly heavy at Amberley, the Church of the Holy Innocents being completely wrecked. The tower alone was left standing. At ICaiapoi tho roof of a drying room at tho Kaiapoi Factory was partly smashed, and work suspended. This morning in Rangiora and surrounding distinct for an hour the wind blew with hurricane force. Large quantities of flax at Chinnery’a Mills were blown away. A woolshed at Onapman’s, Springbank, was unroofed. The roof crumpled up like paper. One or two buildings of waiting rooms on the railway line were lifted off their foundations. That at Cast was wrecked against the fence at the opposite side of the line. The Wesleyan Church at Sefton was displaced from tho piles, and the Star and Garter Hotel at Waikari was partly unroofed. Many chimneys have been blown down in the same district, and as a matter of course the telegraph lines are interrupted. A large amount of trifling damage was done to private houses in Lyttelton, but the severest loss is to No. 8, the big shed on Gladstone Pier, A large piece of the roof Is ripped off the rafters, the beams snapped like carrots, and the Bhed is generally much strained.

Bluff, September 9.

A strong northerly gale blowing preventing the Mararoa from leaving the wharf. She will probably be detained till to-mori'ow. Chris'Kshurch, September 11.

Reports continue to come to baud of great damage in the country districts by the north-west gale on Monday night. Farmers will probably be severe sufferers. It is stated on all bands that lately ploughed and sown soil has been blown completely away and the seed beds drifted np against fences. In many instances the paddocks were swept bare of every vestige of loose soil. This has been deposited in adjoining roads, or piled up level with the fences, which in some cases are covered by it. At Sheffield the correspondent of the Lyttelton Times describes the soil thus blown a way as passing over in clouds that obscured fctxe moonlight and filled the houses i;n that and the neighbouring townships The schools were closed yesterday, the people being busy cleaning the dirt out of their dwellings. Stacks, outhouses, and Bheds naturally 3uffered severely o rerywhere. At Oxiord the bush caught fire ; three houses were burnt to the ground, and a stable was blown down. The Home Bush station was destroyed. Sheffield suffered, but not so severely. __ At Ashburton tho violence of th * gale was lelt. The telegraph wires wi re da a n, the poles being snapped like carrots. the roof was blown off the Loan lyj.d Mercantile Co.’a big

store, aud one end of the High School was taken clean off. All round the district suffered. A newly-ei*ected engine shed at Springston, in the Mount Somers district, was completely destroyed. Houses, stables, and trees were blown down. At the Geraldine* racecourse the grandstand was deroofed, and grain stacks damaged. The gale was felt with great force generally throughout South Canterbury. Raia has fallen steadily all day, doing immense good to early crops, pastures, etc.