GALE AT CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 5804, 23 January 1906, Page 5

GALE AT CHRISTCHURCH.

EXHIBITION BULL DIN G DAMAGED. LOSS 01*' THRICE THOUSAND POUNDS. nu;S3 ASSOCIATION. CHRISTCHURCH, January £2. A heavy thunderstorm broke over Christchurch yesterday, preceded by a violent si]unit of wind. Although this only lasted a few minutes, it did much damage in the town. Windows wore blown in in many houses, and gardens wrecked. The chief mishap, however, was tho collapse of a largo portion of the Exhibition building, about two hundred feet of which was blown down, much of tho heavy timber being smashed. Tho disaster is not likely to delay the opening of tho Exhibition, but from the point of view of tho oontraotors tho occurrence is serious. They have been at work since November, and the damage represents tho loss of a considerable portion of tho work done. The cost of restoring tho framework to tho condition in which it stood yesterday will probably bo about £3OOO. Tho ©do appears to Jiavo been something in tho nature of a cyclone. It oaroo up suddenly, preceded only by a mass of dark clouds and a few peals of thunder, and lasted in full force throe or four minutes at tho most. The Exhibition building, which is situated on a slight eminence, and is entirely unprotected, received the full forco of tho wind, which camo from the south-west. Tho framework was about four hundred feet long, and two hundred feet at tho north end was wrecked. Heavy beams in the roof wore smashed and fell,' carrying with thorn much of the Trails and tho timbera of the floor below. Within a couple of minutes the framework that had outlined tho graceful form of tho building had become a mans of broken limbor. Happily, no one was on tho spot at tho tamo, else loss of life would have boon almost certain. Had tho gale struck tho building on a working day. when thirty or forty men would havo boon engaged on its construction, tho accident could hardly have failed to have l.oe;n tho most serious in tho history of Canterbury.