THE GALE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9738, 14 August 1917, Page 5

THE GALE

GREAT VELOCITY OF WIND TELEGRAPH COMMUNICATION INTERRUPTED. The heavy gale which visited Wellington on Sunday night does not appear to have caused any great damage in the city itself or any of the adjacent suburbs. In most of the suirounding boroughs the gale was severely felt, but more especially across the harbour at Eastbourne and Day’s ana Rona Bays, whore it was very severe. In fact, it is probably the worst gale of the kind over experienced on that tide for a number of years. One house at Day’s Bay had the chimney blown down, but no other serious damage resulted. Wellington experienced mostly the wind effects of tho storm, and many householders were kepi awake at night bv the force of tho gale, which in places which were exposed, was sufficient to rock the houses. Tho average velocity for tho night was about 33 miles an hour. The disturbing factors, however, were the gusts, which attained a much greater velocity, one at 0.35 a.m. registering C 6 -miles an hour. Uencrally the wind storm was at its height between 5 anu 0 a.m., though there was a lull about 7 o’clock. FENCES BLOWN DOWN. Apart from telegraph telephone, and electric wires, the storm did little damage to public property, but private property suffered considerably. In many places, particularly the higher levels of the town, lenccs wore blown down, trees and shrubs uprotted, and gardens wrecked. AVadostown, Kciourn and Karori appeared to have suffered most in this respect. _ A big window in Messrs Ivirßcaldio ami Stains’ premises in Jolmston street was smashed by tho force of the wind, and another in the Lambton quay frontage was smashed by a'sign-board being blown against it, thd value ot the two windows being about £7O. In other parts windows wore blown in, and leaks developed in buildings which were deemed to he weatherproof. TELEGRAPH COMMUNICATION INTERRUPTED.

Tile telegraph and telephone linos in the 'Wellington district have not been’ seriously affected by tho gale. A number of faults and contacts have been reported, but no wires have been brought down. Two of tho land lines t Wellington to the cable ends in Otecangi Bay) are interrupted, and the South Island work is in consequence about three hours behind. HEAVY SEAS. The strong northerly gale which prevailed throughout yesterday raised a big sea within tho harbour, and the journey to Day’s Bay was anything but comfortable. During tho morning the waves dashed along the Oriental Lay parade wall, drenching the ti oroughfare with sheets of spray. The wind dropped during the afternoon and great was the roliof thereof. During the height of the gale early yesterday morning, a steamer berthed at the Taranaki street wharf strained so severely on her bow lines that she cracked one set of her heavy steel mooring bitts. The severity of the strain may be gauged by the fact that tho damaged bitts weigh about 5 cwt each. One vessel that arrived in port early yesterday afternoon reported that the gale was not encountered until well into Cook Strait. As the wind was a fair one, tho full force was not felt on board tho ship. Very little general cargo was worked by- the vessels in port yesterday morning owing to tho intermittent rain showers, but in the afternoon, with the marked improvement and the alp sence of rain, the cargo-working operations resumed their normal state. Tho coal workers laboured throughout the morning nnder very trying circumstances on the Alaori, Pateena, Karamu, and Mapourika. They would also have coaled tho Monowai in the morning, ex the hulk Lutterworth, which was alongside her, but there was a considerable sea running, which sent sprays clean over the hulk. With the abatement of tho gale in tho afternoon, tho work of bunkering the Monowai was proceeded with. The hampering of cargo-working yesterday morning necessitated a number of the smaller vessels being detained at Wellington until to-day. The Eastbourne Borough Council s steamer Duchess, which usually arrives in town about 8.45 o’clock, was nearly three-quarters of an hour behind her scheduled time. Several attempts wore made to get alongside tho Kona Bay wharf, but the howling wind and the high sea running rendered this very difficult. Finally, a hawser was made fast to the wharf, but when this carried away a few seconds later the master of tho Duchess decided to give up the attempt, and ran for Day’s Bay without embarking any Rona Bay passengers. A stay was made- at Day’s Bay long enough to enable Rena Bay passengers to walk round and catch tho boat. During the run across the harbour, the Duchess was very roughly handled, and was swept by big seas several times. The Cobar, which usually . arrives here about 9.45, was also forced to miss the call at Rona Bay, and was delayed for about three-quarters ot an hour.