STORM SWEPT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21390, 18 July 1931, Page 15

STORM SWEPT

DESOLATION IN SYDNEY WIDESPREAD DAMAGE (From Odr Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, July 9. After a delightful week-end, and practically without warning Sydney on Monday and Tuesday was swept by one of the most violent gales in its history. Actually the metropolis was the centre of a terrific cyclone, which passed away even more suddenly than it appeared. It left behind a trail of desolation—misery among the unemployed, roofless homes and shops, uprooted trees, flattened fences, flooded yards, wrecked gardens, and disorganised transport services. Most people, when they , talk of Sydney's weather, refer to the great cyclone- of Easter, 1927. Except for the fact that the 1927 visitor remained for nearly a week, it was not to be compared with the fury of this week’s gale. For nearly 48 hours, with scarcely a spell torrential rains accompanied winds, which reached the velocity of 70 miles an hour. It was a fierce, lashing rain which nothing could keep out of the surburban homes. Sydney homes, it should be understood, are not as weatherproof as New Zealand homes : for gales of this description are few and far between. When they do arrive they quickly discover the weak spots, and so it is that fhost surburban residents were almost flooded out. During 24 hours from late on Sunday night,nearly seven incheii of rain fell in the greater Sydney area—a total of 081,984,000 tons. Most of the area was already. rain-soaked as the result of ah Unusually wet’ winter, so the surplus water found difficulty in getting away. Consequently the lowlying surburban areas—Randwiek Mascot, Botany, and the like were quickly flooded, water even entering many of the houses. Storm water channels and drains overflowed alarmingly, and during the height of the gale on Monday, night there were a number of gallant rescues from roofless and flooded dwellings. But the heart of- Sydney went out most of all to the unfortunate unemployed who had made their own shelters on Crown Lands. Their- suffering was intent. Take the famous “Happy .Valley” at La Perouse for instance.. Here scores of families had settled down, philosophically making the best of things. -They lived in tents or shelters made of old timber and. iron. Under the management of an efficient committee it became a model settlement until this storm crushed all their hopes. The elements showed no pity. Tents were lifted and carried miles away; other shelters rapidly became ruins. The shed which housed the boats from which they fished in order that their menu might be varied was mercilessly washed to sen. Monday night, when the gale was at its height, was a dreadful one,even for those in comfortable, well-furnished homes. How much worse was it then for those suffering all the hardships of life. When the ambulance men answered a call to the camp on Tuesday morning they found many of the women and children so ill that they had to be removed to hospital. . What'Was left of tiny huts was inundated with water and the occupants, huddled' together in a corner, sobbed bitterly. It is to the credit of the Government that immediate steps were taken to relieve the position and afford the necessary food and shelter. Many dwellers in “ Happy Valley ” say that they will return at the first opportunity, and they have appealed to Sydney people to give them material to reconstruct their huts. It is safe to say that the appeal will not be in vain. At another of the camps —at Lidcombo —more than 200 people were washed out, and had to be given shelter in the local Town Hall. When their plight became known so numerous were the offers of help that by Tuesday night every woman and child was billeted in private homes. Rich and poor alike answered the call, and did much to relieve the suffering. The men, for-the most part, refused offers of accommodation, and expressed a determination to return to their flooded camp and restore it so that their families could return at the earliest possible opportunity. The Long Bay encampment, which housed more than 100 unemployed and their families, was wrecked beyond repair. jVlany of the inhabitants found shelter at the home of the Governor of the Long Bay Penitentiary. In many of the country centres the same conditions of affairs prevailed. The unemployed camp at Lake # Illawarra, on the South Coast, was demolished by the cyclone,, the tents being blown to ribbons. The police and members of the local Relief Committee found: it difficult to prov ide shelter- for the 250 people, including women and children, who had been forced to spend a whole night in the driving rain. . _ , The city’s transport services suffered severely, and the force of the gale can be best understood when it is known that the Manly ferries had to suspend operations. The company made a valiant effort to keep the boats running, but surrendered to the elements on Monday afternoon, .when a hugh wave crashed on to one of the steamers near the Heads and injured nine of the passengers. Only one of the passengers needed hospital treatment, but the company-heeded the warning, and left tlie Manly people to get home the best way they could. This meant an overland, circuitous journey for several thousand people, and the trams were unable to cope with the unexpected rush. The authorities started busses, hut even these were insufficient, and scores of people who left their business at 5 o’clock did not reach home until after 9 o’clock. And what a bright home-coming it was for many of them. Over a wide area the electric light, had failed, and thousands of homes in all the suburbs were for hours dimly lit with candles. Leaking roofs added to the misery. , , In other suburbs the, tram tracks were destroyed.. At Botany a large dam broke its banks, and a violent torrent of water was released. Tramway tracks were ripped up, and the railway embankment was washed away. Both railway and tramway services were suspended for some time. The roads were in such a state that even the motor busses were marooned. Mud was everywhere. The tramway track to La Perouse was washed away at one point, and it will be at least a week before the service is restored. Live wires came down in all. directions. Two people were electrocuted, and a number of horses in different parts of the city came into fatal contact with them. Everywhere the telephone service was disorganised, thus adding torthe general confusion. The delay in the arrival of a number of steamers caused great anxiety. All sorts of rumours were circulated that ships were in distress, hut each proved to he unfounded. Shipping men, whose vessels had been standing off for 24 hours said that the . storm was the worst they had ever experienced on the New South Wales coast.