THE HURRICANE AT LEVUKA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2604, 10 February 1904, Page 14

THE HURRICANE AT LEVUKA.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

AUCKLAND, February 2,

The s s. Wanaka, from Fiji, brings fuiler information of the hurricane. Levuka is no more a town, but a collection of thatcsii'Oed° and rafter^. Over two dozen housre fell, lca\ing only two or three standing. Tin morning after tha storm witnessed an awiul scene of desolation. Houses wcr°i uuroofed, storoa flattened, cocoanut tre-ea clipped, an.l general ruin wrought throughout, the town

The steamer Adakeva, in the height rf tha hurricane at midnight, in pitch darkness, put out a beat. Lifebelts were served tc tne cie\v, who waited to see if the vessel would hold on. At 2.30 the boat was washed away, and as the vessel wa s Lumping heavily at 5.30 a.m. the cables v.ere clipped The steamer -n as beached on the «and at Maikoroko. She was valuM at over £4000. She is insured in a Sidney office for £2000

The Alicv , a ketch belonging to Cclia, was at anchor in the harbour. She disappeared during the night with two of tne native crew on board. She may have sunk at her anchorage or been blown to sea. Caiouun Bucknell was ashore.

The schooner Minnie Hare dragged heanchors and ssnk. The .Norwegian barq-ja Morelanda (565 tone) was caught at anchor at 5 a.m. The shock v.-as felt through the ship, and the vessel was grinding on the rocks. The captain cut juvay tho fore and ipam rigging, and the* masis vre-nt immediate-!;-, taking with them the mizzen-top-mrst This eased the ship, :>nd r4ic s- r >enie t to come off the recks, but was soon on (,no reef again, and capsized to fctarboard. The after pare of tl.-c vessel disappeared under the waves, only the forecaetlo head ioma'ninj above water. It \vr>3 impossible in the darkneev?. v. ith the hurricane wgmg, to see where the ship and cr&w \yere, out tho crew, it appears, took refuge in th» fore part of tho vessel from about 4- a.m until 4- o'clock in the afternoon. Eleven men hung on to a wire round, the bo-w-s and some rigging throughout tho raging storm, every sea going light over them, with absolutely no shelter. In the morning they got aohore in a lifeboat. The barq id wao found to be a total wreck, and was sold for £7.