CYCLONIC STORM.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12817, 17 July 1912, Page 5

CYCLONIC STORM.

FULL FORCE. FELT AT SYDNEY

WBIMERA AND OTHER STEIAMERS DELAYED. MUCH DAMAGE DONE. HEAVY FLOODS. (Press Assn.— By Telegraph.— Copyright.) SYDNEY, 'July 16. There is no abatement m the storm, and the rain is exceptionally heavy. Big seas all along the coast are reported, and shipping is having a rough time. The Manly ferry service is suspended.. The waves swept over and demolished the surfers' dressing sheds. Arriving vessels had an unpleasant experience, many — including some of the big liners — standing off, being unable ito enter the heads.

The departure .of the Wimmera ha« been postponed, until Thursday morning, owing' k> the rough weather. Newcastle, Wollongong, and Clarence River report that their breakwaters have been damaged by the enormous seas. Olne or two coasters ,are oveVdue, and are supposed to be sheltering. A number of boats 'and motor launches have been smashed or damaged. At Manly a portion of the sea wall has been destroyed; Seventy pounds' worth of line was destroyed m attempts to moor the ferry steamers.

; The sea on tho coast is the highest 'for over 20 years. At Bulli the jetty and a large quantity of teoal and loading m/ach|traery were swept- away, and at Solitary Island the jetty was washed away. Two hundred and five feet of the Bulli jetty was destroyed. It is estimated that the damage will total oyer £14,000.

■ (Received July 17, 11.5 a.m.) SYDNEY, July 17. The weather is now moderating. The destruction of a jetty will seriously interfere with coal loading at Bulli.

MASTERTON, last night. Heavy northerly -.-rains have fallen m this district during the last. 24i hours, over three inches being registered. T!he rivers have overflowed arid submerged' tho low-lying country. Many axe reported, and the train' service south of Masterton is suspended to-night, owing to a ■ slip having come down on the Rimutaka incline and a washout having ocourred: between Featherston and Wbodside.^ v CARTERTON, this day. Tlie heaviest flood experienced for 20 years occurred at Carterton yesterday. . The water was running over the roadways, transforming ;■ them into rivers. Many houses were flooded, though only to a depth of a few inches. The Palefield ■dairy factory was flooded seven inches deep, and the railway line between Featherston and Woodside was; ■washed away. There was water over the line m many other places. The approaches to four bridges on the Dale- > field-Belvedere «.nd- Manning roads were washed out, and the traffic was therefore interfered with. A great deal of damage was done to the roads, through the metal being washed off. Rain is now falling lightly, but the weather is turning colder, and with driving, rough weather still' anticipated. Greytown is also flooded. Tlie rivers all round are banK-ahd-bank, and m many places have overflowed. The flood is the heaviest experienced for the last five years. The land is in-; undated many feet. There are no ffences visible. : A fatal accident occurred on C. JEflgarV propsrey, -when an employer yarned Fletcher, while muster ing '.r horses, was swept from his horse and drowned. The body has not yet been recovered.. There are 1 no particulars to hand. " WELLINGTON, last ' night.

Rain fell all day m Wellington, and continues to-night. Tlie Hutfc river is m high flood. WELLINGTON, this day.

Last night's storm did' not do any serious damage m the city or suburbs. At an 'early hdiid' this morning the flat part of Island .Bay was still , covered with watery which invaded some of the ihousfes^ but the Hood Is- now subsiding. There were Jiumero\is washroiits on the high levels of the city, and fences, were blown down m all directions. Shipping was dislocated. None of the small steamers have been able« to leave port torda-y, ,but the s.s. Maori and Arapawa, from tiytteltony and Patcena, from Piciton and Nelson,- arrived after very rough trips. TII6 Tahiti, from San Francisco, is m the neighborhood of Cape* Palliser, unable to ma;ke tho entrance to Wellington harbor owing to the thick weather. There is no sign of tho Warrimoo from Sydney up till noon. ;'-•.■•;

(JHRISTCHUROH, this day. Tho weather moderated to-day, but; a big sear is still running: off tho coast. ; Yesterday the coastal steamer Monico was swept throe or four times m succession -at; the. entrance to O'Kain's Bay. , She lost a boat overboard, and sustained! minor damage. , The rivers m North Canterbury are again carrying more than the normal quantity of water, and a large area of country remains flooded. ,With the. cessation of .rain, however^ it 'should be possible to repair the broken banks, so. as to prevent further damage. .

•A tolegram received from Napier at midday/ by Mr -Preston, manager of the Union Steamship Co;, stated that there was then- no sigh; of the s.s. Mokoia from south> and/ awing; to ,the heavy sea running therp was very little prospect of her being, able ito berth, at the breakwater, but she would probably be tendered and despatched this evening.

, The weather.' report issued last night by the Government meteorologist stated —A cyclonic system has enveloped the whole country, with the barometer lower m tlhe north. Heavy rain has fallen in' many parts, especially on the east coast of the South Island, "with much snow on the higher levels. High northerly winds have been experienced m the north and south to south-easterly gales m parts elsewhere. Present indications are for westerly winds, strong to gale, veering to southerly northwards of New Plymouth and Napier, and smith-easterly, strong to gale, prevailing! elsewhere. Heavy rain is probable generally, with snow on th© higher levels, and hail, squalls m parts. The weather will be much colder soon, and. the barometer will rise 'everywhere shortly. Expect very heavy seas, Avitli rivers flooded^— on the east coast of the Smith' Island especially. •, ' ' , To-day's weather import shows a southerly gale to be raging at Cape Campbell, with very heavy sea. Cape Palliser line was interrupted and there was no report from ' ■* there, but at Napier; with a S.W. wind, the sea was still rough, arid' 'at East Cape, with a! moderate westerly, ! there was also a rough sea. Rain was falling at East Cape; i Wangariui, t~Christchuich,' and l Tiniaru, and" 'passing I showers at New 1 , Plymouth, And ■■■ Qataaru. Wellington's rainfall* at 9 a.th.<' Was. 2.3s 'inches/

■To-day's forecast states ji«' '"Variable, but southerly ■strong to gale prevailing. There are indications for cold and bois^ terous weather. Rain is probable, w'th snoAv m the higli country.. The glass should rise ; after 10 .Jioitrs. The tides are likely to tehigh and -the sea rough, the sea increasi«gafter.lo.hours."-