FIERCE STORM.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13092, 4 June 1913, Page 3

FIERCE STORM.

DAMAGE' AT HOKITIKA

SEA ENCROACHING NEAR THE

MAIN STREET.

(Special to flerald.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Monday morning's fierce nor-'westerly storm, which howled along the West Coast, played more havoc to the rear of the business premises facing Revell ; street, m Hokitika, and had a further disquieting effect upon the shopkeepers and residents. An exceptionally .high tide was experienced at 8 o'clock m the morning, and backed up by a heavy gale from the north-west the sea made further inroads into the back of the business premises. The tide carried away about a dozen feet of the* sections, and fences, outhouses, trees and vegetables were washed away. . Not only has the sea eaten its way nearer the main street, but it has removed thousands of tona of sand from the beach, and m some places there is a bank -of from .Bft to 14ft deep, and many outhouses, a large vinery, and the old building which did service as the first Bank, of South Wales on the' West Coast hang over the bank, and. are m danger of being carried away. A fast-flowing [current and heavy seas from the north literally scooped into th._\ back of the town, and carried away dozens of fences, scores of amateur embankments, and thousands of tons of sAnd. The piece of heavy machinery mentioned last week as having been passed up to within a few feet of the back premises, could not withstand the force of this morning's angry flood, and has disappeared altogether, having been earned out to sea. This piece of iron was variously estimated to M-.eigh anything between a ton and a ton and a half, and has withstood dozens of storms.