WHIRLWIND CAUSES DAMAGE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16174, 10 July 1923, Page 5

WHIRLWIND CAUSES DAMAGE.

TERRIFYING EXPERIENCES IN TARANAKI. The Taranaki Herald reports:— As the result of anvhirlwind a house at Sell Block owned by Mr. H. Hobf was partially unroofed, and consider-, able damage caused to native bush and plantations in the locality. , The disturbance occurred about four o'clock in the aiternoom and first struck .Mr. R. E. Fairfax Chomeley’s property on the Kenwood, Road, near the Beil Liioclc railway station. It swept through a. beautiful patch of native bush on his property, tearing limbs and uprooting ■1 ices. Fortunately missing tihe residence, it careered through a plantation

at the rear and struck the comer of Mr. Hobson’s house, unroofed one wing and i.udded the gable. A fowlhouse in its track was completely demolished.

Roofing iron, which was torn and I wish'd -beyond further use, and stout limbers were carried fully 100 yards away and were then only arrested by a tall hedge of marcocarpa trees along which the whirlwind swept. Limbs were torn from the trunks, and finally when a weak spot was found the wind ■ til through uprooting or twisting off at least half a. dozen full grown trees with ease that was amazing. It continued acrosn the fields and tore down two pine; trees in its path before it was Idly lost inland.

The damaged house was unoccupied at the time of the occurrence, the owner being in Inglewood. The loss will be a severe one as the interior, had just been < completely renovated, and rain through- j out the -night has entirely ruined the wall-papers in the l portion from which the roof was so suddenly removed. ! The Herald's Lopperton correspondent j wrote: —About 4 p.m. on Tuesday this' district was visited by something in the nature of a tornado or cyclone. After ' some very heavy rain there appeared to he a lull, and them a sound as of ap- ■ preaching wind which increased and in- F tensified as it grew nearer. Trees were uprooted, fences blown down. The residence of Mr. W. N. Aekland was right in the danger zone, but escaped with about a chain to spare. However,. a Maori house, occupied by Ned Ram-1 cka and Dick Preston was blown to] smithereens; not a vestige of the house remained on the original site. The whole cottage seemed to have been lifted skyward, and distributed in a direct line for about 15 chains. It was cer-, tainly a most terrifying experience, as right in the middle of it) there was a vivid flash of lightning and terrific clap of thunder. One could not help wondering what the next item on the programme would he. The occupants of the native house appear to liavo got off fairly well. Shock and bruises seem to be the most serious effects, although it was necessary to summon Dr. Brewster to attend Harry Preston, aged 9 years. The plight of these natives immediately after the cyclone was pitiable in the extreme. The direction of the cyclone seemed to be from tiie sea- somewhere -north of Bell Block, travelling in an easterly direction. On the arrival of Dr. Brewster it was found necessary to remove Harry Preston to the hospital os he w r as suffering from burns and scalds, having apparently been- blown through the fireplace, whilst Ned Rameka appears to be suffering from broken ribs.