WORST FOR 12 YEARS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16317, 18 April 1927, Page 9

WORST FOR 12 YEARS

SYDNEY’S ROUGH EASTER

WIDESPREAD DAMAGE. (Elec. Tel. Copyright-United Press Assn.) ‘ SYDNEY, April 17. A cyclonic gale reaching a force of d() miles per hour;, accompanied by torrential rain, has lashed the coastal areas of the State for the past 24 hours, causing widespread damage. Mountainous seas raging along the coast caused all shipping to run for shelter, while a number of overseas vessels were compelled to stand off Sydney Heads. The Makura was the only vessel to enter Pori Jackson yesterday. A number of steamers have been standing out wailing to enter since Friday night. All sports meetings a! Sydney had to be postponed. It was the worst Easter weather for .12 years, but tire woo.tiler now is breaking. During the height of the gale the harbor ferry services wore disorganised and the service to Manly had to be discontinued. Reports from the country districts indicate heavy damage to property. So far there has been one fatality, Henry Davis being killed and three others injured when a cliff under Avhich they camped at Adamstown, loosened by the heavy rain, collapsed on their encampment.

Wyong. Cessnock, and all the suburbs of Newcastle, are flooded, while further north train-services were disorganised by extensive washouts. At Cessnock during the height of the storm the electric light failed, and the residents had to tight for their live? and property in inky darkness. In the early morning the dam at Obermain No. 2 colliery burst, and the force of water carried away the colliery office and several pit buildings. By daybreak the water covered practically all the Cessnock bridges and flooded the town, submerging many business premises and causing enormous damage. So far only meagre Teports are available from other districts, but all indicate extensive losses have been caused.