SATURDAY'S HURRICANE

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 212, 12 October 1914, Page 3

SATURDAY'S HURRICANE

POSITION AT TIMARU. Press Association. TIMAKU, October 11. An unusually powerful north-west gale prevailed over South Canterbury from about 4 a.m. till noon on Saturday, and in unroofing small buildings, levelling fences, uprooting trees, distributing stacks, and damaging orchards and gardens, caused a large amount of damage. The gale appears to have been strongest between Timaru and Waitaki, and more telegraph poles were down between Otaio and Pareoi'a than elsewhere. In Timaru several windows were blown in. Fairlie and Geraldine also report much minor damage. At Fairlie Kerr's garage roof was lifted off. The Timaru motor 'buses did not attempt to run till the gale subsided. One accident is reported. A man delivering the morning paper had a tree fall upon him, smashing his cart 1 beneath him. The man was not much { hurt. AT WAIMATE. Press Association. WAIMATE, October 10. A north-west gale of great velocity blew all night, and is still raging. Much ' damage has been done to orchards, | plantations, and outbuildings. McKenzie ; Bros.' large auction premises in High ' Street (opposite the Arcade) had the \ whole top floor, with a brick and plaster j front wall, blown out on to the street. I The wind blew in at a side window, and j shot the wall out. The debris extended : right across the street. Fortunately i there were very few people in the streets. OAMARU TROUNCED. OAMABTJ, October 10. The gale that raged in North Otago during the early hours of Saturday morning was the fiercest experienced in the memory of the oldest residents. Reports of extensive damage have been received from all parts of the district.! Stacks and outbuildings have been razed everywhere, and considerable damage has been done to more substantial buildings. At Windsor the roof " was blown off the recently-opened Presbyterian Church, and deposited three chains away. At the Elderslie Plantation some of the oldest trees were rooted up. .'" In Oamaru windows have been cracked and blown in in all directions, and chimneys blown down. In Thames Street fanlights. werej blown in and plateglass windows cracked. The trees in the beautiful Dor main Gardens have been considerably knocked about. The district was withstanding a prolonged drought very well, but the agricultural prospect has been considerably blackened by this latest visitation. No rain has fallen yet, al- ■ thoughjthere are indications. DARFIELD. A north-west gale of unusual severity paid its attention to this district on Saturday forenoon. Many large Pinus j radiata have been unceremoniously, "topped; " others uprooted cleanly, and j reports are to hand of oaten-sheaf ( stacks being scattered. Dwellings shook j and rocked, and the railway station, f with its longitudinal verandahs extend- j ing along the whole length of the build- • ing, apparently had notions from its I ominous quiverings of resolving itself into a scouting aeroplane. The balcony of the local hotel was demolished, and j a large portion of the iron roofing car- ; ried clean away. Telegraph poles are down in all directions, seriously inter- j rupting the service, and telephonic com- j munication is disorganised. The trans-1 mission wires from the Lake Coleridge j electric supply must have had a severe testing along their whole length. DAMAGE IN COUNTRY DISTRICTS; The most severe north-westerly gale i experienced for several years raged over the greater part »of the South Island on Saturday morning, causing! considerable damage in many places. ■ Telegraphic communication was seri- > ously interfered with and Christchurch ! was cut off from all places south of Timaru. At Rangiora a terrific gale j blew and telegraphic and telephonic ! communication between t/ie town and r Oxford was seriously interrupted. Before the Oxford-Rangiora train could leave a large tree had to be cleared from across the railway line. At Kaiapoi little damage was done excepting that a telegraph pole between the township and Empire Bridge was broken. Oxford suffered heavily. Trees were uprooted and many 'houses were partially unroofed and chimneys blown down. The roof of the Town Hall was damaged and the A. and P. Association's large building also suffered. A lad working for Mr T..J. Frame, at East Oxford had his arm broken by being thrown against the gate post, while at the Ashley Gorge road works almost every tent was blown over and the blacksmith's shop was removed to a great distance. A similar tale of minor losses comes from Methven, Hinds, Winslow, Rakaia, and South Malvern, from which it is reported that there appears to have been no damage done to the electric wires from Lake Coleridge. Judging by the general tale of disaster which has followed the gale it will be remembered in most districts for many years to come.