HEAVY GALE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1588, 17 March 1919, Page 8

HEAVY GALE.

A VIOLENT NOR'-WESTER. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE DONE. Telegraph wires down and tangled, trees uprooted, orchards almost stripped of fruit, buildings and fences damaged, and stacks and cut .crops blown about, are the principle items in the damage resulting from yesterday's nor'-west gale. Added to this was a general unpleasantness brought about mainly by the dust clouds which in the city and suburbs swirled everywhere. The nor'-wester, which can only be likened in force to the periodical blasts which used to sweep the province in the early days before shelter plantations had been established, sprang up during Saturday night, and was blowing a hard gale by the morning. By the afternoon ft reached its height. It was at this period that the bulk of the damage was done. It slackened towards sunset, and had practically subsided by nightfall. Telegraph Communication Cut Off. The most serious damage resulted to the -telegraph system, and communication by both the East Coast and West Coast telegraph routes ceased altogether by nightfall. This morning much of the damage was located, but by 1 p.m. only two wires were working on the East Coast route, and one on the West Coast route. The main trouble developed between Rangiora and Amberley. Trouble was also experienced on southern lines and on practically every line transmission delays could not be avoided. Near Waiau" a post or two came down, but the main fault appears to have been caused by tangled and broken wires. In eases falling branches caused mischief, and in at least one case, at Racecourse Road, New Brighton, a huge pine tree fell across the road, and smashed through the telephone wires. To-day, however, anything but a general estimate by the Telegraph Department of the damage to the telephone and telegraph systems was impossible, whilst reports had not yet come in from the back country

areas. In the City. In the city the actual damage done ■was relatively small, but many electric street lamps'suffered, whilst the windfalls of fruit in the orchards were heavy. The tramways system was affected to the extent of several "holdups" of short duration, whilst motormen and conductors who hail to "stick it" amidst clouds of swirling dust had a particularly unpleasant time. In addition, window sashes aud glasshouses suffered. New Brighton Incidents. At the seaside resorts, incident was more plentiful. At New Brighton, the proprietor of the pier had an exciting An iron-roofed shed, 20ft by 9ft, 'situated at the end of the pier, was carried clean away and set off on a trip by water towards Sumner. However, it eventually was washed ashore about a mile down the beach. In addition, three fixed seats and braces and stanchions were blown off the pier into the sea. Some idea of the force of the gale may be gathered from the fact that it took three men to carry a plank to the pier-end to stiffen the band shelter. It was practically impossible to face the wind on the beach, whilst a strong undertow and rough sea made bathing hazardous. Danger of Fire. A lupin and broom fire developed at Ascot, North New Brighton, aud it looked at one stage as if the whole of the houses there would be wiped out. Fortunately the roads had recently been cleared, and the many fire-lighters managed to confine it practically to one block. None of the houses was destroyed, but fecces were burnt. The fire reached a corner of Mr A. Hopkins's property on the road opposite, but was beaten out. If it had obtained a strong hold there, it would have been inevitable that the flames would have swept over a large portion of North New Brighton. In the plantations many trees were uprooted, whilst houses were damaged and the roof of the stables ov the New Brighton Trotting Club's gUrtmds were blown on to the road. Several other roofs in the vicinity suffered, and a shed turned turtle. Conditions in North Canterbury were rendered the more unpleasant by reason of the fact that sheep have travelled a great deal on the roads of late, owing to migrations through the shortage of feed. This fact accounted for large volumes of dust in many districts. Orchards round Rangiora suffered greatly, being practically stripped of their fruit. Small shrubs, were also knocked about and in the fields many stacks were minus their tops.