The Gale.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43117, 23 July 1907, Page 2

The Gale.

Te Aroha was visited on Saturday and Sunday by a gale of exceptional violence, and a great deal of damage was done to property, though happily, there was no loss of life, but one or two very narrow escapes are recorded. Old residents state that they have never seen a gals in Te Aroha like it before. From all accounts to hand, the gale appears to have been experienced all over this district, and communication with Paeroa by rail was interrupted for some time yesterday by a washout between Tirahia . and Paeroa, but a train from Paeroa connected with one from Te Aroha at the break, and the passengers walked from one train to the other, reaching Te Aroha shortly after 12 o’clock. Telegraphic communication between Te Aroha and Paeroa is also interrupted, and it is reported' that there are seven posts down between here and Mr W. Heth rington’s and 20 further on. Repair men have been sent out by the Postmaster, Mr Beswick, a communication should be established again to-day. A great deal of damage was done in Te Aroha, fences and outhouses in all directions being blown down, and in some cases chimneys and iron roofs coming to grief, while a number of trees have also been uprooted. In Whitaker-street, a great deal of damage was done. Johnson and Gwillim, of the Hot Springs livery stables, had their buggy shed smashed, and a number of traps inside were damaged, broken splashboards,, mudguards and wheels being the order of the day. Lower down the street, Mr Linnet’s glasshouse was badly damaged, and Mr Peate’s house next door had a narrow escape, a large uprooted tree falling on the edge of the roof and carrying away the spouting and also damaging the roof. Mr E. Devey also had two windows smashed bj a falling tree. The Convent fence was also laid down by the force of the wind. -

In the Domain nearly all the seats were overturned, and a chimney broken, while a number of trees had branches stripped and the large cabbage tree near the bandstand was uprooted. Coming further up the road, the iron on. Messrs Saunders and Company’s verandah was blown away and landed in Mr Spooner’s store room, whore the iron had also disappeared. Mr Spooner had a large quantity of stationery dam aged by the rain. Messrs Grey and Menzies old factory which was unused, was blown over and reduced to matchwood.

Mr Berghofer fared very badly, he had the roof of his cart shed blown off on Sunday morning before daylight, and again at about 8.30 a.m., -the large plate glass window facing Bridge Street, went in with a crash, smashing the fine speciman of a wedding cake int® atoms. The window was insured. It is thought that the iron off Mr Bergliofer’s shed struck the chimuey of the house in Burgess Street occupied by Mr Neill, and took the top off, and also started the iron roof, and several sheets disappeared, and some have been found by the railway station, giving a good idea of the strength of the wind. The occupants had a very unpleasant expert' ence. A tarpaulin was borrowed from the Railway Department to keep the rain out until repairs could be effected. Mr Robinson, of the Waiorongomai mail coach had his stables in Bridge Street partly destroyed. The fence round Mr Manson’s residence in Burgess Street is also lying on the footpath. Mr A. W. Edwards had his fowl house blown over the hedge into the creek and all the fowls were killed.

On the road to Hogan’s corner, Ara tiatia, it is estimated thatfnlly fifty trees were blown aceoss the road.

Waihou reports that they experienced the full force of the gale.and a number of fences were blown down and trees uprooted. A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE. A miraculous escape from death happened to Mr George Hickey, who was living in a thvee-roomed cottage owner! by Mr “Jerry” White, in Boundary street. The cottage, which is situated on a rise, caught the full force of the wind coming off the hill, and about 6 a.m. on Sunday the cottage was removed bodily from its foundations and smashed to pieces about a chain further down the road. Mr Hickey was in bed at the lime, and had just realised the cottage was moving, but before he was able to get out of bed the smash came. How he escaped he is unable to say, but he thinks the iron railing of the bedstead kept the weight off 1 him. He was si ruck on the head and chest, and hii feet were very much bruised, but no bones were broken, aud he will be about again after a few days in bed

THE GALE AT MANAWARU. [Our Own Correspondent] The gale on Sunday that swept over the district was of ex eptional severitv. the wind being of hurricane force. Trees were blown down everywhere and most settlers had their sheds blown over. The verandah of the factory manager’s house was blown right across Coleman’s creek into Mr Ward’s. A double chimney in the teacher’s residence was blown dowu. smashing roof and tanks.

PAEROA, Yesterday. The inclement weather of the past few weeks culminated in a gale on Saturday uight, the wind blowing with terrific force. All Saturday night the wind blew with the force of a hurricane, being ac coinpanied by heavy rain. On Sunday morning the place presented a desolate appearance. Sheds, fences, and outbuildings on all sides had been blown down, windows broken with the force of the wind, trees uprooted in some places and broken off in others, while tin chimneys innumerable had been blown over, and in a good many cases blown away. Numerous verandahs and signboards had also suffered, being in some cases carried away yards by the force of the gale. On the Te Aroha Road there was a fair amount of water, and although the flood had not entered their houses, Messrs Craig, Inglis, and Lamey, thought it best to leave The railway traffic was considerably dislocated owing to the lines being washed out in places. At Tirobia, on the Paeroa-Te Aroha line, there was a big washout, and the trains could not get through. The early train from Thames to Paeroa arrived about an hour and a half late, and the trains between Paeroa and Waihi also got through although the line was pretty dangerous. The footbridge at Tarariki Creek was washed away, the creek beiug very high. Owing to the main being broken, the water supply at Karangahake and Maekaytowu has been temporarily cut off. Telegraphic communication between Paeroa and Auckland has been suspended owing to the wires being down. THAMES, Yesterday. In Thames considerable damage was done, principally by the wind. An

exceptionally heavy , ost u 10 led Mt W. D. Reid’s grocery shop m Poll in street, and as a result the verandah collapsed, while a portion of the verandah of the adjoining shop was also carried away. It was fortunate that no one was about at the time, otherwise a fatality might have been reported. The roof and verandah fell with a mighty crash, which naturally greatly alarmed those living in the vicinity. . It is stated that several doors of shops wero blown in when the gale was at its height and considerable damage done to some of the stocks, but it will be to-day before the exact nature and extent of the damage and loss are ascertained. On the railway there were' several washouts, and though a number of gangs were soon at work repairing it j was problematical whether the line would be sufficiently s4fe to enable the trains to run their usual regularity. Between Parawai and Kopu the railway line was flooded for a considerable area, and it is anticipated that some damago has been done. The waters rose high at midnight, but this morning appeared to be receding rapidly. Between Hikutaia and Omahu the line was covered for fully half a mile, and several washouts wqje reported. These matters were attended to promptly, and even if complete connection cannot be effected the Railway Department will probably arrange to run trains to each side of the break, so that passengers may get through as usual.

On the Waihi line there were several washouts, but the exact nature of the damage could not be ascertained last night. It was stated that a portion of one of the bridges had been carried away, but this report'lacks foundation, and could not be verified last night upon application being made to the authorities. AUCKLAND, This DayTha gale did much damage to the new ferro-concrete wharf, and stripping a number of piles of concrete and leaving merely the steel sticking out for dozens of bays the heavy top girder also disappeared. . The rainfall for the forty-eight hours was 2.79 inches.