UNSETTLED WEATHER.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13316, 17 January 1912, Page 1 (Supplement)

UNSETTLED WEATHER.

A WET CHRISTMAS EVE. (From "Tlie Colonist," Dec. 27.) Saturday night, which was observed as Christmas Eve, was wot. The day was fine, but towards six o'clock :ioavy clouds from the west banked up, and rain commenced to fall. In a few .ninutes it was coming down literally in sheets, and continued to polt unceasingly until the early hours of Sunday morning. Business up till the hour tho rain came on had been brisk md as one shopkeeper remarked, was in a fair way to bo a record, but it _foll away in the evening. Christmas Eve is tho one night in the year that is looked forward to with cagor anticipation by the youngsters, and no doubt there were many. k;u! hearts on Saturday night, for but few children, comparatively speaking, were abroad, the weather being quite unfit for those of tender years tol be out. Neither was there tho usual crowd of adults about, and the vain drove those, who were out on to the footpaths, which were thronged. Toy shops and those who cater for the supply of Christmas gifts did good business, but how much more would have been done had it ten a lino night would be difficult to estimate. Late in the evening the gratings were quite unable to cope with the quantity of water that fell, ami tlie streets and footpaths in manjparts of the town wera submerged. Suudav was fine, but in the evening the conditions which prevailed 24 hours' previously wefo repeated, rain E"ll ng from about seven o'clock until I c, early hours of Christinas day 1 he. Garrison Band set out at four o'clock c-irolling, and tlio Salvation Annj Band was also abroad visiting vanous parts of the town.