CANTERBURY SUFFERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1923, Page 4

CANTERBURY SUFFERS.

TERRIFIC north-wester. WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION. CROPS AND FRUIT DAMAGED ' By Telegraph—Press Association. Cliristchurch, Last Night. One of the most terrific north-weaters experienced in Canterbury for very many yeaia visited the city and country to-day. An immense amount of damage has been done to gardens in all parts of’ Christchurch, trees being broken down and uprooted, while buildings have been damaged and fences levelled. Havoc was played with the boats at Lyttelton and Redcliflh. The telegraph •inaa wei% interrupted on the east and west coasts to a disastrous extent. In one case sie roof of the Glasnevis railway station wae blown off, carrying away telegraph lines and demolishing two pole*; The full force of the gale was experienced at Lyttelton. Accompanying the violent squalls were clouds of duet and pebbles ahnoist as large as peas People found it difficult to move about. Fruit trees in exposed places suffered much damage, and other trees were uprooted, while fences, roofs and verandahs suffered. t

The mooring lines of the steamer Canadian Challenger were carried away and the crew had a hard time in getting new lines out. Many campers’ tents all over the district were blown to Jireds. At Sumner the annual gala was to be held to-diy, out all the tents were levelled and the function was abandoned. The gale was severely felt in the country districts. Advice from Amberley states that telephone and telegraph lines were damaged. A windmill at the Amberley railway station was blown down and trees in all parte of the district were uprooted. Several recently erected electric light poles were blown down. Roofs were blown off sheds, and stacks were strewn over the landscape. At Waiau sheets of iron were stripped from houses and sheds were demolished. Trees were smashed and uprooted and fruit trees etripped of fruit. At Lees ton a large willow tree at tho rear of Mr. Fisher’s residence was uprooted and fell on the house, the inmates having a narrow e&cape. One end of a church at Glenmark was blown ont and the roof of the railway station lifted off. Crops in tstook wero swept clean away and standing grain was broken down and v ill not be worth cutting. At Amhertey and elsewhere windmills, outbuildinpe. trees and stacks were blown down and oats in stock blown miles away. Traffic on the north railway line was interrupted owing to trees falling across the rails.

A ROUGH NIGHT.

DAMAGE IN WELLINGTON. PROGRESS NEARLY WRECKED. Wellington, Dec. 28. Wellington experienced wild weather last nifht. A light wind in the evening developed into a gale in the early hours of the morning, there being a heavy rainfall. A certain amount of damage is reported to i number of fences and hoardings and the wireless aerials on the military barracki were blown down. The gale continues this morning and the harbour in particular is feeling the effects. The small steamer Progress narrowly escaped wreck this morning. While going to Thomdon for coal she struck the full force of the gale and was blown toward* the rocks at Oriental Bay. Two anchor* and the engines failed to hold her. A tug was dispatched hurriedly and arrived just in the Progress being within yarda of the rocks.