FIJI HURRICANE

Taranaki Daily News, 30 December 1929, Page 3

FIJI HURRICANE

MANY LIVES LOST SCHOONER WRECKED. BUILDINGS BLOWN DOWN. REWA RIVER RISES 80 FEET. . Suva, Dec. 18. Fiji has experienced the worst and longest hurricane which has ever visited her shores, yet in the aggregate the damage done -was less than in other tempests. The course of the cyclone was erratic, and it followed a line from Rotuma down through Labasa through Vanua Levu to the Koro Sea, hitting the islands of Koro and Wakaya, thence southwards to the three last islands of the Eastern or Lau Group. The worst sufferer from the hurricane was Labasa. The store, bulk store and dwelling of A. M. Brodziaks, the bungalow of the manager of Morris Hedstrom, and the bulk store of Burns, Philp were destroyed, while the latter’s store and the store of Morris Hedstrom were unroofed. The mill and dwellings of the Colonial Sugar Refinery Company were damaged, and the house of the wireless station was unroofed. The river backed -up for over I'2 miles and many natives and Indians lost houses and ’crops -aftiSlsome their lives. The biggest actual loss was on the Rewa Valley by floods. The river for many miles was a great sea of water. The river 40 miles up rose SO feet above summer level. Many hundreds of cattle were drowned and their bodies made a melancholy procession down the river •for days, and to-day their rotting carcases die unburied all over the area.

A central relief committee has been appointed by the Governor, and hundreds of natives and Indians are being housed in stores and picture shows and old halls. In this district so far seven Indians have been buried and ( more are believed to be dead. .The Colonial Sugar Refinery Company’s, offices were flooded for some distance/ J.

Hundreds of stock, mostly young, have been drowned at Navua. So far 12 Indians have been drowned and others are reported to be missing. In Suva the damage was restricted to the outlying Indian houses, many of which were blown away. Almost all crops and fruit trees were damaged. . SCHOONER SWEPT ON REEF. Shipping suffered rather badly, and, unhappily, not without loss of life. Mr. Ensor and family, with a schoolboy guest named Jordan, sailed for Tayeuni in the schooner Tui Cakau. Owing to the rough weather the vessel took refuge at Wakaya and Mr. Ensor and party went ashore to spend the night. During the night the gale increased and the ship was seen to break away from her moorings. She went on the main reef, and later, in a whirl of rain and spray, she disappeared. Nothing has since been seen of Captain Hennings, his three little grandchildren, and two Indians and six native sailors.

The 60-ton schooner Resolut:on, wliil>sheltering at Koro, met the full force of the hurricane and was carried rightup among the coconut trees of the plantation of Mr. Hopewell. She is owned by Burns, Philp, and the manager says she can be floated off at little cost. The ketch Helena, owned by . Terr/ and Son, went ashore on a reef on the Tailevu eoast while trying to run, in the mist of heavy rain, for Londoni for shelter. The crew and two boy passengers spent a wild night in the dark listening, to the stern planks being foru out, and in the morning were lucky enough to be taken off by a big Indian, launch. Some 30 toils of cargo has been removed and the vessel, insured for £4OOO with the Liverpool and London and Globe Company is a total wreck. The Tui Labasa, laden with rice, eta., for the relief of tire people at Labasa, has gone ashore in the Wainibokasi, and there, too, a launch and punt sent to salvage the Helena are stuck fast.

The biggest private owner loser is said to be Mr. Joe Garnett, of Wainibokasi, w r ho hds lost some 800 head of cattle, ah drowned on flats, from which they could not escape. The schooner Endeavour, owned by Brodziaks, had an exciting time. With Mr. Millett, Suva manager, on board, she was making for Rotuma when she ran into the gale. As the glass fell she found herself within 80 miles of her goal. With her powerful engine going full speed ahead and all gear made snug, she battled on but in a few hours had driften backwards for 161 miles south-west. She gradually ran out of peril and arrived, back in Suva on Saturday night with no harm done. The captain says the seas were mountainous and the wind full hurricane strength. The survival of the little craft is regarded as wonderful. Most people feared she was gone.

“MANA FROM HEAVEN.” A remarkable story is told of the big launch Adi Cakau, which was anchored (with two anchors and a load of rails as a third) in the middle of the Rewa River. The tide was running at over ten knots. A small launch, owned by Mr. J. McCreadie, was tied up astern. At 4 a.m. it was' discovered that the launch had been torn free. All gave it up as lost. Some 300 yards below where the vessel lay in the surging flood, a settler found himself cut off by water from all others, and his cupboard was empty. He had no boat and was wondering how he could get a meal next day. When he looked out next morning he was amazed to see a little launch bumping his front door. When he caught it and hoarded her he found “mana from Heaven” in the shape of tinned foods galore. He dined sumptuously and then went for a spin to see the world, and never was owner more amazed than when. Mr. McCredie saw his boat run alongside with a strange man in charge. A strong southerly' gust, jiwt as the chain parted, had thrust her across the flooded stream into the bushes of the flooded area. GREAT HAVOC IN LABASA. Labasa felt the 1 force of the hurricane. Later details just received show that the damage’ was much greater than first reported. The company’s sugar mill had its roof stripped and much damage done to the plant, while the large stock of 4000 tons of sugar awaiting shipment was damaged, but just how much ia not yet known. The flood was everywhere and higher than

ever before. The company’s barracks and the hospital, and the residences of Messrs Brooks, Simmons, Middleton and Storer and others, were levelled, whilo many others were cither wholly or partly unroofed. Half an hour after Mr. Storer and the Simmons and Middleton families went on board the steamer Sir John Forrest their homes were destroyed. About twelve deaths of Indians are so far reported. All the stores lost most of their goods either by flood or wind. The iron sheets from the Morris Hedstrom store were seen flying more than half a mile away over the hill, in which the C.S.R. Co.’s house stands. The Forrest was moored by twelve hawsers, and at one time all broke. Many narrow escapes were recorded. One Indian was killed by a falling tree, Mr. Farquhar, the wireless manager at Suva, who was on - an. inspection visit, was hurt by a flying polo which disabled his right leg. He is recovering. The court interpreter, Mr. W. Caldwell, had some ribs broken, and he has been brought into Suva Hospital.—Auckland Star correspondent.