STARTLING WHIRLWIND

Taranaki Daily News, 2 May 1933, Page 6

STARTLING WHIRLWIND

FITZROY VISITATION

DOUBLE CHIMNEY CARRIED AWAY.

HOUSE SHAKEN ALARMINGLY.

An intense and startling whirlwind swept across Fitzroy from the sea at about 7 o’clock last night, and several residents had rather . unpleasant experiences. In the darkness it was impossibe- to ascertain the. full extent of the damage. The whirlwind swept up Kowhai Street and struck Mr. E. Holden’s place, tearing up the front gatepost, ripping down the garage doors and blowing in one of the front windows. The family of Mr. F. W. Mace, occupying the house at the comer of Kowhai and Ngaio Streets, had an unenviable experience as the top of a big double chimney was carried right away and thrown into a hedge and on to the footpath fully five to ten yards away. Had any people been passing along the footpath they would certainly have been injured. “The whole house shook in a most alarming manner,” said Mr. Mace. "It was far worse than any earthquake that we have experienced. Still, we were lucky that the chimney was carried clear of the house.” Further inland the top of a fowl house was ripped off and came to rest fully 150 yards away, cutting en route one of the electric light wires leading to the residence of Mr. L. A. Nolan. The debris came to rest on the front lawns of Messrs. A. H. Elmes and J. T. Locke. Another whirlwind at about 11.30 yesterday morning passed over the Omata district in the vicinity of the Royal Oak dairy factory, doing considerable minor damage on the property of Mr. E. J. Sanger. The whirlwind was of a local character and travelled north. Mr. Sanger’s cowshed was to a large extent demolished, pieces of iron from the building being carried through the air for some hundreds of yards. A tree suffered denudation of its leaves and smaller twigs, and a wireless pole snapped off and .broke a window in the house.

Mr. Sanger’s son was in the cowshed as the whirlwind passed, but avoided the flying wood and iron by flattening himself to the ground. ■’