THE GALE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2610, 5 August 1876, Page 3

THE GALE.

There waa a most agreeable change in the weather yesterday morning, when the sun oame out warm and pleasant. The air was, in fact, almost balmy, quickly drying up the roads and making pedestrianiam quite enjoyable. About one o'olook, however, a heavy South-east gale act in and continued to rage throughout the rest of the day with great fury. Branohes of trees were blown down, hoardings knocked over, sheets of galvanised iron torn from numerous roof a in the City, and sent flying in the air bundreda of yards, fences levelled with the ground, and, in fact, general havoo played with everything that offered resistance to the wind, and waa nob strong enough to withstand ita violenoe. Serious damage waa done at Mr T. Bates' ohair faotory in Liohfleld street. New premisea have been in progress for some time to replace those recently destroyed by flre, and were being ereoted adjoining Mr Bates' private bouse, with a briok parting wall between them. The wall waa about twenty feet high, reaching above the roof of the house, and a ohimney whioh rose still higher waa connected with it. Unfortunately, the windows of tbe building, which are numerous and very large, face the South-west, and direoted the wind, aa it were, full on to the briok wall. No one, however, anticipated any serious results, but shortly after two o'olook the wall gave way with a loud crash, and a portion of it broke right through the roof of the house into the parlour. Another portion fell into the front garden where a labouring man, who had been engaged to trim up the flower beds, was knocked down and out on the head, but not seriously injured. The wall waa ereoted by Messrs Tilman and Ponsford, the contractors for the new shop, and tbe damage caused by the accident will be considerable. At one time it waa feared that the gale might injure the immense framework of the new theatre, but precautionary measures were taken by Mr Allen, the contractor, and no injury of any kind resulted.