TIMARU.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3311, 16 November 1878, Page 3

TIMARU.

Our correspondent telegraphs : — South ■Canterbury was visited to-day by an exceedingly violent gale of wind. In Timaru shortly before noon the wind had slightly moderated. The roof of a lean-to occupied by a man named Drew was blown off, killing Airs Drew •and her infant, the child almost inolantanc.ously. Drew was employed as a miller in Mr Onnsby's mi!l, and on opening the door when he came home to dinner, a gust of wind entered, .and blew off the roof into the back yard, the .chimney falling in on Mr* Drew 'and her infant/ Drew immediately ran to the rescue of his wife, and with much difficulty removed a concrete block of chimney off her back. She was attended by Drs. "M'lntyre jmd Williams, but lived only about a quarter of an hour. The infant -was seven months ■old ; its scull was crushed, and the child died instantaneously. Besides this, a good deal of property has been injured in Sandietown.^ A feanto, situated on a hillock, was blown into an adjacent gully in Buchanan's paddock. The roof of a leanto was carried SO yards, .and a brick wall in course of erection was blown down and a portion carried a great •distance. Mr Osborne's house was con* nderably damaged, and a great many other houses were very much shaken aud injured. Two houses on the Levels Flaws were lowered to the ground. Standrew's railway station was shaken off the piles, and slightly shifted. ■So fierce was the gale in the morning that the trains from Temuka and Alburv were nearly capsized. The guards tay that the ■carnages were tilted to one side, and the -wheels occasionally lifted off the rails, so that they expected to be turned over every moment. Waunate bush is on fire, and •cpreading rapidly, owing to the gale, and Mr jfrace'f house is reported to have been

burned. GeraldineJmsbThatateflfe taken fire, and it is anticipated"- tfiwMiMwill all be burned down,. The damage to house property in thefdi|tri<& is senotis.f J !