THE STORM AT OAMARU.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5456, 7 January 1896, Page 2

THE STORM AT OAMARU.

The Waiareka Valley correspondent of the North Otago Times says : — A hailstorm, which is unique in the experience of the writer, passed over this district this afternoon. After a preliminary display of thunder and lightning, the household was startled by a crash upon the roof. The head of the house at once opined that it was ice in some form, and that the roof would not be proof against such a bombardment. The sequel proved this to be true, for at the conclusion of the storm the galvanised iron was riddled with holes, all slopes towards the southeast, whence the storm came, suffering in a much greater degree than others differently situated. When the squall had passed some of the balls were examined. The exteriors were granulated as if the masses were made up of large ordinary hailstones, but the centres were of solid ice. Measured with the tape, even after being reduced somewhat by melting, each of a number taken almost haphazard measured seven inches in circumference, and four of them weighed considerably over a pound. During the height of the storm the iceballs presented a most peculiar appearance, bounding over fences and hedges and careering down hillsides in a manner that made an onlooker feel as if their motive power came from within instead of from without. It will take some time to discover the full measure of damage, but enough can be seen to justify one in predicting a "Happy New Year" for plumbers and glaziers. Fortunately the immense hailstones did not fall in such numbers as in ordinary hailstorms, so the effect on the cyops is not at all so bad as might be expected.

An Oaniaru paper says that during the height of the hailstorm on Saturday, a citizen had his forehead cut open by a large piece of falling ice, and another had what he calls the bump of benevolence considerably developed. His bump of benevolence is now high up on the back of his head, and will be located there for the next few days.. .