THE GALE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 143, 24 August 1880, Page 2

THE GALE.

The gale which had been blowing with more or less force for several' days, and which apparontlyreached its maximum on Friday, ceased at noon on Saturday, and by two o’clock the weather had settled down to almost dead calm with steady rain. In Ashburton there has been really no damage done worth mentioning, but every district within the area covered by the gale has not been so fortunate. At Lyttelton considerable damage has been done, chimneys having been blown down and roofs smashed in, and fences and lighter .buildings everywhere levelled. The same sort of damage was done at Kaiapoi, where the roof of the Woollen Factory’s engine-shed was lifted off, and some skylights broken elsewhere. Hot a few buildings had to be buttressed to keep them in position, and for a time the inhabitants had all they could do to keep their township from being blown away. A freshet is feared in the rivers, which are rising rapidly. At Rangiora chimneys were blown down in every direction, while light buildings were demolished. At Amberley the telegraph poles were borne down wholesale, and there was disaster amongst the tents of the “ employed ” on the Waipara 'railway works. The railway goods shed at Oxford was stripped of its ; roof, and the building otherwise injured. At Oatnaru, a house had its side blowrl in, and a stone cottage was levelled. The gale must have covered pretty nearly all the Middle Island, for at -Dunedin we find Campbell’s china bazaar had a wall blown in, and L1,500-worth of damage done." An iron and wood building belonging to Park and Curie was destroyed, 'and general devastation was done amongst the lighter buildings, &c.