A FEARFUL NIGHT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1968, 12 October 1888, Page 2

A FEARFUL NIGHT.

Among the destructive effeota of the North West gale of last week none as yet recorded equals m d istresßfal oironmetaaoes the experiences of Mr Barron and his family. Mr Barron is a small farmer who occupies 100 aoreß of land about fire miles ' from Orioklewood station on the Fairlie Greek line. On the Wednesday night he with his wife and three children retired to rest m a well built tiro-roomed cottage of wood, Burrounded by the usual furniture of a small oountiy farmhouse. Next morning hardly a wraok remained behind. The house wae not supposed to be m a partioulnrlyexpoeed situation, and possibly Borne unusual concentration of the gale wa3 by sonn means caused. Its violence had been manifest for Borne time m the creaking and swaying of the building, when all m an instant, tha building was torn from tho floor plates, and the gale getting hold of the hollow of it, lifted it high up into the air, and dashed it down almost literally into matchwood, soaroely a single board or beam being unbroken. With the roof from above and the walla from around them disappeared everything tht'houae nad oonUlned, The bed clothes were snatched off the beds, and on these being deserted they followed sheet and blanket. The Infant's cot rolled away, baby was ploked oat from beneath It, and the oot continued its journey. Olothea boxes were rolled over and over and broken, and their contents, Including some ba.nk note?, sped away on hurrloane wings. Mr Barron managed to get bis unfortunate family Into the lee of a bit of bank, and was fortunate enough to fidd a few sacks, with which they wrapped them* selves till morning. When daylight appeared a dismal Bcene met their sight. Of their late oomfortable home bnt the floor remained m Its place, the house and Its furniture lay strewn far to leeward, hopelessly smashed, and of lighter artloles there was scarce anything to be seen, Mr Barron set out In searoh of cloth, ing, and had at the outset a long hunt to find a pair of boots to prose"oute the searoh m. Two or three hours' eeiroh resulted m the reoovery of » snffislenoy of articles of outer w&ar to make the family appear hot not a sorap of underolothlng was to , be found within a long radius of the house. Wrapped up as well as the artloles found would allow, Mr Birron took his family to a neighbour's, whence they have come on to a friend's m Tlnmu. The result of his farther search for their g*le*raVlthed property has not yet been reported. It Is a wonder that no one was seriously hurfc when the bouse went down, but no ont w«s struok. AH, however, sustained many braises from being strupk by fifing artloles. Mr Barron works away from home part of his time, and had been away several nights preceding the gale, bat by gsod fortona he was at home that night, or Mrs Burron'o trials, with a sick ohlld on her hands too, would have been something terrible.—" Tlmaru Herald."