THE GALE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 2898, 14 February 1893, Page 3

THE GALE.

ASHBCRTON. Yesterday the wors* storm we have had for years passed over the district. A few drops of rain fell in the morning, and an oppressively hot forenoon followed, the glass falling rapidly. About half-pasfe two a terrific southerly buster came up, and enveloped the town in clouds of dust. The gale continued for about two hours, when it died out, fortunately without more than a very slight shower of rain falling. A great deal of damage was done. The worst case in town was at the Central Hotel, the iron roof of which was partially stripped off, the iron being blown as far as the crossing of Cox and Aitken streets, and some of the windows were blown out. The roofs of several other buildings were injured though not to any great extent, some sheds and minor structures wrecked, and a good deal of fencing blown down. The verandah of a house near the old sports ground was demolished. Trees n the Domain and private grounds were uprooted or dismembered, and [ orchards were stripped of fruit. Flower 'and vegetable gardens were sadly shattered. At the height of the storm a team of three horses with a dray bolted from Messrs Rollitt and Oo's store, West street, crossing the line and galloping up East street. In the country deplorable ruin has been done to the newly-built stacks, few of which hud been thatched. Soma of the sheaves were blown grea distances away, and much of the grain was shrtken from them. The weather last wight was calm and fine, and it is to be hoped it witi continue so until the stacks are rebuitt. The storm nged over i large area, and the telegraph wires we; c down to the south of Timuru, nnd to the nor'h of Christ church were so disarranged ihat urgent telegrams only could be transmitted. Communication was restored all round this morning, but later in the day was again interrupted to the North, and only urgent messages received, CHRISTCHUUCH. The gale was one of the most severe ever experienced in Christchurch. The weather just previous wag oppressively hot, 92° in the shade being recorded. Clouds of dust were soon blowing in all directions, and most of the trees along the rivcv, besides a number in th Dnnr-tin, were more or less damaged. A number of tradesmen's signboards were blown over, and several roofs stripped of their iron. The sciffolaing at Kempthoine, Prnsser, and Cj.'s new buildings was torn away, and one man had a narrow escape from falling. The Canterbury rope factory's shed oppoaibe the railway station, used by Andrews and Bsaven, was overturned, and a number of close fences complatciy wrecked. lleports from the country state that the damage done is very considerable to stacks of wheat, many of which wf re blown to pieces and the grain threshed from the straw. In a few cases where the grain was in stook, these were levelled, and more or less desttoyed. The damage to orchards and trees is very great. The weather calmed and rain set in about six o clock.

KAKAIA. After the sharp shock of earthquake on Sunday morning the day was oppressively hot, although th re was a breeze from the north-east. During the night there was a slight nor'-wester. On Monday at noon a heavy nor'-wester came on, lasting for over an hour, when there was quite a calm, and the heat was intense Aftfrw&rds a very slight blow from the southwest, which at last came suddenly with hurricine force. Trees were snapped, fences blown down, and about eighteen out of every seventy stacks topped or sprung at the ring. Fortunar-ely there was very little rain or the damage would havo been much larger. S^me of the roofs suffered to a considerable extent, An old resident, on the plains remarks that ha has never before known such * gale. In the evening it salined down, and fortunately tho rain has held off.

TIMAItU. At Timaru (says the " Herald ") there were some remarkable weather samples. The morning broke dull and threatening rain, and about nine o'clock a slight shower fell, but a beautiful forenoon followed. Ac two o'clock a "southerly buster" struck the town, "thick end first" and for half an hour there was very little town to be seen, it being hidden under a thick fog of dust, grit, and lubbish. Several of the oldest inhabitants assure ua that they cannot remember such a blow, so sudden and so powerful, from that quarter. Several window panes were blown in, street lamps were unglazed, ond the footpath of the main street in places was bestrewn with broken glass, blown out of shop verandahs. When the thick of the dust had gone away to Caroline Bay and Seadown, the sky was seen to be full of thick scud, flying on the gale at a great speed, and over the sea was a train of llow cloud almost black in its density. The dust found its way everywhere, ard shops, houses and offices were soon in aft great a mess as after the nor'-wester on Boxing Day. The gale must have done a lot" of mischief in the country, by thresh'ng out uncut grain, upsetting stooks, tearing tops off the loose newly, built stacks, and shaking fruit < ff orchard trees. Some old paling fences have been levelled, and trees have been uprooted or robbed of branches. In the port the vessels lay all right at berths and moorings, but at the main wharf wcik was stopped at the Pukaki and Invercargill at rhe outer births, sheets of spray being driven over them continually. The gale blewltself out about six o'clock, a sharp shower falling about 5,30- In the evening the clouds rolled away, and the night was flue, but a; little cold for this time of year.

WAIMATB. At Waimate the gale wa< accompanied by heavy rain, which continued w.th unabated fury for more than an hour. The rain then ceased, but the wind kept up throughout the rest of the afternoon. Few stooks could possibly remain standing after such a gale, and as there was still »large area of grain out in the field?, a considerable amount of damage must have been done.

lEa PRESS ASSOCIATION.

Wellington, February U. Yesterday's gale has blown itself out and the weather to-day is fine and calm.