NORTH-WESTERLY GALE.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 427, 24 August 1880, Page 2

NORTH-WESTERLY GALE.

One of the heaviest north-westerly gales possibly ever experienced by the oldest inhabitants of the Peninsula, especially at the present season of the year, raged the whole of Friday and the greater part of Saturday. From our Christchurch exchanges we gather that the gait; was very mild in Akaroa compared with what it was both North and South. On Friday the craft in the harbor appeared to be in a very uncomfortable position, mid several persons congregated on the wharf, momentarily expecting , the anchors of one or more of the crafts to drag and tho vessels to be driven ashore. Fortunately, however, no such catastrophe occurred. A Blight accident occurred to the Pigeon 13 ay coach in the morning on the

hill near the Somerset Hotel, Head of the Bay. The gusts of wind were so violent that they frightened the leaders to such au extent as to cause them to turn sharp round, and in so doing they smashed the pole. Another coach was quickly obtained, and the passengers and mails continued their journey without much loss of time. Mr Piper, of Duvauchelle's Bay, has lost some timber which was lying on the jetty, and was blown away during the afternoon of Friday. Wo learn that on the road between the Hill Top and Little Biver, at a spot known as Eed John's Gully a large tree was blown down, falling on the telegraph wire, and causing it to - ' drop within two feet of the road, but fortunately the communication was uot cut off. The windows of Wascoe's Bench Arms Hotel suffered considerably through large stones being blown in showers against them. On Saturday the gale still raged, but about 4 p.m. the wind lulled, and without the least warning changed, and blew almost as strongly from the S.E., accompanied by heavyishowers of rain. Nothithstanding all these mishaps, there is no doubt that but little damage was done in comparison with other parts. From Amberly we learn the gale blew with unabated fury ; all the business places were closed, portions of fences and roofs rendering the streets dangerous for traffic. No'wind of like fury has ever been experienced in the district. Gaynor's hotel was partly unroofed, and many private chimnies and outbuildings blown down. Whilst at Oxford the gale raged with equal fury. During Thursday night a few outhouses there were unroofed, and a number of sheets of corrugated iron were flying about the vicinity of the Post and Telegraph office on Friday morning.