DAMAGE AT FIJI.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 29, 3 February 1905, Page 4

DAMAGE AT FIJI.

The "Fiji Times"' of January 11 says:,, —At 8 p.m. on Friday the glass stood at 29.50, and gradually reached 28.790 " (the lowest reading) at 10.30 a.m. on, Saturday, just prior to which the wind was at real hurricane force, and had it continued there would have been a very pretty "general average" to make out as regards damage. As it is, Suva came through the ordeal very well. There is reason to fear that the banana crops/ have suffered severely, and it is stated that the native villages sustained considerable damage.

The fine native owned cutter. Adi* Mea, which left Suva for Kadavu on Friday morning, reached Solo on Friday f night, and was overwhelmed by the high . sea running on Saturday morning aud' found-ered. Out of the native crew anil passengers on board all with the excejK tien of four reached shore by swimming. The cutter Eagle, owned by a halfrjaiste named Ryder, foundered at her anchor in Suva Harbour on Saturday morning.

ascribing the hurricane at Levuka, the "Times' sap:—"The wind, rain, and sea were at their full strength at about j 9 a-m., but did not develop into a hurri-' cane. The barques twisted and turned' about very much during the gale. These I vessels were often hidden from the shore by the spray raised by the force of the wind, and it seemed as though at times the chains -would part by heavy strain on them. Shortly after 9 a.m. the wind shifted to the north-west, j and matters were reversed, the sea , gradually quietening down. Hurricane birds cruised along our shore during the gale, and this alone told us plainly that someone had experienced very bad weather." At Bau most .of ■ the native houses were blown down or canted over. The one or two European structures with" J stood the fury of the storm. ]*ATER. Loina Loma has suffered from fhe gale of Tuesday last. It was struck two or three times by v a severe hurricane. | which has wrecked everything. Worf from that quarter is to the effect that there has been a great gale. Saturday's gale in Levuka has done, more damage than was at first anticipated. At the North End small vessels have suffered. Kinross' cutter is damaged, while another belonging td Mr ... Nichol Avas completely smashed in, and : . small boats lay about Niukaubi Point in damaged conditions, some of them with their sides knocked in. At Nasova,. Draiba, and Naikorokoro the banana plantations on the slopes are levelled while the young cocoanuts have had their branches broken. Several cutters are beached at Naikor-okoro, and the Annie and Jane, Mr J. Williams' cutter,:, has sunk, and lies on her side with only " her stern rail visible at low water. The. roads in this direction are covered witli debris, which has been washed up by the sea.

The banana plantations at Viro, on. the other side of the island, are levelled. It is also reported that a cutter got adrift from the island of Mokogai, and has not been seen since. Williams' cutter, Annie and Jane, has been refloated at Naikorokoro.