SEVERE GALE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 646, 25 October 1909, Page 7

SEVERE GALE.

"' ■'.*. '. ' ...» ~..'' !' '~'''■.' :.''"'-.'"'.' r i.J STREETS FLOODED IN CHRISTCHURCH MM SERIOUS LOSS.OF SHEEP. ' :-^ HEAVY EATN.FALL RECORDED. -v ■■'*% (By allograph-Press Association.)■''.'. V Chrlstchurch, October 23. ii!;:^ A stotm of exceptional severity sircpt up the - ,; :j East' Coast of the South, Island', last- night, ■ .I'^ reaching Ohristchurch late . in.' tho evening. ;::% Rain 6ot in about oight o'clock,' and an hour ' ','::? or two later tho,wind'- got up, increasing to .a . ''l iviolcnt gala, which did considerable damage in, •'-";'' the city, and surrounding; districts."-' Tho"torn-'-.■''■"'...",'; I peraturo also dropped sharply, and tho weather ...: j : became bitterly cold. Tho'rainfall up-'to'' 9.3o '..>;; i&m.-to-day" amounted to 2.725 in., and':.322in. •■•"',■ "'$ Ifell between that tinid arid' ond ■■ o'clock tliia . ■-.' ■■% "afternoon. ''•'''i ": : '■'";...-; '''''.-■ "'-i* • The: scene which occurred in Lotter-High '; l 'iS Stroet between Fitzgerald' Avenue :nnd'''Bar- .;..■;•! badoes Street on March SO last bade fair to reV'. \ ; ';';; peat itself, for at noon to-day. water .was ,be-,,-. : ■:<;; ginning to cover tho footpaths'on oach side, arid: S'vC pedestrians were forced, to pick- ?.ioir way care- ' v.-' fully along tho tramline^,which was tho only .■'"';. i■■'• passable spot.: ,' ■:■- [. ■•: ~;'■:■ -; : :;. - ,""...'..:^ In Fitzgerald' Avenue, botween St. Asapii arid ,\ : '. ! .? iiiam streets, uiatters word much worse,.and, ..'- : : fully a foot of water was'lying along tho foo)>i; X. h : paths, wbilo tho.roadwoy, was, also inundated/'.',.•,'. : Lancaster Park;feuco.was"riot strong enough Jv";V '-hi withstand the galc.-and 4^6^'half a chain 1 ,. ;■>' vjas brown'on. to the Toad.■■•!' ■.•;,■'.'•-■ ■.- '.'.';'•: : ' Sydenham,- which is' rather low-lying,' camo'' '"'"'-' through fairly, well, .'ahd.'.aa far'.'as 'could' bo; : ." .'•';; ascertained,: tho damago- ddnd 1 was not very'';■ > 1,: .'. , v serious. "'.'--. - - ...-;■ ;y . ~x\.r-'.':■■:.■■ .■'■.'•'■'.■;■ f ,':"' : :','■:•■! .The Heathcote is irihigh'.flood, and adjaceH;':'"-V property iri thd 1 vicinity of tho" city cohnciFfl- ' i; V : ' pumping station itaY'coverodi'' Near: the trim ''.■"/ \ ; '." terminus about six inches of wafer coverc'd-"n . ~': ' -' fair 'eiferit' of land;- while" ronnd' tiie'foot:ot tho ::■'';.-; ,hi lis a similar'; state of; aif air's existed l .-.. -' '• < '■'.''. •t ; The flat portions of-the/CashmoriJ 'Estate '' -K suifered' ratlter .severely,'- and- water accum'u-i ".•"■. ; ;i lated rapidly, cau'sirig'mrich , 'dam'age' to'Yfotk. '■-.■■: -v'-i :Abont 21)1) sheep out-iof-'amobV-of-. 2000;wero ■'.■»! dro>vned,.bi { dibd from"exposure'; 1 ' -They''n'eio"' .•- placed on the exposed",side' 6! : tho' hi11,.-aiiU.' ' :'-:| : when the' shppherda', went to yard. thtm' this I ■'" fi' morning, they found'., that the weather -had: '■•'! played havociwith- them.-- ...'-"' , ■■•'■ 4.., v.i ,">,.'.;! The sanatorium felt tho effects of the 1 gale- 'ii-'i and a; number, of ,shelters,.which it 'was pro- ':.:.':? Msed to us'o for,the'coiisumptives,'were blown-'''-'" '"?; down.- •'.'. ' '■'■' '.'■ ■■-v':.,..--; ;i:i-/.-.'..-.-.; ; '' -;''■ i. : , \}!i . Tho ■ storm,\of course, interfered veryr con'-•','" : -'- ; ■''• siderably with tho.,'telcgranh".and telepliorie' ''. : ■! Eervices. A; called;at' th'B: Chief Post/ii so, Offico' early this 'a'ftorrioon 'to• .ascertain what-'..'-'■■"£ damage had Been do'noi ■ Thb'Oflic'cr''iri : chargd ■'- """ was away,' arid the'''official' to'ithom. the «.'-,;.' pdrteV r'cferr'ed evidently considered, that- - V ; ' it would be high treason to-let (the public .'v'V know what had actually lia'pperied.' Ho curtly:-' ''-'. informed' tlio. rbportor'. that ho had rip. timo \ : .: ■ to .talk to liimf Mt'.ultimately he' canto 1 'down ":■'; off the high horse ■ arid , de.igiied'. to' answer" a ?..',-' few: questions. Ho ,6aid that.tho liritS' were - ■■<'■ down to the' north; 1 south,-arid.west?.-'-'Ho-'.waa : '- : .'-V.' in a state of. colossal'iphbrane'd;about tho told-'■'' '.''- phono • servicd.' <v'He.•'• didn't 'ikndw ■' wlio-linew,:: : . : ■ r << anything about anything.. "Post; offico"..servants '".''> were not supposed' to' tell -'anything'' to' rt- • '■'•-! porters.'' '"'; :''.■!","" '■.>/■;■■ -"■:''.'. '•■v': ; :; : v ' -.'■-'■'.■'•'.' C'.'.' ■■' :..-'Vi./" October 2i.r'■■ : ,i'. : l i ■The ga\e moderated 'considerably.*; to-day, '.''- I '.' tliotigh . therb \yere '.occasional ; Tho '.y'.'.' frind, however, .has.muoh, decreased, ; arid ; an- .' pdrently the violence of tho; blow'has been-'•'■; ■spent.-' ■" '~ . : -''"';'. '■"■ :-':«. :;"-'-::":.;;''•''■•;;.-.; • .■" :)■'.,-: The latest' reports' are to' thd effect that about' i', : ." fifteen hundred' newly-shorn ' sheep ori :CaSli- ?.'■'•. mcroHills Estate died from the. effects''of tho !> r : storm. .'.;■■;.', /',;.. ■'..:'■■■ .:. ■',;,.';" ( -v.- : ';"•':■':"': y'-'-i"-. '.';': SEVEREST FOR'FIVE''YEXrI ■>;'; . (By" Teleeraph.-Spccial Cprrcspdndcnt.V i'.•'■'; ■'-'■/■ ',';. V"■''•'.' '-''v-Chrittehureh/'Oetobcr j Tho spu'-woster' that,smote', th'd'dity" ;arid .■■■ '.; j': district last evening,, and has raged ever'since"; -: ;1 is thd sdv'erest experidnce<l' here for Jave'jrcriiV''.. ' '■ '■ Th'o fury of the.wind at times has been pherid-- .:'' " mcuaL'.a'nd the .rainfall'.has been "and' still. ia '":. (5' p'.ni.).v,ery hca#.: On thd Pcriirisula' Water- ;*':, courts' that have ticeri dry' all tho \Writer' ardv- ,'' foaming torrents, arid- looking: across the' ha'r-' .-■ bour f mm- Lyttoltori the sjdes df, thfl:hilli dp- '■'"■'■'' pear->td>bp seamed with jvatcrfalls,'' .' ■'■':. ':':' :.> ~A\ •l.dy'w.M! tn'is morning many of the streets : m' ■ the city, were half underwater owing'to : tha- choking- of thd sldo 'channels,'arid a- (iat- : bottomed . punt co'.uld'havo.bcon riavigated over ; a good part ot'.C.ithedrat Siinare, '~'-, • The' Maori- made'' a', good '..passaßo'df'.elev.cri '■'7* and a.half hours,, but:some of-her pass.3iigcrs r ' r".i' Kad'un,unpleasanttimoir v- /.-;:■': v> ; v ; k h :> :'-. : ■'':: .Thii effect of the';fall.on-fruit 'trees 't\\i t'ie' : i"'" flowering shrubs'that: ar«' ridw,:out;'in''full ; ;>- has been .disastrous; 'arid if a> frost' tol-' ~ W:' : .lows tho cessation of' the' stormy hs;:is'' - '-;-! baWe,'.' gardeners-;,and drchardistii":-wilf. soflcr ..' badly.. ■ .•■ '■■' >.■-.■:■.■.''■ -/:^\.:,"■■,^:J "-.-;.- :••.,: v;','■'■'; '~ : .''V : i i .'■■ : "■ TH STOSii^T-tim'ar' \}(M : MM . .(By;' Association.)'';.''-''/"; a';- ■ .. ,'; •'.- ■ •'',-■''' ."' .':■ * tim-iru;'October"'Si',•'."■'■•''.'■ ; -! ; ' ■ A hurricane,: greater according td' thd opinion >'.' i of old.eeariicri than ;nny.: wer'V witnessed' in ' : ." : Timaru, is raging,;. At high tide this morning ': ■'.-;.-- tho qitension. mdlo ; was;standing mag.. ,'!/;-' : mncently the oannon-liko inipaot of. ,'.':■' ous-breakers, forty" to fifty feet high. .Tha.'iri- . ''" nor harbour'.was (comparatively calm. ,v ..;: unroofing, a'.'fow .6heds,':no".damago."is"'\re.' ' ':. ported about town. ',' -.". : ,-;;.-.-' .'.■■.■!'.■>:: • ••;':-|'. .'ii'-:-L . - " '•:•'■",.■■ -■■' ; ;,, .; .•."Timaru,;Ootober.-2i..■■'.' '-- ■the,-severe" southerly gnloyaccom'panied "• at times by Uie'.heavicsl. dowripdiir•'or raitt' for'.'•."•" -. : years, is. still, blowing, v Tho'\ rivers', in-.'th'o : : '"■■'; district arp all iiv. flood;' rid Mtiou'a. -;-'- damago'is 1 reported.. On.Friday and Saturday':;;'"'' it was'very cold and.ioss 6f stotk-'iS'ftardd,-; /' 'particularly 'amoriY-. tlio'.-lam.bs'.i .To-daj'-' tha, ..''•''.';-' .temperatiiro :has■.:risen 1 ,. arid vhd■ i ■■ &ri<fitioSß :' '-1 generally dr'o much\ brighter; vUp td SlWrdaV -'.- ■ nioro than' two' inches of!rain had' fallen in' A." .' -:: hours; A hcaVyiwa'was. running, but tlid'.-:',,"■-waters' of tho.siar.b6ur--aro : .'calm -c'ftoagh. t'o .-■.•-W. work any steamer:'. So' ifqt di Timaru:; is; cori-i.':.;, ;■■ :serious' damage /has been'. doaa,i a:-'";.; .feu v old fences-and so'mb . gatderis.'suffering . v i ; ..'.' most severely.- It-is hoped that the leather,:":'"; which has been Very'broken this' sprlnjl'will' -\'- take a' turn for' thd bettcrj as the land has had:'.:":'' mdro'thari cnougu'jof wet arid' «1d,.:, : ; .' :...'',.;, ;,':■;;> ''■'"' ;?'•/' "' ; '■'Aa-HE-CROpsi,i;-y'-- : ';' 1 ;'. : „....__„.:...._.,: LL.-'..; Ashburtqfi.Pct'oiier■ 2i, '■!•'•''■-. 0 ' A steady cold southerly rain lids' now"becn.'' . ; j falling,;with but littlo'interiiussidu,- Fri-'l ! o'<, day afterridoriVarid. as yot there ,ard lio ■,-'/•• pects of abatement.'..The'total' riidasureiuerit ■ '-':• '''-, of tho .fall up: till' 4: o'clofek."-tliis' nFteruoo'n ■' ;: ; ! was i inches GJf points'.. So.far lho\crops'.liaVo''.:.--: not been dclctoriously affected,;but '. heavy inoi'*. : ■■'-.; tality has been caused''ariiorig;'". newly shorn'. -; 'sheep',' losses;.'.totalling', about' 1500Vhaving-i;hU'v ; '■' ready been reported-in'level .'country, whilo,'.;";'■ fears'riro'.'expressed, that 'in-'thd, higher, part?, \ ■;;:!' of the country' and,fho hilllcountry,' whero:.. • lambing is Triuch'.'later; : a', very grievous pesi- ■:■.-. -. l .'. tiori of affairs hasibee.u created.' .' .-.;,'. v- .'■;''■".!.'.'■.'.'■: '■'■' ; " FISHING CRAFT yVRECKEO/:.;;: ;s ': ; '-.;■•■: '.-:.,''■; ;■• .pamnrli," October 28:'f„ ; ''. -0; .The heaviest 'gale: ever .'.experienced., hero r ,c6n'-.. .: ; tinucs. with'abated vigour:; "The' Coriuria .nr-': ."..' ■rived-, at 10 o'clock last'night,.; but: was unable'- :':, .to':-get..in....A:.nuiiiber-,:.of)fishing craft, .lying. ;•..'': in tho harbour, broke- their rado'ririgs'- 'and'wcro.';.-^ , - smashed on tho rocks..-'.'-' :•'.'.'','.." '-.-- •;"'' '•■. ;'/■';> ..'•"' HEAVY : ' :v': . ;'■-..■'; Duncdin,'.October 23. '■'■'><■"; .'■ Iri Central, Otago; a. heavy, sudwsterrii.is bei',: ing experieuced in-the'high country.-. Should'. ';'•■ frost, follow, it .will be disastrous to tlio' 'fruit crop.'. ';■■■: "' : :.:--'. '- ■■:."-: ;.,■'.' ■ ."'V';','' 1 :'-',