THE RECENT GALES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 794, 18 April 1910, Page 9

THE RECENT GALES.

WILD TIME AT OTIRA TUNNEL. ' HUTS DEMOLISHED. Harrow escapes of oocupaats. IBt Telccraph.'-Sriecia! Oorresoondont.) Christcliurch, April 17. morning's galo was experiin all its severity at Otira wliero the destruction done afc tho ' tunnel niouth has, according to the "Star's" correspondent, '. been ~vory -extensive. ■ Twenty-four huts wore destroyed, some being, blown bodily down a cliff into the • Kolleston river-bed, while others were • torn to picces by" tho hurricane. ' • • The. occupants in some cases had very narrow escapes.. In one case tlw occupants,.. three young., men, N wero asleep ill their hut wliou a tree fell across' the building, smashing it, and pinning one of :the men; in his bunk, from ; which, ho was .ultimately extricated by his ' mates, none, the worse for his. adventure. The tunnel stables .which: provide accommodation for. twenty 'horses, 'together .with feed .and• liarness-rooms, etc., wero blown down, while tie powerhouso.was unroofed. A well-knowiL accommodation house was unroofed, as was also another large, building :used as a boardinghouse. The:'rosidenee of Mr. J.Watson was completely: wrecked,' .the occupants hav--1 ing a narrow escape," having toflee from the flying debris m .their.night.clothes. jThe old Otira Hotel liad a portion of jits roof torn off, while the stables,, belonging to' the- hotel, "were completely ' wrecked. Tho trestle work, which is erected . to,' facilitate the' work- of - getting rid of tho .tunnel spoil,- was .also wrecked, and nearly every' building at Otira suffered; some damage. The railway;, .engine-shy had its doors wrenched off. -

BIRCH FOREST UPKOOTKD. . Christchurcli, April' 17. the storm, appears .to lave.been.'at itsheight,'.and- it cut a track-, through - ; the ■ magnificent birch ■forest iowned- by <Mr.r. Aicken,- which . forest lie was reserving on ■ account of its noble trees.:; NearlyKevery-' tree -is either uprooted, or snapped- off, and the .forest, appears as though a'huge scythe ■had tyeen swun" through it.: Mrs. Aicken had a marvello-us escape from : ideath this morning-. . As. soon as' ihe went outside ,a gjaot.Wrch tree fell across her bedroom, crushing it in, and ilso the. bed from which she had just risen. - - ■ y The railway station ■ was destroyed, and a search amongst the scrub and trees "revealed portions of it,' which had •blown a hundred yards away. The floor, with its joists attached, was lifted bodily a couple of 'chains. The public works shed at' Aicken's was also, levelled, and hundreds of trees are lying across the well as. telegraph' whicViayo,been.severed and, consequently communication is interrupted. It will .be some days: before" the- road can ..be used for traffic. ; •

: HOTEL LEVELLED TO THE ' GROUND. " Christchurcli, April 17. At .Jackson's, several buildings were demolished. ■ - The' new' hotel. in ■ course of' erection for Sir. H. Jackson, was levelled to the-ground. PALMERSTON'S EXPERIENCE. • ■ Palmerstorii April i; :l7r ri ; A howling-gale has raced in the Pal-' mersfon'district fpr';tKe last forty-eight hours.' All day on, Saturday.jVery heavy ... through •the ; nighK .. The..ram has now: ceased,' but, the ..wind; contii\U3s with almost -unsbate] fu-y. A good- deal of damage - has been, done--ito '-and fences. • : BLOWN OYER' A CLIFF. . : A MAN KILLED. . (By-'Tclesraph-r-Prcsa Association.)', Foathcratan, April 16. The dead body or a -mari : unknown ; has .been found at tho foot of- a cliff at iuhitarata; It vis . supposed : I that he was blown over. . An exceptionally violent,gals has' been raging. here for the last threo, days- ,'' . GREYMOUTH ISOLATED. Crejmouth, April 17. A heavy, gale raged in this, town and district: on Thursday . and Friday, ■ and a goqd .deal, 'of damage' has been donp. .- fences, .trees, .and cnimneys are down ?11, directions,:arid 'old buildings suf-' iered. Greymouth' wa.:. completely iso- , . lated;oir Friday .night,; all the telephone and telegraph wires-being, down. ' . lho .papors were published without one telegram- being "received. Commimica'tion- was restored'to-day; and the wither is now lino. Shipping has been blocked for a week and seVeral t large '.vessels' were , de-, tamed in port on Friday morning.

- ; MINING.: WORK SET BACK. v •' HokitiUa; April 17. Thei'boisterous .weather experienced ' ■. here during the past low. days, has been the cause of' the Ross.'goldfields '.transmission-: lino'.breaking m a number of , • places... ,'i'Jiisj ivill unrortu'nately, further .•. delay the opening up -of : the • mine. f BUILDINGS AND STACKS SuFFER. . . . VVaiir.aie, April. IG. The. gale last .night did considerable damage -to the grain stacks,' some. beitt'g razed.'almost, to the ground. The telephone poles were blown down in all directions, and the end of Dalgety's •. newbrick •' storenear • .the railway station was blown, in' and half the' roof blown into (Jjueen- Street'. The side of .. the statioiao iiapua was shifted three ieet,and other minor'damage dons. It was the .hardest ..blow experienced here for a long time. COLD "SNAP" AT DUNEDIN : . Dunedin, April 16. Aftfer.. being exceptionally' Quo for several weeks the. weather.''changed last . night.- . For some , hours a galo of wind prevailed, and about 5 o'clock this morning heavy' rain set- in, and since then showers have fallen frequently. The weather is very cold, and does not' appear.to, be settled yet., Reports from the. country district's state that the weather ...is ...exceptionally cold, and.: rain showers have' fallen frequently on the low country, with a substantial fall of enow, on'tho higher levels. '•MATAUBA IN FLOOD, Core, April ; 15. ; There was a heavj galo last night, and.snow fell on the surrounding ranges.- Sleet showers, have fallen", today, and it is bitterly cold. The Upper Mataura is -reported to be in flood..