HEAVY WEATHER

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 251, 18 July 1921, Page 4

HEAVY WEATHER

CITY IN GRIP OF FIERCE GALE SHIPPING DELAYED COLLIER POHERUA BREAKS MOORING From Into on Saturday afternoon up.-, til the wirly hours of yesterday morning, ■Wellington was in the grip of a strong northerly gale, which did a considerable amount of damage. Not for several months has such a violent gale swept over the city, and on Saturday pelting rain added to tho discomfort of those who ventured out. So strong was the wind that as incoming trains on the Wairarapa line approached the Thorndon Esplanade, carriages rocked under the strain. Coastal steamers were put to a great deal of inconvenience. Several were forced to seek shelter while on their trips, and others were unable to leave the harbour until the force of the gale abated. The steamer Poherua, moored to a buoy • in the stream, parted a cable on Saturday evening, but still remained attached to the buoy by a three and a half-inch wire hawser. She immediately signalled for assistance, and the ferry steamer Duchess on her way to the eastern bays, wont out of her course to ascertain the trouble. Investigations showed no prospect of immediate danger, and the cap-

tain of the ferry boat, on arrival at his destination, notified tho Port authorities, who at once dispatched the tugs Terawhlti, Karnka, and Na tone to the assistance of the Poherua. The tugs took the steamer—a collier of 1178 tons —in tow, and brought her safely to the wharf. Passengers on ferry steamers were subjected to the discomforts of pounding seas, and the Duchess and Coban made some rough trips. Steamers Put Back. The coastal steamer Nikau departed for Nelson at 7 o’clock on Saturday evening, several hours late, but after battling with the storm for some time she put back to port, as did the small steamer Karn. The, Waitangi, which, before the gale rose had left Wellington for Patea, was forced through stress of weather to shelter at Picton over the week end. Tho Komata last night was reported to be bar-bound at Westport. The Afapourikn, on the other hand, rods the storm well, and arrived up to time. Damage In City. Yesterday the traces of the storm were visible in the city, although a warm sun shone brightly from a practically clear sky. In Courtenay Place hanging signs had been displaced, and in Kent Terrace a big sign-board had crashed to the footpath, while a hoarding on Clyde Quay had been razed to the ground. Windows —many of them — were smashed in residential portions of the city, and fences, back-yard trellises, shed roofing, ventilators and meat safes, in some cases, met a similar fate. Wellington Terrace felt the full force of the storm. A large hole was made ini the tiled roof of a two-storied house near the Boulcott Street intersection by the crashing through of a brick chim-. ney. Bricks were scattered over the footpath, but fortunately no One was injured. Further along The Terrace windows were broken by the gust 3 of wind, and near midnight electric lights on one portion of The Tjrrace went out for about 20 minutes. The cause of this, however, has not been determined. •• At Petone. The gale took its toll at Petone, much damage being done to fences, shed roofing, chimney-pots, etc. A fence divid-' ing two properties in Richmond Street and a portion of a corrugated iron fenca in Britannia Street were razed, and a window in the Workingmen’s Club building was blown in. Torrential rain was experienced, and, as a consequence, ( the Hutt River is exceptionally high. A quantity of driftwood has been washed up on tho Petone foreshore . Reports from other districts adjoining Wellington tell of similar minor damage.