The Recent Hurricane at Samoa

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 115, 4 April 1889, Page 3

The Recent Hurricane at Samoa

MORE SHIPPING DISASTERS. (PER UAitED PEEBB ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, April 1. The steamer Richmond arrived tonight from the Islands, and brings intelligence of;'^._fearfiiLhupricane at Tahiti, and of moreshipping disasters. A downpour of rain set in at Papeete on the 4th of March, and continued till the 9th, when ;it culminated in a flood, the city of Papeete being submerged for- ?6 hours,. 'A gale of terrible violence prevailed; and buildings were blown down,' including many bouses in the Chinese quarter of the town, whilst others were unrooted. ITrees Vere uproqifce'd; and great dtiimsige done tp: proper^; tfi^ughout the Ula'nd. Q.n / e..iia ive jfillfage.^wass swept iJodily into th*vsea, and it is • supposed thirty vebools have -been "lost. Thirty-nine bridges were swept away, damage to the amount of 150,000 francs being thus caused. Communication the various islands has been interrupted, aud xuads rendered impassable, whilst the beautiful avenues of trees at Papeete have been 'destroyed. ''The Natives are without foodv.br shelter, the plantations have been destroyed. : The American ship Red Cross, bound --from- Newcastle to San Francisco with coal, put into Rarotonga on the 15th of March, dismated. Whilet -entering Avarua Harbour she , ran ashore, and was then, purchased by Mr Exham, on behalf of Donald and Edenborough, for £500, The ship was then floated, a portion of the cargo having been taken out, and she was brought to a safe position in the harbour, but on the 21st a fierce gale having sprung up' she parted her mooring and, "stficking on & ree£, foundered: No lives were loßt. ; The Auckland brigantine Ada 0. Owen was lost 6tf February 4th. She was making Papera Harbour, neisr Papeete, there being a sttMv wind, with a very heavy sweHl When the vessel reached the of the harbour the wind' suddenly died away and left her —helpless in the heavy toilers. • i v ne s'ood : drifted oh. shore anjl became a total "wreck: ; The Ada <3. Owen was the properity of Donald and Edenborough,. and was insured fc»r £1300 in the j^ew Zealand affice. The^wreck was sold for 400<lols. t»ieutenant Wilson, o£* the United States. V^ndalia, has loft for Sydney. Negotiatircms with' the Union Com pauv for the, charter of a steaaier ar<^, Sowev^r, in abeyance.