THE HURRICANE AT FIJI.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 20 March 1901, Page 3

THE HURRICANE AT FIJI.

(per press association.)

Auckland, This Day. News from Fiji states that a disastrous hurricane was experienced on March 13th and. 14th. Levuka is almost wrecked and out of twelve vessels in the Harbor ten were wrecked—mostly native. On shore several buildings were blown completely away and others seriously damaged, including the Wesleyan mission house. The Rev. Drown and family had a narrow escape. Brown had his teeth knocked out by a piece of timber from the roof blown off the Wesleyan Church. Most of Ihe native houses in Oval an were blown down. Cocoanuts and all vegetation suffered severely. The estimated damage is £20,000,

Later. Fuller details of the hurricane at Levuka show that in the morning Levuha presented a pitiable sight, houses, cutter and boats of all descriptions being a jumble on the beach. The s.s. Adio Raroga had a boat blown away, and damage was done to the deck gear.

Two schooners arc high and dry on the beach and are damaged. Six cutters were totally wrecked. Two of the native cutters disappeared. The disaster on the Hoa was of a more serious character.

The Harbour Master’s office, except the iloor, was completely blown away.

The bonded store roof was shifted bodily oil' and otherwise damaged. The sea wall was destroyed. The Levuka school house roof was blown off.

One side of Brown, .Toskc and Sedstromos copra store roof was blown cone plotcly away.

Two stores, occupied by Schule, and Mic Madden’s bakery, both cod ipsed. The lata Mr W. J. Thomas ot'lico roof was blown off, and the roof of Henry Mark’s and Company’s store, the Royal Hotel cottage had two sides blown om, the Gazier Meat Codipany had their premises laid oat Hat, the Soap and Oil Works roof was blown off, J. C. Smith and Co’s score roof was blown oft, and the side blown out.

Bohtho's shop was flattened out, and the co-operative butchery was blown down. .Joint Millar’s store was laid out, and the bridge at Cawar was turned completely upside down. A number of private houses were flattened out by the force of the wind, which was very great.

Reliable authorities state that so much damage was never before occasioned at Levuka from similar visitations.