TAHITI DISASTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1699, 15 March 1906, Page 2

TAHITI DISASTER.

TIDAL WAVE AND OYOLONE.

ISLANDS DISAPPEAR; DISTRICTS

DEVA3TATED.

(Par Press Association.) Auckland, laet night

Tho b.b. Taviuni, whioh arrived this morning, brings particulars of the hurricane and tidal wavo in tbo Society and Pnumotu Islands. Tbe first indications at Tahiti woro the falling of tho barometer on tbo 6th of Fobruary, followed by an increasing sea, By tho ovoning of tho 7th tho aoa was breaking over tbo foroshoro road. At midnight tho houses ou tho Strand had to ho evacuated. Amid great confusion and screaming of wotuon, the residents, with tho plucky assistance of the nativeß, made for tho higher ground. At about 7 o’clock on tho morning of tho Bth tho seas roachod their maximum height. Houses that withstood the eariior assaults were washed over entirely or broken piecemeal Tho subsiding Boa wa3 followed by a sudden oyolone at 8 o’clock, which levelled the trees in tho park like a firing party. It lasted but a few minutes, with a return for ten minuteß at noon, and then the oyolone passed. The only casualty to a white person reported was the drowniog of M. Lseboloob, oaretakor of a small island in the harbor.

Papeete itself suffered to the extent of £120,000, and the wholo islaod to the extent of £IBO,OOO. Three sohooners are believed to have been lost at sea during the oyolone. Reports brought by the warship Zelee from Paumotu and Low Archipelago show that they suffered much more severely. The small islands of Vaero and Hiokueru aro said to have disappeared, The seas swept right over many islands, the natives takmg refuge in cocoanut trees.

The schooner Taaete, with six lives, was lost.

The lost inc’uded Father Paul, Catholic missionary, who, after holding out for some hours on a tree, fell into tbe waves and was drowned.

Ninety-five persons were drowned at Anai island, where the onoe beautiful district of Tuirarae has been reduced to a bare ooral strand.

At Motutonga, where six deaths are reported, two native divers are said to have saved their lives by swimming for twelve hours in a lagoon, diving under the big waves. It will be some time before the full extent of the damage at Paumotu is known.

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

Per Prass Association. Auckland, iast nighi

Tbe following particulars of the Tahiti disaster are furnished by the Star correspondent : From the 6.h February unusual big waves were noticed. On the 7th the sea was extremely rough. At six o’clock in the evening tho barometer masked 760 millemetres. The barometerio depression was already lower than at tbe time of tbe cyolone of March laßt. At 8 o'clock the sea began swelling, and at 8.30 the water went over tho wharf, while the barometer pointed at 738 mi'lemetree. At 9 o’clock the road was invaded. At midnight the sea spread over the gardens on the other fide of the road. The barometer indicated 750 at one o’clock in the morning. Those on the foreshore evacuated their houses. They moved as they could in the waves that oarried enormous wreckage from Motolita Island, which was already half destroyed. The water came up to tbe waist of some of the people, who were obliged to break fences and to run away to the ugpor part of the town. Women oould be heard screaming everywhere. The natives gave a hand to everybody. Their help was precious, as they could walk barefooted amongst the rubbish, while many of the whites were powerless through having no shoes on. The night -was perfectly dark, and it was raining heavily, but there was no wind. Towards six o’olock the day broke, three quarters of an hoar later than usual, and a Bight of the situation oould be had. It was a distressing sight. The waves were getting bigger and b’gger every moment, and there was danger to go in to the houses, which were overflooded, for at every minute one of them was falling down. The people, half clothed, were still oarryiog furniture in spite of the daDger, and during one hour in the early light it was an appalling sight. At 7.30 the soajrecbed the maximum, carrying over the entire houses and smashing into pieces the few’ left. Fortunately from that moment the strength of the waves decreased little by little, and by 9 o’clock the sea was nearly in its bed.

At 8 o’clock the barometer went down so suddenly (738 millimetres) that they foresaw a cyolone before noon. D;otors on horseback rode through the streets telling people to evaouate tho stono houses in the upper part of the town. At 9 o’olock the wind' came like a thunderclap, blowing down in its first onslaught big trees like soldiers under fire. Sheets from iron roofs were flying in all directions. Tho wind blew against the sea, but fortunatoly it did not last more than one minute or two, and then the rain took its place. At noon the wind blew again for ten minutes, but not in the same terrible way. At 1 o’clock all danger was over. The peninsula of lairapu wa3 devastated and tbe village of lautira entirely destroyed.

GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.

SERIOUS DAMAGE TO PROPERTY,

XPer Press Association.) Auckland, last night. Further particulars of the Tahiti disaster show that in addition to tbe devastation at Papaeti, much g. eater havoo was wrought in tho PaumoSu Islands. The disaster was far-reaohiog. On Auaa Island 95 persona lost their lives, most of them being nativ.s, while twelve were seriously injured. In tho whole island there am ooly three houses left to shelter about 500 Burvivors.

Six deaths have been recorded from Hikueru, and a few persons were injured. This island was badly ravished, in fact the damage was os bad as in the cyclone of Jauuary, 1902. There is only one house left standing in tha village. There were Bix deaths Bt Motutonga. Everything on this island was swept away, and nothing was left but stones, whore before was a smiling village. A small cutter that was badly damaged was the means of saving the lives of 30 inhabitants. Only one house is left standing at Tskaraua, and much damage was done by the wind. Six lives were lost at Taaiie The Catholic missionary Esther Paul, and a ! young German managed to climb a cocoanut tree, where they held on for many hours, but at last the strength of the priest gave way, and be fell in the waves. The young man, Mr Sobaob, was saved on the 27th February by a oulter belonging to Captain Peters, a Paumotos trader, who arrived at Papeete from Tekohau bringing the news that the island had been devastated.

Mr J. L. Young, of tho firm of Henderson and Maofarlane, states that from information he has received it does not seem probnblo that the total loss will exceed £50,000,