VERANDAH.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1730, 23 April 1906, Page 3

VERANDAH.

A violent storm broke over Gisborne on Saturday evening with vivid lightning and muoh thunder. The storm moderated somewhat in the morning, but came on again with great violence after lunch. Fierce rain Equalls swept in from the South, while the sea wa3 lashed into a s.ate of great fury.. The steamer Tarawera, which, in the ordinary oourse would have arrived in the Bay at 3 p.m., bad not put in an appearance by dußk, aad tbe weathdr was so bad that it was hopeless to think of tendering her after dark, The time of departure was delayed until seven o’olook this morning, and unless the vessel has gone on to Napier, she will bo tendered at that hour. • Those ’who faced the elements yesttrday afternoon had some exoitement. A large group stood watohing tbo southern portion | of tbevatandah of the Aloion Hotel baloony, which begun to sag shortly before four o’clock, The spectators comprised yontbs out for a frolic, who were intensely amused at the way tbe verandah was oirried np and down by the violent gusts, and eaoh extra lift evoked a hearty cheer fcom these youthful spoctators, and when the climax came one could have imagined a winning soore at a football match. Meanwhile every effort was bomg made under perilous conditions to prevent the swaying verandah roof doing additional damage. Each severe gust would lift the roof up, and then let it down again with a crash. At one stage it seemed as if tbe whole of the telegraph and telephone wires would be snapped, but eventually tbe verandah was secured by ropes and as the storm moderated tbe ropes held tbe wreck, A chimney pot from ODe of the post

office chimneys was dislodged, and fell on to the footpath unpleasantly near some people. The aro light on the town side of the Haiti bridge came down with a crash jast before a lady was passing beneath the projection. Earlier in the afternoon one of the big arc lamps at the corner of the goods shed at the wharf came dowD, and was smashed.

A good deal of trouble was experienced in making some of the boats in the river safp, and in many pltC3B trees were blown down and minor damage done. The Btorm was severely felt at Wairoa, and on Saturday night there was much telegraphio delay and considerable trouble in the transmission of messages.