THE NORTH-WEST GALE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2026, 21 August 1880, Page 2

THE NORTH-WEST GALE.

* The following are additional items respecting the gale : THE EIVEES. ilk. As yet no obstacle has arisen to the railway traffio either North er South, although the rivers are rising. By the courtesy of Mr Back, railway manager, we give copies of telegrams received, this day:— WAIMAKAEIBI. " The river is rising, and already a good deal of water going Stewart's Gully way." NORTH BANGITATA. " There is a slight fresh in the river this morning." SOUTH EANGITATA. "No water in south branch this morning." RAKAIA. "River just beginning to rise." LXTTELTON. The Magistrate's Court has suffered more or less, the zinc ridging being stripped, together with portions of the roof. The damage to dwellings was much more general in tho upper parts of the town than below. Mr W. Graham's (sen.) residence at the top of Oxford street was about half unroofed, and his son's house shared scarcely less severely, the back chimney being blown forward on to theroof with such force as to break it in. A rather narrow escape is reported to have occurred to a child of Mr Slater's, whose house adjoins that of Mr Graham's, senior. The child was asleep in the cradle, when a huge piece of cement or mortar, supposed to have been carried from the top of an adjacent chimney, came through the window, and struck the head of the cradle, glancing off, and falling on the floor. But perhaps the wonder is that considering the number of chimney pots, slates, sheets of iron, heavy pieces of timber and large trees which were thrown about, especially in the upper part of the town, that no instance is reported of serious injury to life. It is fortunate that the gale which created the danger in this respect, by rendering it impossible for children to be out of doors was to that extent its own preventive of accident, otherwise the chapter of disasters must almost of a certainty have contained a number of instances of bodily injury. Up the Brenchley Farm road the woid desolation would fitly describe the appearance of the gardens and fences. A new residence in course of erection for Mr Roberts in this neighborhood wasfbadly damaged, including the razing of a newly built chimney. On Canterbury street, at the top, another chimney was partly blown down, belonging to the late residence of Mr H. E. Webb. Washhouses, outhouses, &3., appear tohave been especially marked out for destruction, so generally were they to be found yesterday afternoon battered and stripped, or blown into the adjacent gullies where such existed. Some slight damage was done to the slated roof of the public school,. and in the cemeteries a number of monuments and gravestones were thrown down. KAIAPOI. In this neighborhood the effect of the storm was pretty severely felt, in the demolition of a few chimneys, the unroofing of zine covered buildings, and breakage of large trees. In the weather side windows of the borough school a good deal of glasß was broken, and one of the large chimney cowls carried away. A temporary building belonging to Mr Eice was blown bodily into Mr B. Monk's garden in Peraki street. At Mr Caleb Smith's malt house a large cowl was blown into siireds of zinc, At Mr Eckersley's brewery the chimney was levelled, and operations perforce suspended. At the woollen factory a part of the engine shed was unroofed, and some skvl-'ghtE-broken. At a cottage occupied by Mr Eagle, in Cridland street, the chimney was blown with a crash into the house, some of the inmates narrowly escaping injury. One of the public lamp posts at the Ewing bridge was broken off short and the lamp smashed immediately after a dray had passed the spot. The publicans took the precaution to stay their lamp posts after this with ropes belayed to the horse posts. Fears were aroused for the safety of the bacon curing premises occupied by Mr J. W. Ellen, next to the Kaiapoi Hotel, and timber struts had. to be placed to keep the same in position. A portion of the slates from Mr W. Fraser's Northern Store were blown off and carried by the wind with remarkable velocity into the yard of the Magistrate's Court. A shed behind Mr Isaac Wilson's grain store was half unroofed. The tops of several chimneys were dislodged, and between nine o'clock and noon everyone seemed to be busy securing their premises against the impetuosity of the semi-hurricane. The farmers near Kaiapoi had stacks blown over and roofs of stables and sheds removed. Tho river in the north "channel at 11 a.m. was lower than ever lioted during the last twenty yearsj while the tide was out the wind seemed to almost empty the stream by blowing it out to sea. In the south channel the Waimakariri was discolored at 6 p.m., and there were other premonitions of a coming freshet. A Bealey telegram at 3.24 p.m. stated that the rivers were flooded there ; they were then rising fast, and it was raining heavily. As our despatch closed there wore ominous evidences of the rein extending towards Oxford and along the hills to Mount Grey. RANGIOEA. The gale of yesterday has, in passing through this township, left marks of devastation on every side. Mr S. Stephens, nurseryman, had the back premises, verandah and outbuildings of his house completely wrecked, causing much inconvenience as well as loss. Mr Wagner, of Perceval street, had the roof of dwelling smashed by the fall of his chimney. The new building for tho Junction Hotel has suffered some damage by the carrying away of the western stone chimney shaft, which, in falling, has thrown down portion of the ornamental balustrading and entablature, a portion of which now rests on, and has slightly affected the roof of the balcony. Mr Jones, of Albert street, had both chimneys thrown down, causing much loss by breaking pump and other things in the descent to mother earth. The roof of the Lion Hotel had to be hurriedly looked to, to prevent passage to Kaiapoi. Mr P. McQ-rath lost a chimney, and the tenants of the Colonial Bank and Colonial Buildings, together with the Police Station, were inconvenienced by the of outbuildings, &c. Mr verandah suffered considerably, and no dßbt many others that we have not heard of yet. AMBERLEY. The morning was quiet until eight o'clock, when a fearful gale broka over the township. Telegraph, poles were blown down to the north, and were apparently still being carried down by the wire. At Waipara the tents at the railway works were considerably damaged. In tho township chimneys and roDfs have suffered very much, and the railway station buildings were damaged slightly. OXFORD. Here the full force of the wind storm was experienced. At the West Oxford rail.ray station the roof of the goods shed was stripped of the corrugated iron, and the station buildings generally were considerably strained. A chimney in the new Town Hall was blown down, and a stable at Mr Sedcole's Temperance Hotel seriously damaged in the roof. OUST. A strong north-wester commenced at about four o'clock in the morning, and continued to blow all day. No serious damage has been done, except to stacks of hay and straw, which havo been scattered in all directions. Some damage was done to Mr W. E. Leach's large general store, the windows of which on the north-west side were severely broken.

ASHBTJRTON. Very high winds have prevailed in Ash burton for the last two days, but house pro perty has not suffered to any extent, with th exception of the town hall, the roof of whicl is slightly damaged. THE WAIMAKARIBI. A telegram was received in Ohristchurol last evening from the Bealey,announcing thai it was raining heavily, and also that the rivei Waimakariri is in flood. Every precaution has been taken by Mr Baok to preserve railway communication north of Ohaney's, ae there is little doubt of a heavy fresh at Kaiapoi, which is expected to severely test the protective works at Stewart's gully. [pes pbbss association spboiai -wtbb.J TIMARTJ. A very heavy north-westerly gale prevailed all over the district on Thursday night. In Timaru a number of windows were blown in and fences levelled. At Waimate the new fire brigade tower was levelled, and also the wall of tho Primitive' Methodist Church in course of erection. In different parts of tho district stacks of grain and straw have been scattered to the winds. In the back country heavy rain is falling. OAMARTT. A perfect hurricane of wind blew on Thursday evening, doing great damage. In the town and district verandahs and chimneys suffered considerably. At Weston a stone cottage was blown to the ground, and in Oamaru the side of a house was blown in. DTJNEDIN. A north-west gale on Thursday night did considerable damage throughout the city. At Campbell's ohina bazaar a wall was blown down, and Mr Campbell estimates his loss at £ISOO. Messrs. Park and Curie's building of iron and wooa was also blown down. Messrs. Richards and Co., George street, also suffered considerably. Fences and windows innumerable were broken. At Port Chalmers several vessels dragged their moorings, but no damage was done.