84-MILE AN HOUR HURRICANE

Grey River Argus, 13 April 1948, Page 4

84-MILE AN HOUR HURRICANE

Causes Havoc in Adelaide (Rec. 10.0). ADELAIDE. April 12. The city is a scene of desolation after a hurricane which, with the accompanying rain, caused damage expected to total nearly a million pounds. Scores of homes have been either destroyed, or badly damaged. Large areas are in ruins, and hundreds of small craft have been sunk. The disturbance has now swung out to sea, and was last reported in the eastern Bass. Strait, moving east-south-east. To-day workmen are toiling to salvage goods and repair buildings before further rain acids to the damage. Many people were blown off their feet at the height of the storm, and several are in hospital, with broken limbs. The power, which failed when wind damaged the powerhouse, has been restored. ; g' The gale, which reached an alltime record of 84 miles an hour, whipped up waves 20 feet high, and swept scores of small craft seaward. The sloop, H.M.A.S. Barcoo, is in a dangerous position on the beach north of Glenelg, and attempts are being made to refloat her. LONG WAIT ON JETTY Archie Oliver Pudney, aged 59 years, was rescued just before noon to-day from the seaward end of a 300-fbot jetty at Glenelg. Part of the jetty was washed away when he was endeavouring to assist ratings in a drifting boat. He spent 34 hours on the collapsing structure, during which time his only food consisted of a schnapper’s head, smoked with paper torn from a police notebook. The rain broke four months of drought. In Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, heavy rain broke dry periods, and was not accompanied by strong winds.