FEARFUL STORM AT TAURANGA.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1325, 16 May 1872, Page 2

FEARFUL STORM AT TAURANGA.

(From the correspondent of the New Zealand Herald) On Friday, April 26, a feaiful storm jaged here through the night. The wind blew at time* from many pointsof the compass, seeming as if we were in the centre of a furious- tornado, which phenomenon, according to science, is only a whirlwind on a large scale. The rain fell without ceasing through the night as perhaps it never rained here before. It came down in solid sheets, as if from a cataract. That respectable individual, the " oldest inhabitant," on taxing his memory failed to recollect a similar deluge. Then tln-Te was lightning, forked, vivid, and frequent, succeded by momentary darkness that might be felt, and after brief pauses, by prolonged rolls of thunder, that rattled the windows, and made the ground tremble again. The following day was tolerably fine, and word came in that the new road between Ohinemn.tu and Te Rerenga wa* almost entirely washed away, landslips innumerable having occurred, and huge boulders

of rock Wn loosened from their socket* and rolled into the ravine below. Mr Hill, of Sunnyside, near the Gate Pa* stated that sheep were killed in open paddocks by the weight of rain which teli, he had a turkey washed from its perch, dead. Sunday again set in wet, and continued so during the day, becoming worse towards night, the rain increasing in violence till morning, with almost continuous thunder and lightning. Monday, though cloudy, was free from rain, and sunset in the evening tinged the sky with red, giviug hope of a tine day to follow; but such anticipation was fallacious, for, early on Tuesday, the vain commenced again, occasionally increasing to the volume of a tropical shower,, and again subsiding; while the sun put in one or two momentary appearances, but was quickly obscured by thick and driving clouds. In the old country it is said that when March comes in like a lamb it goes out like, a lion,, and viceversa. The first might have been said with a truth of the present April here.

The wreck is reported of the Quern* of the East, front California to Newcastle, N..5.W.,, on an unknown reel'.. The captain and crew reached Clarence Head, K.S.W., safely.