TERRIFIC HHALSTORM

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1921, Page 4

TERRIFIC HHALSTORM

DAMAGE IN MKbIIOURNI’

M KI.BDI'KNK. October 10

Saturday afternoon. was swept by a hailstorm of unusual liny. I ’receded by vivid lightning and heavy thunder, tile slm in broke over the city at -o minutes past I. Hailstone-. as large as 111:1 rides Isuit a dealfoiling tatoo oil roofs shattered skylights and windows, and levelled shrubberies and stripped trees in public and private gardens of their spring growth of limvok. rniortunatvly tlu’ downpour was MtttMidnd by tragedy. little boy who sought to rescue his dog from a deep drain in Hawthorn was overwhelmed liv the sudden rush of fUod water and swept into the Varra. In violence the storm had no parallel since that in PRO when several city streets were flooded.

Tons of hail descended into the light wells of city premises, broke through the skylights, clogged roof gutters and converted street drains into rushing torrents many feet wide. When the hail limited ceilings became water-log-ged. and detachments of lirenien Ka stern Hill were busy for several hours endeavouring to protect, valuable property Irmu cascades which descended staircases and lift-wells, swamping door after flour. Basements were Hooded in many places, water penetrated some of the picture theatres, and on tlm attic doors of a number id warehouses and business premises where skylights had failed to withstand the battering, damage amounting to several thousands of pounds was mused. At the knitting mill of Air Al. l'dron in l.onsdale street, water invaded the building in such volume that valuable machinery was seriously damaged. (teeiipants o|‘ otlmr Hours in the same building spent many hours in '‘mopping up.” limirke street and Collins street were wonderful sights after the storm. They were carpeted in white and hoys began to light with handfuls of hailstones. hut soon gave it up when they bad experienced the sting and lorre of tile missiles.

it was a considerable time before trams and motor ears were able to proceed . and then. for fear of skidding thev had to move slowly. All unusual feature of the storm was the length of time before the hail melted. It lay in huge drifts at street corners, and along kerbstones for nearly two hours, while ill sheltered places, such as yards and enclosed roofs, six or seven hours elapsed before it dissolved.

FOOT BA |d. CROWD'S EXPERIENCE. While the Carlton and Richmond teams in the final foot hill match on the Alelhoiinie Cricket (Iround on Saturday were enjoying their half-time rest, the storm struck the high stands, and

rattled on the roofs with a terrific roar and in a few minutes the ground was white with hail. Under the stands people crouched together. In the open umbrellas were riddled hy jagged pieces of ice. In their frenzy people sought anything that could give them cover. They hanged at doors and surged into bars. The hail did not last long, however hut as it passed on heavy rain came, and in the outer ground thousands of spectators were soaked. The quick thinkers saw shelter going to waste in the members’ stand, and first, one man. then half a dozen, more ud-

enturous than the rest, jumped the | ence ill the outer ground and made cross the field. A few amused thenielves by making: “icehalls’’ and throwng them at one another, hut the maority raced across the icefield, slipping nd wading through water. They .ramped down the ornamental flowei >eds, ruining the borders of Phlox drummondi. which are a feature of the ground in midsummer. and they .vatched the rest of the match in what shivering comfort they might expwt as j drenched men. As the rain stopj>ed the footballers came out. Water poured into the ground from every channel. The grass was completely covered with hail, the gutters ran bankers, and as the hail was washed into the underground drains they became c-hoked. and the lower will}! became a lake. I" make matters worse a water pipe on the upper side burst and soon.the sronnd was under water. Into and through this the footballers plunged and splashed. slipped and slid. affording amusement and amazement for thousands. It was a remarkable scene and as the ran kept off for a time, the more remarkable, as above the packed and soaked mass of people on the hanks around the ground there rose a cloud wf steal!