STORM IN SYDNEY.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1923, Page 3

STORM IN SYDNEY.

A STEAMER ASHORE

SYDNEY, June 27

A -pell of cri-p winter weather, during which the rainless stretch which started early last summer, being relieved by a passing deluge about two months ago, has continued, reducing the soi! to bone dryness and bringing ever nearer tin, spectre of a watei tainine in the city, was -udenly terminated xvitli a storm of extraordinary violence on Tuesday. Rain started to fall in torrent- almost all over ihe State on .Monday night, and by I a.m. a gale was raging and bowling along the coast at the rate of 79 miles an hour. With unabated violence the lyelone -wept over the city, until the day was tar advanced, downpour after downpour dreii, liing pedestrians who had almost forgotten to protect Hi: m~elves :,gainst -m b volumes ol water. Early in the morning rit'li to the city, the Steamer- xvhicb daily carry thousands of people I font Manly to the city, a trip of about live miles, involving a 1 ros.-mg immediately in-ide the Heads, had to he stopped owing to the narrow escape from oisastof one of them. Mountainous sea? were rolling through the great gap ol of the Heads and breaking in clouds ol loam on .Middle Head, inside the harbour. In the track of these the brave little steamer ploughed her way head on. In the middle of the crossing, however, passengers on the upper deck saw a succession of three great rollers come hounding along from the ocean. Over the first the Burra-I,ra rode well cm,ugh, but the second was upon her while she was still in the trough-like wake of the first, and. as passengers afterwards related, she was struck and enveloped in a towering wall of green Water. Windows and doors were -Ilia-lied in all directions, drenched passengers sprawled about f linging to anything they could grasp. and all for some moments was shattered glass, spray, and rushing water. Four of the pa-ssoigers had to be conveyed to Syd--11, 'v Hospital when the steamer reached the Circular tinny, a iorUrn spectacle. wliieli was quite an object of curiosity. Fort iinately no serious injuries] were caused, and the immediate stoppage of the service prevented a 1,-peti-tion of the adventure, residents having to make, a long detour by train in order to rea, ll the city. As well as this several steamers broke from their moorings and narrowly e-caoeil disaster on the rucks. Some small (-rail were swept ashore, and the great Moating crane Titan, with the boiler.- lor the new- liner Eord-d.de which is under const nn I ion ter the (’• minion weal! ll line, met with ft similar fate being driven on to the rocks at Woolwich. A few mill's down the coast just beyond the I’otanv Bay opening, the tostal steamer Belbowrie went a-liore m the early 111, 'ruing. She is oil a sandy hotioni and hopes are entertained that she will 1 e refloated. She i- a twin -crew steamer ~| 218 tons, and lias been rnrrvinj' general cargo and coal between Sydney aed the s.a 1 11 1 coast ports of New South Wales for Kilt in and Eariishaw of Sydney. for tin- past eleven years. Th,. count rv district? have benefited all over the State to 1 lie extent of up to four inches <d ram 111 three day-.