HURRICANE

Hokitika Guardian, 24 September 1928, Page 6

HURRICANE

IN POVERTY BAY. SERIOUS WRECKAGE. (By Telegraph—Press Association), GISBORNE, September 22. In Poverty Bay, dawn to-day was ushered in by a strong wind, which, in a few hours, increased to a gale of hurricane force, . the climax being reached about nine o’clock. The wind then eased down until, at noon, it had dropped considerably, though towards evening, the wind again commenced to spring up.

Bulling the eight or nine hours that the gale ranged this .morning, considerable damage was done in many directions,* Telephone and telegraph communications were blocked for some hours, Gisborne being practically isolated. Wires were down between Wairoa and Napier on the south line, and at Matawai on the north line, but .early* in the afternoon communication was restored.

HAVQC IN A VALLEY. Two country townships, jipwever. suffered severely, Whatatutu and Ruatoria, Whatatutu is inland about 38 miles north of Gisborne, and the gale ‘experienced tlhereivas- the--Whitt in the .memory of living settlers. The wind came rushing down the valley with a •terrific ftffcie, Whigb r§*|fliecfHts ze-nitif about nine o’clock: Amongst the firstbuildings was the two-storey hotel, the a ffont ' verandah of which broke away with a crash, portions being carried over the roof and nti Alarmed residents heard' the noise, but were -too busy protecting their own property to render much assistance. The hurricane ephitoried tearing dowii the Valley, and soon a, large blacksmith’s shop, whicit was unoccupied, was demolished. Several houses had their roofs blown completely off, and chimneys were brought down in all directions. Flying timber and sheet* of iron were in some cases tarried miles away. Portion of the roof of a. large store was blown off, and the staff hurriedly threw ropes over the remaining portion for security. Tho shelter shed jat the iy a,s C P” V ' ‘pletely ’ wrecked,■ and;', several siiiall buildings were blown down and demolished.

~ir.< i n-- ■ AJUST;IN Numerous exciting incidents occurred ! diifrdg -'the*gale ; * and s»me narrow ’ ebda^es'were recorded. In one case, a woman who had been seriously ill was removed from her ju.st a few minutes before the roof.. tinder which "she ih'a-d'n jukt shelterM was carried away- • V Lt • • - • : From Whatatutu-, a large number of private telephone lines extended in all directions, and these are now down, the 'b a ck country beyond Whatatutu -being completely isolated. Motor cars in Whatatutu and the vicinity presente<jl .an .mnusual sight,- auiperous hood? benlg fjlpwn off. >■'**■** ■ .Repprts, k of the damage in the interior cannot lie .'ascertained, but- it.4s reported; that the woolslied at Duncan Canip-' bell’s Manga,imaia- station was partly wrecked. Equal damng* was done at Ruatprea,. eigbty-twu-_milesA- .n6rt h of Gisborne, on the East Coast. Here r the balcony.- of; |fche ,ho'|elv wfa-s eompletelyy demolished, |and ' |everal windows J broken and chimneys brought down. A building, under construction' was blown down and tbe -flying timber .crashed on to the telephone wires, putting them all out of action.

AIEN BLOWN ABOUT IN A WHARE. On Mi* J. Ready’s property, a threeroomed whare was, at the time when the gale was at the height of its fury, occupied by two men, one of whom was shaving at .the time.. The wind caught the whare and rolled; it over for fully one hundred yards with the men inside, the building ; being ,finally demolished. The two men were badly braised and suffered from severe shock, but are not.-seriously-hurt. , -The roof of /lie shelter shed at the school was blown off, and .the, sfimp fate befell a large cottage next to the hotel. Windows were 'blown in all directions.

JER U SALE A I’S ROUGH TIME

At Jerusalem, the roof of the Church was blown off, and the roof of a small house was removed bodily. Another house was in course of erection'-with all the walls up. I,n an instant these were laid flat on the ground, the timber flying in ail directions. Between Ruatorea and Tokomaru Bay, motor traffic is impeded by by trees blown down across roads, and in .the height of the gale many drivers took precautions to bind ropes over •jthe tops,of their, cars. . . . No damage is reported in Gisborne beyond several fences and shop-signs being .brought down by the wind, and some small wirtdows blown in in houses in positions exposed to the gale. o,p the Poverty Bay .fiats several maize cribs were overturned, but for tupately were .empty, the owners having ’shelled -their crops. In one case a settler found the top of his neighbour’s crib in his back yard.