LONDON GALE

Hokitika Guardian, 19 November 1928, Page 5

LONDON GALE

STEAMERS BUFFETED

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, November 1(1

London was swept, by a great gale tin’s afternoon, tbe wind attaining n velocity of (if miles per hour. .Much damage was done, and telegraph and telephone lines suffered considerably.

The force of the wind was so great that tit many points people were blown down. Even rougher seas than yesterday's raged in the English Channel, accompanied by torrential rain. Steamers in the Bristol Channel took refuge in’ Barry Bonds, and no ships wort? able to leave Swansea. It was impossible to land the (fold Coast or West African mail at Plymouth from the liner Alia. The mail steamer. Maid of Orleans, the afternoon limit from Boulogne to Folkestone, lmd consider-, able* difficulty in reaching its berth at Folkestone. Even when it got into harbour, the wind and tide were so strong that it took twenty minutes to got it to the quayside. The Imperial Airway machine from the Continent had a tremendous fight against the wind. When flying over the Aim’d of Orleans, it dipped, and only cleared the wireless mast of the steamer by less than ten feet. The Southern Railway steamer Vera crossed from Southampton to Guernsey in the teeth of the gale, and the passage took 15 hours. There were seventy passengers aboard. The A r ora arrived to-day at St. Holier, Jersey, nearly 24 hours late. FIVE DEATHS RECORDED.

Five were killed and many injured throughout the country. Velocities of a hundred miles per hour were recorded, as against the coast record. An inland velocity of ninety miles was registered at the Cardington Airship Station.

Thirty families are homeless at Ehbwvalc, where houses on the mountain side wore blown down. I here are iennmerablo insfmicc- of unrootfing of factories, houses and v-bools. The Law Courts clock, a leature of the Strand, is in danger iff falling in the street, which is barricaded to alleged pedestrians.

GALE DEATHS (Received this day at 0.25. a.m.) LONDON. Nov. 18. Deaths directly due to the gale total twentv.

GALE DAMAGE

OF SERIOUS EXTENT

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY. November 17

The force of the gale which swept over England yesterday decreased during the night and this morning the wind was moderate. The loss or property totals many thousands of pounds. Fatal accidents were all isolated eases, caused by falling trees and masonry.

Three huge cranes on the quayside at Southampton were blown over, one weighing 15 tons, falling partly on a refreshment house, hut all the diners except two, who suffered minor injuries, escaped. Two other cranes were put out of action. Two hundred and eighty telephone lines were blown down and 70 towns were cut oil tclephonically from London. Roads and railways were tomriorarilv blocked by the fallen trees. In many parts of 1 lie country wireless broadcasting was seriously interrupted, 17 stations being cut off from headquarters. Five houses in the course of erection at Newport were destroyed and in many- parts of southern England and Wales houses are reported to have had roofing tiles torn off. In London windows were broken in the residential and shopping areas, slates dislodged from the mol of the Law Courts necessitating the temporary closing to pedestrians ol one side of Fleet Street.

The wind broke off the hilt of the sword on the statue of Richard Coeur do Lion outside the Mouse of lairds. Lifeboats went out to the aid ol a number of vessels in distress at sea. and many lives were saved. A crow of 15 of the steamer Kentish Coast., which dragged her anchors and went a "round were rescued by means of a breeches buoy by Plymouth motor lifeboat. 1 ~ Ramsgate motor lifeboat rescued the m-w of (i of a schooner when the vessel was sinking off North foreland. Lifeboats were also out ifrom Caister. Goriest on rfnd Torbay and early Ibis morning were still standing .)> (1S tressed vessels. Several other lifeboats were called out mi tlie ml. November. The number of J>'nths ,il dirrmtlv or Wired* to Friday s port storm total Itvonlv ami a very lniRC number are injured. . . Officials of Die Metcrological Department of the Air Miiustn I ‘" c cords of gusts 90 miles hourly at Cardioßtou am, « Unofficial reports state that in some places on the English Channel, gusts, exceeding 101) miles hourly. "me experienced. Tt is many years since a wind of full hurricane force has been recorded over snob wide areas m Eng--I,UThe cross-Channel passenger service suffered heavily, and the Folkestone to Boulogne steamer took 11 horns oi the crossiiiß. only making the l.arW early yesterday alto seven unsuccessful attempts. . The passengers on the Ostond Dover steamer, spent the night at sea the vessel anchoring off Dunkirk un i yesterday morning when the full force of the gale had spent itself. Many shipping casualties ffre reported, including the steamer Eltham

which was found near Reduth, broken in two. 'The crew so far are unacciunted for.

Four East Coast lifeboats were out all clav yesterday, but apart from a few pieces of wreckage found there is nothing to account for. Flares were reported from Mcßobv Sands. Although 341 main trunk telephone lines are out of action owing the storm alternative routes have been established with all provincial towns. THE EI/PHAM'S CREW. LONDON, Nov. 18. The crew of the Eltham. mentioned in official wireless, totalled eleven. It is feared all are lost.