HURRICANE IN FIJI

Hokitika Guardian, 7 February 1930, Page 3

HURRICANE IN FIJI

fuCH PROPERTY DESTROYED

WELLINGTON, February 4. An acount of the damage wrought by the recent: hurricane in Fiji ivas given by the Veit. Archdeason W. J. Hands, vicar ;of Suva and Archdeacon of Fiji to-dpy. . .. . The hurricane lasted two days. For sixteen hours it blew at the rate of 120 miles per hour, devasting the whole countryside at on the island of Vanualevu, which /isf .the' centre df the Colonial Sugar Refinery Company’s operations, hundreds of people being employed, and where the headquarters of the Church of England, Indian,Mission is situated. The wind was accompanied by heavy rain. The river rose rapidly, flooding all the surrounding flat lands to a depth of seven feet. The mission school and the dispipsqry laid .flat, ..by,. the. wind andthd timbers carried away by the'rushing waters. Nothing remained except the concrete floor of the and a few. piles. ’ A piece of'.jEqur three timber weilt straight through a-cow/ All the houses are to be rebuilt,' twenty mqn;saViiigi -'gone from Nqw Zealand to do that work. The Mission’s property is estimated as between £2OOO and £3000; An,, appeal will be made by the hoard:-of " missions for the repairing of the damages.