The Gale at Foxton.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XII, Issue 1744, 26 June 1886, Page 2

The Gale at Foxton.

On Thursday evening this difftric^ wig visited by "a %aos£ fearful gate. All day a heayy downpour of rain oceurred^jwitn a light, breeze from the south- west. ' Towards 8 p.m. the clouds, cleared off, and an hour later a few stiff puffs came down from the north west. During the evening the barometer fell two-tenths, and at $ p.m. stood at 28.90— a very low glass. Shortly after 9 the wind increased m violence, and quickly rose to hurricane force, when it assumed the features «f a fierce tornado, -the^"wind^ working ronnd -;- iromN.E. toS.W. For about half an hour the storm raged furiously, and con- , siderable damage was done. In Various parts of the town chimneys were levelled, windows blown m, and m some cases sheds were blown to smithereens. Mr . B. Spelman'B stable was laid out m four sections. At the Ready Money Store the bajcony was blown down, arid also a J chimney : tlje roof oi the store at the western end was also sprung*, and it was • considered advisable for Mr I)e Bidder's ; fainilysto be, removed to a neighbonr'a boused At 'Blr G^ra^a store three of the windows' .were blown iin,' and two ot the Jarge blue gam trees nearf the -.fence a,d-r ■ , joining were 1 levelled. The* gum-tree mi front of Mr Pi ? Collins 'house was blown down, but fortunately' fell clear of the honso. In the out districts con- . siderable damage was caused through . the.: uprooting octrees and., the levelling of fencing-. At least half a^ dozen chlm< neys will require rebuilding, Taken altOßether the tprnado— for it could be I called by no other name— was a severe one, and will bo long remembered by those who experienced it. An hour, after' the storm was at its htight the glass 1 rose a tenth ayd a hal,f. . It is about 13 or 14 years since anything of the kind was experienced, the last occasion being well remembered by old residents, when the wind passed < aiong a space about 200 yards wide, v levelling almost everything, m its traok.—Foxton paper. — - '