A GALE IN THE NORTH.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8160, 15 April 1895, Page 3

A GALE IN THE NORTH.

(by telegraph.) Wellington, April 14. Tha southerly gale which sprung up on Friday night, blew all through yesterday, •nd accompanied with drenching, driving rain last night it increased in force, and has continued all day with unabating fury, bo ng ona of tho mo9t fierce gales which has been experienced here for some yoara. Shipping movements are entirely bu- ponded, and all amusements and excursions in connection with the holidays are p actiol'y abindoned. No vosso'b were able to leave the port to-day, and so far none have arrived The Aoran^l, from Timaru, is reported to be sheltering tinder Capo Campbell, and the Penguin, from Lyuelton, is no doubt there also, but as ih§ telegraph office is closed there is no news about her. The Waihora, which was to leave for Auckland, via the East Coast, this morning, was postponed, it jvi"i(i repotted that the sea running at tho he ids was the highest seen for the last hvo years. Tht Mawhera, by which » number ot excursinnists were booked en route for the Christchurch racen, was unable to leave, and the pleasure seekers cannot arrive in time for the first day's sport. The Duco was to leave for Pic ton with regatta excursionists, but her trip, too, is postponed, Tho Wei ington Rowing Club's championship crew, which was thought to have more than an outaide chance for the chief race, will therefore be unable to compete, and Graham, one of the members who was regarded somewhat in the light of a moral for the champion sculls, is likewise debarred. Unless the gale gives out suddenly to-night it is doubtful whether any pif uraionista will get over from hero to witness the regatta, and in any case it ia considered they will miss the chief ovent. ; The D Battery, in camp at Island Bay, and the Navals, at tho Forts, aro having » rery bad time, and from the chief camp at FeUding somewhat similar reports are to hand. In town no damage of serious moment \m reported, though several yachts were 4»m*ged by either sinking at their moorings or drifting away to a lee shore. .Numerous chimneys and trees have suffered, while fences in more exposed placet have been blown down. AU day the harbor has been a geething mass of foam, and it was impossible to see the laud on the opposite side. The wet, of course, interfered with the continuation of the Bowling tournament po far m the greens are concerned, but the executive decided to eeouro tho (Irillshed, and having covered the floor with a light coating of roofing felt, games frere resumed. Play began «t 8 a'clock, Had was continued till about 11 p.m., the ffamM in which th« visiting- rluks wwe interested befog played. Tho innovation,

looking at it from a bowlers point of view, cannot be sitd to have been satisfactory, a 9 the bowls jumped about in a most erratic way, in many instances running ontirely in Iho opposite direction to | tho bins, vrhi'o in one rink the bowls had a peculiaily happy fashion, aftor pvssing the j»ck hy aoniii jouple ofy-mls, of turning a'most a compleo half circle, and goMing luck near the jack. That tho element of luck was prominent there was little doubt. That tho Wellington club? hnd hard luck by tho weather spoiling what promised to bo one of tho mi<6t successful tournamont* held hero was plain. Should tho wo»ther nlcnr to-night there is no possible chance of paying except on the improvisod " green," where the opera* tions will bigin at 9 a.m., and bo con* continued until 11 o'clock at night. So fir only the inter-clu'u matches have been going on, but as uono of tho l<>c«l cuba were phying yt-stor.lay it is difficult to gauges tho actual po3itions, though Napier and Canterbury At present hold a lead, the former having won four out of Gvo matches and tho laltor all three they have played. Picton, Apiil 14. Dji ing Silurday and Sundiy morning Picton wa9 vbitod by a gale of almost unprecedented severity, and ;ill tnvning operations in connection with tho chainI pionbhip ri'giita were entirely suspended. When the storm was at us height, abuut ten o'clock on Saturday night, a largo corrugated iron building belonging to tho Itsilwiiy Depirtment, and used a 9 a carpenter's shop and extra engine shod, was blown Jovui, and four valuable racing boat«, which were stored in the shed, were smashed to atoms. The boats consisted of outrigged and inrigged foura belonging to tho Auckland Rowing Club, and Bcullers, the property of B rott (Auckland) and Young (Wellington). Their value was about Ll3O. Tho Auckland men will be able to borrow boit* in order to keep their engagement! tomorrow, but there is some doubt «s to whether Birrett, who was looked upon as a probable winner of tho champion sculls, will be able to obtain another craft. The gile caused a good deal of damage in other parts of the town. A chimney in tho Terminus was blown down smashing through the roof, and wiecklng a small bod room and sitting rcom. A nmvll echoolhousr, which was being constructed for the Presbyterian Church, was levelled to tho ground, and the roof of a small dwelling house was blown off. Orchards and gardens suffered considerable damage, and tho small ketch Lilly sank at her moorings, By Sunday at noon tho «md had gone down considerably, bat the crews could not practice There are great hopes that smooth water will be obtained for tomorrow, but old residents have doubts on the point.