THE GALE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 534, 1 May 1878, Page 3

THE GALE.

; ThestrongN.W. wind which sprangupoiiTueuday morning freshened during the day, and by midnight it had increased to a gale. Towards inorning, however, the wind hauled round to the N. and N.E., and set down the bay a Eea<W sea, which ran amongst the vessels with preayjVce, making those at the wharf have a JlyjSfy time of it. At half-past 3 o’clock; as stated in yesterday’s issue, the brig Fawn, which was lying at No. 7 berth, carried away all her moorings forward, and drifted broadside against the brsgantine Emma Jane, inflicting injury to her bulwarks, &c. The brig was uninjured, bat’ all 'daylong both vessels lay side by side grinding away at the fenders placed between their sides at a great rate, it -being impossible to separate the vessels owing to the violence of the wind. At 9 a.m. the gale was at its height, coming down in furious squalls, rendering the harbor frequently one sheet of foam, and driving the spray clean over the wharf, About this time the schooner Clio, which was riding heavily to the buoy anchored a few hundred yards from Coffey and Dixon’s slip, was struck by a fierce squall, which sheered her round broadside to the seas, and being lifted bodily on top of one, the sadden jerk as she fell off it snapped the moorings. 1 The result, was. that although the schooner I had one of her own anchors down, so groat was the force of the wind and sea she was driven rapidly broadside on towards the shore, and finally grounded a few yards to leeward of Meech’s baths, on a soft sandy spat. She then careened towards shore and commenced to work up the beach slowly with each successive swell, until at last she lay within a few yards of the land. As soon as the accident was observed, Mr. Coffey with a gang of men set to work to make the schooner lie as comfortable on the beach as circumstances would permit, and succeeded, with the aid of Captain Kirk, and his crew, in placing two large logs under her bilge, which prevented her from coming’ in shore any further, while stays were made fast to the. shore from the vessels mast headandsidea to keep her from cautingseaward orforging ahead. At high water,3,lop.m., the Clio was lying apparently in no very dangerous position,’although a heavy spray was incessantly flying over her. She bumped but very slightly; and made no water, and it is anticipated that she, can easily be got off as soon as the weather moderates. The Olio had just come off the slip last week, after receiving a thorough overhaul and being re-coppered, and had been handed over to her owners by Messrs. Coffey and Dixon on Monday last. She is owned by Page and Co., of Waitapu, and is insured in the National Cilice for £BOO, of which £4OO is reinsured in the South British. The

yachts and boats in the harbor "also-suffered somewhat from the gale.' The Fanny Goddard broke away about 9 o'clock, drove rapidly down the bay, and grounded at the back of the Maori Pa. Two boats put off after her, but when they got into tho sirf on the beach one of them capsized, and tho occupants were thrown into tho water, but being close in they got ashore with hut little difficulty. Tho yacht was afterwards hapled up above high-water mark. Mr. Kobbvll’s fine yacht Florence also came ashore, a line being run out to the brigantine Isabella, she was hauled eff again uninjured. A few other yachts and boats also broke from their moorings, and were driven ashore, sorno of them being considerably injured by the heavy surf. Several of the schooners lying at the breastwork had, owing to tho sea, to drop out to an anchorage and ride out the gale there. The steamer Kennedy also met with a mishap. She was being shifted from'No. 11 berth to the leeward of the wharf for the purpose of letting the brig Fawn in there ; and when trying to pick up her anchor, owing to several vessels lying in her way, she was obliged to steam full speed ahead, the result being that when the strain came on the anchor chain it'parted. The anchor and chain will however, it is considered, be easily picked up again. In the afternoon some very heavy showers of rain fell, which had the effect of considerably lessening the sea, and towards evening the wind, having hauled into tho north-west again, commenced to sensibly decrease. The gale was one of the severest we have had for some time, and seems to have prevailed over a considerable portion of the colony.