Destructive Hurricane at Levuka.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 922, 2 March 1881, Page 3

Destructive Hurricane at Levuka.

The Sydney Telegraph has received news from Levuka that another fearful hurricane swept over the Fiji Islands on the night of the 2nd inst., doing incalculable damage. The town of .Levuka suffered very severely several houses, including the residence of the Chief Justice and the public school, being levelled with the playground. In the harbour two steamers —the Rew a and Go-ahead —sank at their moorings in 12 fathoms water. The latter was moored at the wharf when the sea swept over her. The Ocean Queen, belonging to the A.S.N. Cot; broke adrift and fouled the •schboner Surprise, which was loaded ■with copra, and ready to sail for this port. Both vessels were damaged’ by the collision. The full extent of the damage done could not by any possibility be ascertained, as the steamer Gunga, which brought the intelligence could not communicate with the shore owing to the heavy sea running. From her deck on the morning she left no less than eight boats floating bottom upwards, were seen in the harbor. The town appeared almost in ruins, several houses having been blown down and many others unroofed. The officers of the Gunga state that they never before experienced such a violent storm. There were no lives lost so far as could be heard.; The hurricane lasted;about six hours. The Gunga was compelled to keep up steam all night whilst the gale lasted, and both anchors down. She slipped one chain cable, and left one anchor behind when she started for Sydney the morning after the disaster.