FIERCE HURRICANE SWEEPS DUNEDIN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 50, 21 October 1931, Page 3

FIERCE HURRICANE SWEEPS DUNEDIN

(Press Assn.-

WORST IN HISTORY KARITANE "iliY HOSPITAL UNROOFED AND OTHER DAMAGE DONE NO CASUALTIES REPORTED

-By Telegraph — Copyright).

dunedin, Tuesday. A gale of hurricane jforce, the worst in the experience of the disrict, has been raging since eariy morning, doing great damage. The grandsiand at Logan Park was unroofed, and it is reported that the big stand at Wingatui raceeourse has collapsed. At the Karitane Baby Hospital the sun porch was blown away, and tfce roof of the hospital lifted 50 feet and blown to the roadway 200 yards away. The wall of an old house in Castle Street was blown down on a shop, demolishing a bedroom and a dairy. A Vacuum Oil Co. steamer carried away her mooring lines, taking part of the wharf with her. She is now anchored safely, with a tug in attendance. Telegraph lines and power lines are down, and Port Chalmers and the northern area are without power. All through the town plate glass widows have been smashed and great trees have been blown down in the hill area. Fortunately no casualties are reported. A survey of the damage caused by the gale showed that while householders have suffered fairly heavy loss no case of personal injury is reported. Public buildings generally stood the gale well, although several city and suburban schools and churches had the windows blown in and the roofs carried away. The district on the harbour-side felt the full force of the gale, but whilst residences escaped with minor damage, many outhouses and garagss j were levelled to the ground. Several 1 launches broke from their moorings I and were washed ashore. Considerable loss was experieneed by motorists, the hoods of many cars being blown off. Householders gadrens also suffered heavy damage.