LAST NIGHT'S GALE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2317, 20 August 1880, Page 3

LAST NIGHT'S GALE.

The first respectable nor’-wester of the season began blowing vigorously, at daybreak, yesterday, and continued with unabated vigor, up till between one and two this afternoon, when the wind suddenly died down. During the night the gale increased in intensity, and, except in the case of very sound sleepers, the howling and shrieking of the storm was such as to render sleep impossible. Considering the violence of the wind, the damage done in town was very trifling. A few sheets of iron from the roof of a portion of the Clarendon Hotel wore pitched into the street, but they were speedily secured again. At the Mechanics’ Institute a pane of glass was blown in, and part of the roof over the stage was stripped. A few fences wore blown down, and one or two narrow escapes in back yards from the tumbling about of hot water tanks, constituted all the material damage wc have heard of. The steamers and sailing vessels in the roadstead rode out the gale in perfect security, and though the water was rough there wore no heavy seas to test 4'ic Breakwater. The storms scorns to have been general over most of the South Island, and prolably it has been felt up North, as the telegraph wire lias been broken down and there has been no communication with Wellington. The morning train from Christchurch, owing to the force of the wind, was considerably delayed, and was half an hour late leaving Ashburton, arriving in Timaru at 1.40 instead of 1 o’clock. We have received the following telegrams : Oamaku, August 20. A heavy gale lias been blowing all night, and continued to-day. Some slight damage was caused about town. The vessels in the harbor rode it out safely. Dunedin, August 20. Last night’s gale did a good deal of damage to houses in the city. Park and Curie’s workshops, Moray Place, are fairlv smashed up. The back part of Campbell’s Bazaar, on the western side of Moray Place is blown in. He estimates his loss at £ISOO, CnuiSTaiuucir. August 20. A strong nor’-west wind commenced to blow "early this morning. Soon after midnight it increased to a terrific gale, the strongest from the north-west ever known at this time of the year. Considerable damage was done to frees, windows, and verandahs, one of the latter being entirely destroyed. At Bangiora. a stack of chimneys at the Junction Hotel were blown down, doing great damage to the building. At Lyttelton, llic shipping has so far escaped, but in town a number of doors, windows, and one dial of the town clock ■were blown in and roofs of buildings extensively damaged. A serious accident occurred at the gaol. A temporary iron roof in the north wing, now iu process of construction, was blown down, and a person named Patrick Moss, who was on the roof at the time, fell to the ground, a distance of 30ft, sustaining a severe cut on the back of bis bead, and concussion of the bruin, lie is now in a critical condition. Another prisoner was also injured, but not seriously. The high fence surrounding the quarters of the Maori prisoners was also blown down. A son of Mr Williams, residing at Bridle Bath was blown off the roof of a house, and sustained severe but not dangerous wounds. The gale now seems to bo moderating a little. The telegraph lines arc all down north of Kaiapoi.