Yesterday’s Gale.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7068, 14 February 1893, Page 1

Yesterday’s Gale.

(By Tblegbaph.) WELLINGTON, Ebb. 18. Thera was a heavy northerly gale with slight rain this morning. OHEISTOHUBOH, Fbb. 13. One of the moot severe gales ever experienced in Christchurch began s boh after B o’clock this afternoon and lasted till after fiVe with varied strength. The weather just previous was oppressively hot, 92 in the shade being recorded. Clouds of dust were sobb blowing in all directions, and most of the trees along the river besides numbers in the domain were more or less damaged. A number of tradesmen’s signboards were blown over, and several roofs stripped of their iron. The scaffolding at Kemp* thorne, Prosser’s new buildings was torn away and one inan bad a narrow escape from the falling material. The Canterbury rope factory's shed opposite the railway station used by Andrews and Beaven was overturned, and a number of close fences were completely destroyed. Beporto ftoin the country state that the damagrrtdone is very considerable to stacks of wheat, many of which were blown to pieces and the grain threshed from the straw. In a few cases where the grain was in stock these were levelled and more or less destroyed. The damage to orchards and trees is very great. The weather calmed when rain set in about 6 o’clock. ASHBUETONi Fiß. 18.: After a sultry forenoon a terrific “ southerly buster ” came up in the afternoon, blowing' a hurricane for two hours. The Borough Council’s offices were partly unroofed. The Central Hotel was partly unroofed and the windows blown out. A pottage wefc

demolished, trees were uprooted, orchards stripped, fruit destroyed, and other dan-age. Reports from the country speak of great destruction to grain stooks, very few cf which are yet stacked. Fortunately the storm passed off with only a few drops of rain, and it is now calm apd fine.