FEARFUL STORM IN AUCKLAND.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 30, 15 January 1864, Page 6 (Supplement)

FEARFUL STORM IN AUCKLAND.

(From the Southern Cross.) It is seldom that Auckland is visited with so much thunder, lightning, and rain, as it wjs a few nights ago. It was such a night as would have put the witches in Macbeth, if they had been only here, in ectasies ; but to some of our townsfolk it proved the very reverse of pleasant; indeed, in some cases considerable damage was done in those shops below "high water mark." It seemed, indeed, as if " heaven's floodgate* *' had been opened, for the rain came down in such a pour that the drains were not large enough to carry it off. Tiie whole of the police on duty, with the exception of one man left in charge of the police staton had to be placed in the gaol fo assist the gaoler in taking charge of the prisoners c nfincd therein, whose quarters were so flooded that the male prisoners, 28 in number, including debtors and Maoris, had to be removed to the small guard-room, within tlu* gaol yard, and the female prisoners, 1 1 in number, to one of the rooms attached to the Supreme Court. The Commissioner of Police visited the <raol on Saturday morning at three o'clock, after the flood had somewhat abated, and again at five o'clock, and from the water marks on the walls of cells it was evident that in some places the water must have been three or four feet hi<*h. The whole p< ison seems to have been completely inundated, and the beds and bedding of the prisoners were saturated. In several parts of Queen street the water rose to a considerable height, and but for the exertions of Mr John Guiiding, in charge of the fire engines, and John Marlin, night watchman, who, assisted by the Sergeant- Major, kept the gratings clear, it might have risen much higher, and more damage would have been sustained by merchants and shopkeepers than there was. As it was, we have heard of considerable damage, but it would be invidious to particularise it- So much for the flood. It appears that during the storm a cottage in Uuioa street, Freeman's Bay, occupied by Mrs M'Vay, was struck with the electric fluid, which split and splintered one of the verandah posts, in front of the house, shattered the weather-boarding in the end of the cottage, broke through the roof by the Vide of the chimney, and burst a large Soone ink bottle, the fragments of which broke several pieces of crockery. A lamp and other articles were thrown from the shelves •, the kitchen utensils, which were of tin, were thrown off the nails on which they were suspended ; and the clock was stopped at the same time (nine o'clock.) Seven of the family were' in the house, and the effect of the shock deprived Mrs M'Vay of hearing for about a quartei of an hour, leaving a ringing sound in her ears. The remainder of the familj experienced a similar sensation. The shock appears to have been felt bj other persons residing near, but providentially no one was seriously injured, Mr Hunt, living next door to Mrs | M'Vay, had his arm paralysed for some ! tiaie.