TORRENTS OF RED RAIN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 277, 13 February 1928, Page 9

TORRENTS OF RED RAIN

ROOF FALLS ON EXPRESS WEST AUSTRALIAN CYCLONE By Cable.—Press Association. — Copyright. PERTH, Sunday. A rough estimate of the damage caused in Western Australia by the storm is £150,000. As far as is known no lives were lost. At Kalgoorlie the rain fell in red torrents, the result of masses of dust in the atmosphere. A LARGE portion of the roof of the Kalgoorlie railway station fell upon tho Continental express, which was ready to start. The windows on the platform side of the train were blown in, causing pandemonium among the passengers seated in the train. Numbers of persons at various places are reported to have been injured by falling debris, which was carried for long distances. The main business portion of Kalgoorlie escaped lightly but the residential quarter suffered severely. The cyclone is by far the most severe ever experienced in the district.. It struck Coolgardie and Boulder as well as Kalgoorlie. An unconfirmed report states that a girl was killed at* Boulder. Everything in the track of the cyclone was shaken, and in many cases buildings were either entirely demolished or badly damaged. The cyclone maintained its full force only for two minutes, but it tore the roofs from buildings and crumpled walls like so much paper. Telegraph and telephone lines were blown down, thus isolating the district. Shortly afterwards there was a heavy downpour of rain, which made things more uncomfortable, particularly for those whose homes had been unroofed.—A. and N.Z.