Vineries Damaged by Violent Hailstorm

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 580, 5 February 1929, Page 1

Vineries Damaged by Violent Hailstorm

OAMARU AGAIN VISITED

COINCIDENCE OF STORM Press Association O AMARU, Monday. Just four weeks after the disastrous hailstorm in North Otago, on the corresponding day, at the same time of the day—l.2o p.m.—a similar visitation played havoc this afternoon with the vineries at Kakanui, a seaside resort five miles south of Oamaru. This district escaped last month’s storm. Reverberating peals of thunder and vivid flashes of lightning preceded the storm, which lasted a few minutes only, but during that brief period damage estimated at between £7OO and £BOO was done. The ground was covered with a v*iite mantle of hailstones as large as pigeon eggs. The western side of three vineries, each 100 yards in leugtli, belonging to Mr. (1. W. Cleverly, werb completely wrecked, thousands of panes of glass being smashed.

Mr. Clever ly’s grape crop, which was just about to go to the market, is now exposed to the elements, and should there be wind or frost, it will bo completely ruined. Seven hundred feet of glass was shattered in Messrs. Tyson Bros.’ vineries, and one side was completely ripped out. A vinery owned by Miss McKay and several others also suffered damage, and the grape crops are jeopardised. The Kakanui vineries are the largest in the Dominion. The insurances are almost negligible. Oamaru and the harvest area escaped the storm. DAMAGE OVER £27,000 LAST MONTH’S HAILSTORM Press Association OAMARU, Monday. The departmental reports assess the damage due to the severe hailstorm last month at £27,766, over a total area of 3,881 acres, wheat being put down at £18,061, over an area of 2,308 acres; oats, £7,SSB, and 1.351 acres; other crops, £1.816. and 222 acres. The highest individual Joss was estimated at £1,287, with seven others whose losses amounted to £1 000 or over.