UNKNOWN. DESTRUCTION OF A CANTERBURY HOMESTEAD.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 169, 11 September 1886, Page 5

UNKNOWN. DESTRUCTION OF A CANTERBURY HOMESTEAD.

Narrow Escape of Sixteen Persons. The late continuous rain ha§ been the cause of a disaster at Pigeon Bay, which ha? swept away completely one of the oldest residences in Canterbury* and converted what was a '.charming spot into, perfect desolation. Fortunately, however, ;no loss of Ufa occurred, -though, had the .accident happened at night or earlier in the morning, it is probable we, should, have bad to chronicle a sad disaster. As it was the escape of Mr Thomas., Hay and his family from death may be regarded as almost miraculous. There are few of the, older settlerß who do not know the homestead of Annandalewell. ■ Hereitwas that some fortythree years ago Mr Ebenezer flay settled down,! and it has since become one of the most noted of the estates of Canterbury. The house itself which has been added to and modernised, as it were, since ita first building, stood back from the, road a little, the mountain spur rising, at the back. A letter sent by Mrs Hay to her relatives in Christchurch contained a moat graphic account of 'the disaster. Between, eight and nine on Wednesday-morning, 18th August the men who were working on , the farm heard a roar, and looking -toward the hills which rise up at the back of -Annandale, I saw the mountain, as it were, rending over their heads, "and a fgigantic laud slip coming down. The alarm was at once given, , and > with , praiseworthy prompttitude and coolness, eahc one jseized a child ! and rusbed down the pith from the house to the road. As they nod along in terror, a second slip came down crushing the house to atoms, and the debris fell all around the flying fugitive*, so close to them that the fall of earth was as it were upon them. Fortunately- they .were enabled to gain the road inieatety, and ultimately took refuge ie the store. ' In the meanwhile the. 'house, -whioh,had been flattened to the earthbv the fall of the slip, took fire. 1 This- was caused by the fires'in> different parts of the » house which were, log fire?, the one in the kitchen being raised up above ; a. large. colonial oven. So soon as ths debris crushed on tot the house,' the , fire ■ was thrown out in contact with the boards and the remains Aunanaale were destroyed altogether in this way. The force of the clip may, be imagined when it is stated that the remains of the furniture,, &c, were swept right .out into the bay. The family than made an attempt to get round to. the hotel, but owing to the large land slips which had fallen on the r.oad between the hotel and the store, they were unable , to do so. * The only method by which, they could re»ch the shelter of the hotel was by hoate. This, owing to the Bea running in the, bay, waa a work of some danger. Added to this the rain' was descending in torrents, and they possessed little or nothing in the shape of covering ;to keep out the w.e£." Ultimately' they managed to reach "the 1 : hotel, wet through and almost exhaiisted^ fjrom ■ the terrible 'scene through' which" they 'had f i passed. •OhctTat tße bqte.l'Mr and Mrs Bridges did all in "their power to" make them'comfortable. It may be noted that there J were -at the time of the accident some, sixteen persons ,at;Annandale.l including Mr and Mrs •Hay and family and>thoee employed on the iarnoii The 5 other iettlers iri , the Bay were muoh .alaWed^afteßjthe.oalamity that i theyi'too, lef c. .their, ih'ouaeg ancL sought,re--jfuge in.Jbbo»hotel« M Ur ( r m -m l . /«, . ...» ;s; s > V * r i c l *

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