THE GALE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 352, 1 April 1910, Page 8

THE GALE.

I'] All Bull BOARD'S DREDGE SUNK. HAYSTACKS BLOWN TO PIECES. The gale which wrought so much havoc on Tuesday night and during Wednesday increased in volume during • the night, and was .probably at its height about 3 o'clock on Thursday morning. All day long there were brought in tales of shattered fences, storm-smashed trees, broken chimneys, and dismantled outbuildings, l'ines a foot in diameter came down in the Recreation Grounds, and unfortunately the devastating influence sought out and wrecked numerous pungas. The Harbor Board's dredge, the "Tommy King," broke adrift and sank near the wharf. The task of refloating the vessel will be no easy one, for the weight will probably be too great for the Board's cranes. The repairs bill .will he heavy. Mr. O'Dowda, head driller of the Standard Oil Company of New Zealand, reported yesterday that the derrick and other buildings at the company's bore on the Carrington road were blown down and broken badly by the force of the wind. A signboard crashed through Messrs. Nixon and Nixon's plate-glass window 'during the night. News from the country districts shows that the gale was not confined to New Plymouth. Its worst seems to have been felt between New .Plymouth and Oakura, where paddocks are strewn with fencing and roofing-iron, shelter plantations and hedges badly broken and torn, maize and turnip crops apparently ruined. A nice field of maize near Omata, standing five or six feet high last week, was yesterday as flat as the proverbial pancake. Turnips, which were none too healthy-looking on account of the blight, were stripped of their tops, and this will doubtless prove a serious matter. Many of the farmhouses suffered more or less damage, from broken windows to partiallystripped roofs, Mr. Were's new house at Omata sustaining serious damage. A .big tree fell across the end of Mr. Lister's bulk store at Omata, crushing the roof in. A report from Oka to states that Mr. W. Gray's house was stripped of its roof.

Drivers of coaches and waggons on the South road have had a boisterous time. The motor mail coach was overturned near Tapuae, Mr. Jury's horsecoach stayed the night at Okato, and one of the motor waggons returned to £«ew Plymouth after traversing only a few' miles.

Several stories are told of gigs blown off the road and up against the fences, 'but in no case was human life endangered. Broken shafts testify to the •force of the impact. Amongst the humorous tales is that of a man who, after having his horse and gig blown into what seemed to him a position from which he could not extricate the turn-out single-handed, set out to tlie nearest hotel for assistance. This w&» immediately forthcoming. But he had not got beyond the .precincts of the premises when lie saw the horse drawing up at the house, as, was his usual custom. Apparently another gust had relieved the vehicle of the weight which had prevented him releasing the trap himself.

At a farm on the Carrington road big trees fell across the .path leading to the cow-byre, and before the milking could be proceeded with a way had to be cut through the debris.

There was not so much wind inland, but far more rain. The forecast of the storm by the Government Meteorologist •had been sent- to every telegraph and telephone station, and the advance guard of the storm reached I-luiroa during Tuesday night, and it was raining hard, with a fresh breeze blowing, when the children mustered at the railway station for their annual excursion to the seaside at New Plymouth. About thirty out of a hundred made the trip. Poor little beggars! When they arrived here the gale was howling, and the seaside a place to 'be avoided. The waves were running mountains high, and the kiddies' ideas of the seaside as a place for fun must have been rudely shattered. They spent the day at the Drill Hall, structure in the wake of his Worship the Mayor. Just beyond the Te Wera station, on the Stratford-Ongarue railway, a dead riinu, one of the giants of the forests that have gone, fell across the road and railway line, and also brought down the telephone wire. The tree .was reported to be about six feet in diameter. At Douglas rain fell continuously from 4 p.m. on Tuesday to 9 o'clock on Wednesday morning.

The telegraph linesmen hare had a busy time, repairing broken telegraph and telephone lines. , The mechanical staff of the borough electric light department lias coped splendidly with the work of repairing the numerous points of dislocation of the service. On Wednesday night some residents who have been consumers of the municipal "'energy" for some time were thrown hack on to their own resources owing to the breaking of the wires. Lamps were brought out from their hiding-places, and car.dles tooi The inconvenience of the old systems was immediately made apparent, and it is safe to say that it will take a. lot to make those people revert to the old systems, with which they were satisfied until recently. The gale diminished in force during yesterday.

A Chinese fisherman at Moturoa spent an uncomfortable time on Tuesday ni»'ht in his little boat. He put oil to her to bail her out, and whilst he was there the wind and sea increased so that he could not return. His cries for assistance could not be heard above the sale, and lie had to spend the night in his boat, which wasn't the most desirable haven of refuge under the conditions.

The force of the blast at Moturoa can be gauged from the fact. thai, tlie new derrick erected by the Taranaki Petroleum Company at the No. 3 bore was snapped oil in the middle, the great beams being quite unable to stand the strain. At No. 4 (near the freezing works) and No. 5 (near the "Little Wonder" store) completely collapsed. Fortunately these are not being used just now. No, 1, or the "Birthday" derrick, was shifted bodily for a foot or so, hut was secured 'before any damage could be done. No. 2 also threatened to collapse, but the staff strongly braced it, and it weathered the gale. The gale has just about ruined most of. the gardens. Late crops of French beans, which had been doing splendidly in tlie recent mild weather, were blackened and beaten clean of leaves. Other vegetables fared but little better. The TTawern Star says:—The gale which developed oil Tuesday night continued throughout Wednesday, making it most unpleasant for those whose business required them to be out of doors. It did a great deal of damage to gardens. and in not a few instances levelled down more fences.

THE EFFECT AT SEA. THE WORST GALE KNOWN. By Telegraph.—Press Aasoeifttion. Wellington, Thursday. The Warrimoo, which arrived here twenty hours late from Sydney, experienced the full force of the gale. Captain Clift declares that he hag never known it to blow so hard on the New Zealand coast as on the present occasion. Instead of covering fourteen or fifteen knots the steamer -was eased down to seven or eight. The worst effect of the gale was encountered in Cook Strait.

FLOODS IN HAWKE'S BAY. A SERIOUS POSITION. , Napier, Thursday. There is still little immediate prospect of the weather clearing. The position of Meanee and Papakura settlers is becoming serious. Already some sixty sheep have been drowned, and settlers are hurrying their stock to the high land. The water in the Tutaekuri river has now reached the top stopbank, and the safety of Meanee depends on the ■bank withstanding the enormous pressure. If a breach occurs a big area will be inundated.

At Clive there is three feet of water in the main street.

The railway line is submerged in places, but traffic is not interrupted. A terrific sea is running in the bay, hampering shipping. Wairoa, Thursday. A terrific rain and wind storm has been raging since yesterday. All the rivers are in heavy flood. The wharves are submerged, and the riverside sheds and stores are being cleared. The Harbor Board offices are flooded. All lowlying lands and roiids are heavily flooded, and several settlers on the town flat are cut off from town. In the country several bridges are twenty feet under water, and settlers are cut off. There are landslides and slips in all directions. Telegraphic communication with the North is interrupted, and all coaches are blocked. No bridges are damaged yet. but the stock losses are likely to be heavy. SERIOUS DAMAGE AT WAIROA. BRIDGES WASHED AWAY. Wellington, Last Night. Wairoa reports to hand state that the Nuhaka bridge, built by the Government three or four years ago at a cost of £3OOO or £4OOO, was washed away, isolating the Nuhaka settlers. The Turiroa wharf has just floated past on its way to sea. The Scamperdown bridge approach was washed away. The bridge is sagging in the centre, and is not likely to stand through the night. It is expected the river will rise again by midnight. WELLINGTON IN LUCK. TELEGRAPHIC MISHAPS. PAEROA FLOODS. Wellington, Last Night. Wellington's share of the storm wa» not so severe as the northern districts portion, though the wind freshened up towards evening yesterday and was vigorous enough to-day. The rainfall for the twenty-four hours preceding 9 o'clock 'to-day was only 16 points (less than a-sixth of an inch). This morning the centre of the cyclonic disturbance was in the vicinity of East Cape, working seawards, and it was still necessary to issue warnings for the east coast as • far south as Oamaru. The outlook for to-morrow is uncertain. .

"Messages only accepted at. senders' risk" was the tidings given out at 9 o'clock this morning by the Wellington telegraph office in reference to messages for Auckland. The wires are all down, and communication was cut off. Shortly before 2 o'clock this afternoon Auckland was "picked up" with one wire from Napier, but after half an hour this carrier failed.

Definite news about the damage to the lines north of Hamilton is not yec available, but it is probable that the breaks have been numerous. There was one double break—an extensive one—in the Waikato district. Repairing gangs have been sent out to a number of points in the nortl!, but the local office this afternoon was not able to estimate the time that would be required to again bring Auckland within speaking distance of Wellington.

The Secretary of the General Post Office. has received the following message from the chief postmaster at Thames: "Heaviest flood ever known in Paeroa occurred this (Wednesday) morning. The streets are submerged to a depth of three or four feet. The banks and most of the business places are flooded out. Heavy rain, accompanied by a north-east gale, still continues, and the water is still rising.

Telegraph and railway communication I arc interrupted between Paeroa and | Waihi; aiso railway communication be-, tween Paeroa and Te Arolla." ROTORUA SUFFERS. MUCH DAMAGE REPORTED. Rotorua, Last Night. A gale of cyclonic force has been ratrinr; since 4 o'clock yesterday mornins. There is no sign of abatement. j Many trees in the sanatorium grounds j are uprooted, and much damage has been j done. One tree fell in close proximity j to the sanatorium, and many large trees on Pukeroa hill blown down, some which fell across the streets blocking road traffic to Ohinemutu. A coachshed belonging to the Waiwera Coaching Company collapsed. The roof of Kusab's sawmill was blown off. Many trees on the Whakarcwarewa road were blown dow«. The express yesterday and to-dav from Auckland was half an hour late, and the goods train due at 8 o'clock last nicrht arrived at 1 o'clock this mtrning. There have been several narrow escapes from falling trees, but no one is iniured. Two windows in the Grand Hotel were blown in. A launch on Lake Rotomahana sunk last night. Visitors making the round trip had to walk round the lake to reach Waimangu. THE GALE SUBSIDES. Auckland, Last Night. The gale which has been ragtng for three days blew itself out to-day. Telegraphic communication with the south has been cut off for tws days, but is now partially restored. Only one line is. however, working, and this is blocked •with private business. Nearly four inches of rain fell in Auckland between 3 p.m. and midnight on Tne••.lav, causing washaways on the railways. ■.. > . NELSON KSCAPES. k Nelson, Last Night. Nelson has' so far escaped the storm, the weather having been beautifully fine since before Easter.