HAIL LIKE HENS' EGGS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 161, 25 November 1912, Page 7

HAIL LIKE HENS' EGGS.

POULTRY- : K,rU/ED .AND ■GARDEN'S V, ,i AXD RUINED.' THOUSANDS OF POUNDS , ' ; RikiibE. A vkrV destructive 'hailstorm piisseil over portions of Ne>v. ( Soi\th . Wales a few days ago,.,doing! d?i'Ayige to the extent of thqusands of pounds. At Bathurst) vyheaty-oats,- rye .and lu-. cerne crops" were cut to pieces, hail covering 'the ground to a depth of six inches. At Grcnfell fruit trees" were damaged hy the hailstones, which were 2in long by Tin through. At' : Mahdurama the hail killed poultry, smashed gardens, denuded trees of their 'leftves;'and completely spoiled the wh.eat crops. ' . At Maclean liail fell as large as liens' eggs, and continued for over, half an hour. The storm was accompanied hy a gale, trees being blown down, and trees stripped of .tho.ir .leaves and fruit. At Coraki the moijt destructive hailstorm ever experienced occurred. .For a considerable time, prior- to- its .striking the town, it?, posvr.f couljl be hoard, and the hail poured, down with terrijic force for half an hour. When the storm cleared, hailstones entirely covered, .the ground to a depth of. several inches. ,The growing crops, .including' maize,- potatoes and vegetables, were completely cut to the ground; while the,vineyards and orchards were -entirely, destroyed. Grass paddocks were badly cut up, looking as, though they had ,b,een. gone over-with a lawn-mower.: , A storm of .cyclonic -force passed ovef TJlmarra, accompanied by heavy hail and blinding sheets of - vain. Iron sheets were displaced: from- roofs and carried a considerable, distance; Houses were flooded, and numerous windows were broken. The streets were flooded, and one storekeeper had his verandah blown down and valuable plate-glass windows broken, resulting in damage to the stock of approximately £2OO. The younfi maize crops were ruined. The rainfall registered 103 points.