A TERRIFIC GALE.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 November 1919, Page 7

A TERRIFIC GALE.

A NIGHT OF TERROR. ELEMENTS LET LOOSE IN WATRARAPA. Masterton, November 3. Last night was a night of terror throughout the whole district. Never before had such a terrific gale been known, and. as the force of the wind increased and tiles and iron on buildings were hurled in all directions, people wondered what the end would be. The crashing of heavy plate glass windows in shops, the smashing of crockery and glassware, the tearing off of the tops of verandahs by the wind and crashing of huge pine trees as they were toppled over by the wind made the niglit one of continuous alarm. In one part of the residential portion of the town a number of treeß several feet through and about 100 feet tall crashed down not far from a house containing a family. Sheds and fences in various parts of the town were blown down and shops and dwellings partly unroofed.

FIGHTING THE FLAMES. To add to the horrors of the night, log, hush and grass fires occurred to the west of Masterton. Settlers had a terrible experience fighting the flames. Reinforcements of townspeople went out from Masterton to assist in the fight against the fires. It was a terrible and practically hopeless task trying to stem the progress of the fire in the face of the worst gale the district had ever known. The Matahiwi district experienced a frightful time between the gale and the flame 9 and a terrific thunderstorm which came when the wind died down. The Matahiwi cheese factory was burnt down and also the residence of A. H. Tinkham, as well as the Matahiwi woolshed. WELCOME DELUGE OF RAIN. Another anxious period was undergone by Mikimiki settlers both in connection with the gale and a log and grass Are. Hunt's woolshed at Mikimiki was destroyed by fire as well as much fencing. Fortunately as the wind dropped a thunderstorm came. A deluge of rain fell and this prevented the flamc3 of the fires spreading further afield, but all through Matahiwi and Mikimiki districts settlers had an anxious night watching the fires, even after the thunderstorm. Towards morning, however, all danger was removed as the rain continued and finally put the fire beyond the power of doing further mischief. The thunderstorm was a most violent one, the terrible peals of thunder shaking the earth and vivid lightning almost blinding those nut in it. TW> force of the wind, may be gauged by the fact that big motor-cars going full speed against it were brought to a standstill.

REMINISCENT OP BIG EARTHQUAKE. At Greytown, Butterworth's cordial factory was burnt down during the height of the gale. Orchards in many parts of the district were stripped of -their fruit, and in numerous cases trees were razed to the ground. Chimneys were blown down in various parts of Masterton and the scene is somewhat reminiscent of the great earthquake two or three years ago. Bricklayers, carpenters, and paperhangers are at a premium just , now repairing damaged houses and business places. Where the roofs of buildings have, been blown off or damaged the position has been aggravated'by the heavy rain which fell at intervals to-day. The loss to the district as the result of the gale must total many thousands of pounds.