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SMALL CYCLONE.

VISITS MOUNT EGMONT. NEW HOUSE DAMAGED. MOTOR LIFTED OVER BANK. NARROW (ESCAPE OF LADIES. Consternation reigned on the NewPlymouth side of the mountain for a time yesterday, the cause being a smell cyclone, -which swept down the mountain side at about mid-day, striking the new mountain house in its wild career, lifting the roof iron, and doing considerable damage to the verandah. As yesterday was Easter Monday there wee a large number of visitors to the mountain, and dinner preparations were almost completed when the crash came. Crockery and pictures suffered considerably and a considerable quantity of gravel was whirled ineide the house by the force of the storm. “You can hardly imagine the scene inside the house at present,” a News representative, in communication with the mountain house, was told. A motor car which was parked near the house was caught by the windstorm, lifted over the bank nearby, and deposited upsidedown in the gully below. Fortunately it sustained little damage and was later recovered. No one was injured, but three ladies who were sitting by the bank had a narrow escape, a sheet of roof-iron, tossed by the wind, whirling past in dangerous proximity to them. Messrs. Hugh Baily- and A. Boon, members of the mountain house committee, were communicated with and arrived an hour later. They bay** arranged for a gang of men to commence repairing the damage to-day, and it is anticipated that everything will be restored to normal order in two days’ time. Considering the nature of the visitation it is remarkable that no greater damage was done. The cyclone seemed to leave the surrounding bush unharmed. except the up-rooting of a tree of considerable size near the newhouse. The old house was not dam-< aged at all. THE EXPERIENCE DESCRIBED Mr. A. \ eale, of New Plymouth, who was a visitor to the mountain house, in conversation with a News reporter, said there was a diversity of opinion as to whether it was a cyclone or a whirlwind that caused the damage. Opinions vary, too, as to the direction of the disturbance. some saying it came down the mountain side, others maintaining that it travelled upwards from the radiusline in the direction of the Dawson’s Falls track. The evidence of the damage left in the trail of the distuFbance almost makes “confusion worse confounded,” for whereas the 14ft gable at the centre of the verandah waa lifted bodily over the house and deposited at the back near the embankment, a Ford car, owned by a Wanganui visitor, was blown over the bank, a drop of about ten feet, to the left of the Crow's Nest, in the contrary direction. The first indication that those staying at the old housn had that something unusual was happening was when papers and magazines on the verandah were swept away, and on looking in the direction of the new house roof-iron was seen whirling through the air. The disturbance was accompanied !by a loud, rumbling noise. DAMAGE AT NEW HOUSE. The old house was left unscathed, but an inspection showed that the new house (the North Egmont Hostelry) had suffered considerably. The verardah smashed, all tliat remained being the concrete foundations, ajid wreckage was strewn around in thousands of fragments. The house itself consists of a central portion and two annexes. The annexes wero not injured, but practically all the roof-iron over the central portion was lifted off, so that from inside the sky could be seen through the openings made. Some of the supporting rafters were also smashed, whilst one of the chimney pipes from the diningroom was snapped off. An idea of the force of the wind storm may be obtained when it is stated that some sheets of roof-iron were lifted into the top branches of neighbouring trees, which are about forty feet high. On the track towards the quarry three or four trees were snapped. Several climbers who were ori the higher slopes say they saw a spiral cloud like a oerkscrew, fey which they immediately knew that something was wrong. None of those who were making the ascent were in the track of the storm. When this corkscrew wind reached the mountain house no one direct blow was felt, but a series of what felt like scattered shocks. In fact, the maids in the house thought at first mat it was an earthquake, as the house seemed to sway to and fro. A NARROW ESCAPE. There were about 150 visitors to the mountain yesterday, including some who had spent the week-end there. The day, both before and after the occurrence, was beautifully fine and calm. Climbers say that bright sunshine was experienced after the low-lying clouds had been passed. The telephone line which connects the mountain house with the house at the radius-line was cut. Mr. A. H. Bailey, a New Plymouth taxi-driver, who left the mountain-house just after the wind storm, met another car which was ascending the track near the gorge, and a serious collision was only prevented by the best of good fortune. The rule is that cars can only make the ascent or descent when the track is clear, but as telephonic communication was interrupted the warning could not be given. A car-load of men arrived on the scene later in the afternoon to repair thor damage done.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19220418.2.26

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1922, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
890

SMALL CYCLONE. Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1922, Page 4

SMALL CYCLONE. Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1922, Page 4

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