THE WEATHER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1942, 12 September 1889, Page 3

THE WEATHER.

TBMUKA. The gale, to which reference was made in our last issue, did a good deal of damage throughout the district. Besides the damage already published we learn that it blew in the big door of the Temuka drill shed, and then shifted the south side of the shed completely off the piles. It was repaired on the following day, and is now as good as ever, The tanks at Mr J. Brown’s private residence were also blown dow, as well as a windmill at Mr Findlay’s. One of the chimneys in the district high school fell through the roof and damaged the floor. Another chimney was blown down at Mr Cutten’s, two at Mr Lee’s, and one at Mr Scanaell’s. The verandah in front of Mr J. Beri’s shop was completely destroyed. Part of the roof of an old forge, lately occupied by Mr D. Henry, was blown off. The iron fence around the Bank of New Zealand succumbed, and the roof of a shed at the back of Mr W. Storey’s shop was lifted bodily and taken across three sections. On its way it met a large tree which it broke and ripped into splinters. The roof of the Royal Hotel suffered to some exl.ntj Mr Clark’s implement shed

was damaged; Mr Quinn’s 6-stall stable at the Levels was shattered to pieces; a shed at Mr Hopkinson’s, and another at Mr Demuth’s were blown down; a sheep feeder belonging to Mr J. Hoi well was destroyed, while others in the same paddock remained uninjured. A good deal of damage was done on Mr Samuel Cain’s farm, his stable and implement shed being blown down, and the engine shed at Messrs Aspinall and Co.’s mill succumbed. Some damage was also done at the Linseed Factory, A large number of trees were thrown down, including about seventy in the Temuka Park, and fences suffered considerably. Straw stacks were blown down all over the country, and one could not see a fence which was not entwined with vagrant straws next morning. On the whole it was ene of the most destructive gales, while it lasted, experienced in the district for many years. On Tuesday the weather was fine, but towards nightfall it came on to rain, and during the night it came down pretty steadily. Splendid, fine, soft, warm rain fell all day on Wednesday, and had no appearance of clearing off last night when we went to press, The rain now is very seasonable and very welcome, and a day or two more of it would do a lot of good, as it was very much wanted.

GERALDINE,

At Geraldine the wind did a considerable amount of damage to paling and picket fences, also overturning numbers of small outhouses. One or two chimneys were blown down, fortunately without doing any damage. Messrs A. White, E. Taylor, W. Crafer, J. Eiordan, and T, Herlihy each had a stable destroyed. In Mr Crafer’s case a horse which he bad left in the stable managed by some means to escape when the stable was razed to the ground, and was afterwards found quietly feeding, unhurt. Several houses and sheds were partly unroofed. At the Bank of New Zealand a window was blown in, while at the Bank of New &outh Wales a portion of the plaster in the new addition was shaken down. The large Volunteer Hall is also canted somewhat out of the upright. The roar of the wind in the bush at the hack of the township was terrific. A considerable amount of damage has been done here, an examination showing that some forty trees, many of them being large ones, have been blown down. The gardens in the district suffered somewhat, but being so early in the season and very little blossoms being on the trees the damage is not very great. The quantity of dust and shingle driven before the wind was astonishing. In some places where the soil had not been removed from the side of the newly-constructed water race the work was filled in again to the depth of three or four inches. At Orari the settlers seem to have felt the full force of the gale, or, according to the opinion of nautical men, hurricane. The stables belonging to the Geraldine Eacing Club were demolished, and the materials deposited in Mr Earl’s paddock adjoining. The grand stand was also injured. Several sheets of iron were carried from there to the railway station. On the Eaukapuka station nearly all the stacks had their tops blown off, while loose stacks of straw everywhere were scattered to the winds. At Breadley’s hotel a window with its frame was blown clean out of the brickwork. By ten o’clock the gale, which those dear old fibbers the “ oldest inhabitants ” state was the hardest ever known in the district, had apparently blown itself out, and rain commenced to fall heavily and continued to do so for some time. On Tuesday evening a heavy soaking rain began to fall about nine o’clock, and continued all yesterday.

TIMARU.

At Timaru a great deal of damage was done, one of the local papers estimating it at between £4OOO and £SOOO. The principal instances of damage mentioned are the partial unroofing of the Catholic boys’ 'school, the Timaru Milling Company’s Mill, and the Hospital; one wall of the Columbia Hint was blown iu j a cob house in Sandietown belonging t® Mrs Low was destroyed by fire caused by the door being blown in, and the upsetting ot a kerosene lamp ; a house on Wai-iti Eoad was razed to the ground with the exception of two walls; the Grand Stand of the S.O.A.A: Club was partly unroofed, the windows blown in, and otherwise damaged. Numerous stables and outhouses were blown down, and the destruction of windows and fences was very great.

In the Ashburton district considerable damage was done. One of the end walls of the Boys High School, a brick building, fell out owing to the vibration of the building. A Catholic church in course of construction at Methven is reported to have been demolished. A good deal of the roof of the N.Z.L. and M.A. Company’s store was blown off, and the main street was littered with sheets of galvanised iron, Blacksmiths’ shops at Tinwald and Wakanui, and the grain shed at Westerfield station, were wrecked. Many chimneys were blown down. Some windows in shops and many private houses were blown in. Great damage was done to the newlysown crops.

Considerable damage was aoue to the telegraph lino and communication was interrupted both North anu «outh.

The noted quality of the Coffee made in the Cafua of (Turkey, France, and America is chiefly due to the fact that only Freeh Boasted Coffee is used ; bo that none of the volatile oil and other essentials are lost. Ask your grocer for Anderson’s Coffee, and you will have a beverage alike refreshing and i imulating, as it is fresh roasted and ground at the factory, Tiraaru.—[Adtt. 2J