TIDAL WAVE AND HURRICANE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7986, 15 March 1906, Page 5

TIDAL WAVE AND HURRICANE.

PARTICULARS OF THE DISASTER IN THE SOCIETY ISLANDS. AUCKLAND, March 14'. Tho Taviuui, which arrived thisr morning, brir.ES particulars of the hurricane and tidal wave at the Society and Paumotu islands. The first indication received at Tahiti was a falling barometer on the 6th instant, followed by an increasing sea. By the ovening of the 7th the sea was breaking the foreshore road, and at midnight houses on the strand had to be evacuated amid great confusion and screaming women. The residents, with the plucky assistance of the natives, made higher ground, but by about 7 o'clock on the morning of the Bth the seas had reached the maximum height, «nd houses that withstood the earlier assaults were washed over entirely or broken piecemeal. A subsiding sea was followed by a sudden cyclone at 8 o'clock, which levelled trees in the park like a tiring party. It lasted but a few minutes, but another cyclone came along later. The only white casualty reported on the island was the drowning of M. Lebolooh, a caretaker on a small island in the harbour.

Papeete itself suffered to the extent "of £120,000, and the whole island to the extent of £IBO,OOO. Three schooners are believed to have been lost at aea during" the cyclone. The small islands of Varo and Hikueru are said to have disappeared. The seas swept right over many of the islands, the natives 'taking refuge in the oocoanut trees. Six lives were lost, .including Father Paul, Catholic missionary, who after holding out some hours in a tree fell into the waves and was drowned. Ninety-five persons were drowned on Anaa Island, where the once beautiful district of Tuiraire was swept away. At Motutonga' six deaths are reported. Two native divers are said to have saved their lives by swimming twelve hours in a lagoon and divine under the big waves. It will be some time bfore the full extent of the damage on the Paumotuaiskno»u.

AN APPALLING VISITATION. DEATH OP A CATHOLIC PRIEST. . AUCKLAND, March 14. Further particulars of the Tahiti disaster show that h addition to the devastatioa at Papeete, much greater havoc was wrought in the Paumotu Islauds. The disaster was far-reacbing on Anaa Island aud ninety-five persons lost their lives. Most of tbern were natives, while twelve were seriously injured. In the whole island there are only three houses left to shelter about 500 survivors. Six deaths have been re-, corded from Hikueru, and a few were injured. This island was badly ravaged; in fact aa bad as in the' cyclone of Jauuary, 1902. There is only one house left standing in the village. There were six deaths at Motutonga. Everything on this island was swept away, aud nothing was left but stones, where before wao a smiling village. A small cutter that was badly damaged was the means of saving the lives of 36 inhabitants. Only one house is left standing at Takarava, and muob damage vas done by the wind. Six lives were lost at Taaia. The Catholo missionary, Father Paul, priest, and a young German, managed to climb a cocoanut tree where they held on for many hours, but at last the strength of the priest gave way, and be fell in the waves. The young German, Mr Sonaob, was saved on February 27th. The outter belonging to Captain Peters, a Paumotu trader, arrived at Papeete from Tikebau, bringiug news that toe island had been devastated. Mr J. L. Young, of the firm of Henderson and MoFarlane, states that from the information he has received it does not seem probable that the total loss will exoeed £50,000.