ROUGH WEATHER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8547, 3 October 1907, Page 5

ROUGH WEATHER.

A FIERCE GALE. A fierce gale from the north-west set in about seven o'clock, yesterday morning,and continued with unabated fury until towards evening, when it eased somewhat. During the early part of the forenoon the wind was accompanied by a heavy downfall of rain. Many pieces of fencing were blown down, and a number of trees in gardens and orchards round the town were uprooted. • A large branch of a tree fell across a telephone line on the Upper Plain road, % near Mr Gawith's residence, and completely broke the line in two. On the Upper Plain part of the roof of a house in course of construction was carried away. Windows in some cases were blown in, and a skylight in the Ex- J change Buildings was broken to pieces. A shed in Dixon Street, belonging to Messrs Collie and Co., had its roof carried away. Round Mauriceville the gale seems to have wrought considerable damage, as reports have come to hand of the roofs of houses being blown off' and chimneys blown down. The telegraph line near Kopuaranga was broken and a lineman had to be sent from Masterton to effect repairs. Telegraphic communication was interrupted, yesterday, owing to the wires being twisted in many places. The local office had a difficulty in transmitting telegrams to Wellington, while during the early part of the day no communication could be obtained with the South Island at all. The gale in the Bush district, yesterday, was the worst experienced for years, and considerable damage was done. Chimneys were blown down, trees uprooted, windows blown in, and telegraphic communication was interrupted to a considerable extent. The new additions to the Commercial Hotel, Pahiatua, suffered by the force of the wind, and about thirty feet of the parapet was blown down across tho telephone wires in front of the hotel, breaking them. The damage is estimated at between £4O and £SO. Mr C. 81-wett, the conrtactor, is a heavy loser. During the morning heavy rain fell, and the rivers are in flood. The passengers by train north and south had unpleasant experiences, the carriages rocking in an alarming manner. The gale blew with considerable violence at Pongaroa, on Tuesday night, the Manufacturers' Direct Importing Company's premises suffering considerably. Our Carterton correspondent writes: —A westerly gale of exceptional violence sprang up, on day night, and continued throughout* yesterday with unabated fury. At Belvedere a cyclist was blown from his machine when crossing the bridge, and narrowly escaped falling into the river. The steeple of St. Mary's Church rocked violently, and it waa feared at the height of the gale that it would fall to the ground. The corrugated iron roofing of a house in Clifton Avenue was torn off and deposited in a neigbour's yard. Several narrow escapes from accidents are reported. A child, on its way to cshoo.l at Clareville, was> blown right off its feet and caught in a wire fence on the side of the road, and could not regain its feet without the assistance of a passer-by. Trees were uprooted and much damage was done to orchards. Heavy driving showers of rain fell at intervals. By Telegraph—Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, October 2. The severest north-west gale for years was experienced at Amberley to-day. Considerable damage wrs done. The window of the railway station was blown in, and trees broken and uprooted in all directions. Many private residences suffered; chimneys were blown down, windows smashed, and roofs blown off. Telegraph polts are down, and the ser vice is interrupted. The weather cleared up at noon.