TORNADO IN WESTERN QUEENS LAND.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2197, 18 January 1886, Page 2

TORNADO IN WESTERN QUEENS LAND.

News has been recoived at Brisbane from Actavale, a township abaut 150 miles west of Charlevillo, that a terrible tornado occurred there recently, causing the partial wreck of the place. The violence of the storm was unparalleled in the experience of the oldest residents, The afternoon was unusually sultry, the thermometer registering HOdeg. in the shade. At about half-past i o'clock a dust storm was seen at the edge of the plain, but no special notice was taken of it, this being a common occurrence. The air .was still, but cloudy, with no signs of thunder! However, before people realised the situa-tion,-terrific peals of thunder were heard, followed by blinding flashes of lightning. Tho houses rocked, everything about being blown into the lagoon, Half a minute afterwards the rain came dowi. with'tremendous force. As the tornado swept down tho street verandah posts were torn up or broken and carried through the air, falling sometimes on tho roofs of tho houses. Every verandah in the main street was torn away, and the iron was stripped from nearly every roof. The full force of the hurricane was felt near tho Imperial Hotel, one of the largest and most substantial hotels in the west, which was completely wrecked, being levelled with the ground, except a portion of tho walls. The roof fell, smashing everything. The people inside were saved almost miraculously. _ No loss of life occurred, Sheets of iron were torn to pieces and curled like paper. A piece struck one of Cobb's horses on the shoulder, making a clean cut 15in deep, to the heart, killing tho animal instantly. Had the tornado lasted a few minutes longer there would have been a deplorable loss of life. An inch and a half of rain fell in twenty minutes, flooding the country for a time. The losses are estimated at over £2,000. It is impossible to say how the country fared west of Adavale, as communication in the vicinity was stopped. A water famine was feared at Adavale, and the rain therefore is welcome. Sheets of iron have been picked up oy;er, a mile from the town.

(Advt.)