TERRIBLE HAIL STROM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2549, 15 March 1887, Page 2

TERRIBLE HAIL STROM.

• ,;F rom tlio Jpayle&ford Herald (Victbria), we clip the following account of a destructive; hail' Storm that passed over the; .town;"• on February 26: ," Towards three o'clock olouda of inky lilackneßs commenced to roll up, and' the flashes of lightning .were very vivid. The. wind howled: furious)?; ;«°rojng : orraih'be^ of aboattwo inches when ..they caiae in ;,contflCt,fjt I h;aiiy,flbj(»ot()n'the ground; then ;followed;;h6il: theviue of::,what' boys cajl peajiilies j to' full sized marbles, to be gradually larger nntil.pigepn's eggs,;fowl's, duck, goose, and* emu J eggs were dwarfed Irregular pieces resembling minature icebergs commenced falling, measuring as much' as nine inchetfbjWk across, with thundering slate roofs, and driving every'onVwho could obtain it into shelter. Horses bolted and rottfe appeared to be goinij mad, The visitation wag sharp, but whiloil lasted very severe, The damage .-. dona c«nnot,at, present,.be* estimated, . v^l|^comiiiginto think ',thfti some foreign iuradisqr 'povrerhas been shelling the town- from Mount . Franklin oraopeother.polnto?Vantage ! to.th , eaortH.' ; Th« post «&&'& the ■ Victoria-Btireet frontage has lost four, i teon-large squares of glass (halfwjrj. .' ddwß);a : s|mUar r namber r ''of'' : tb9 aamo issued panes have; beeii)..demolished in of the other banks suffered more than the windows, asthey have none faoiagthf north. The'churches have boen.rou«hiv handled; The Wesleyanhgahe : stained glass window, over the organ, very badly out about. The slate roof has .dnehole-in-.it that a man.-,could"Easily" get through, besides''several "smaller 1 ones. The schoolroom in oonneotion with the church presents a reredesefted appearance. It'has lancet windows glazed with diamond-.shaped,. panes in lead framing, with iron strengthening ban. These windows are completjy . riddled, awl the framinglcrioeked'about in all directions. The ..roof resembles the top of a pepper castor, slates being perforated in all directions, The parsonage verandah saved the windows there. The English Church haa not received such a knocking about, but a quantity of glazing will require to be undertaken also repairs to the roof. The; Catholic church roof almost wants relating. It stands unprotected and received the full force of the storm, and slateß could not bo expected to stand before falling icebergs. "Tbe Castle"—-the Presbytery-- also .suffered damage to the windowa having a northerly aspect. The Bible Christian church windows and roof were also injured, as was also one of the windows in the parsonage. The Court-house wasunglazed, aawaa also'Bt. Peter's school. The window-gashes in the side of the Town- Hall are minus of : glass, The .-Hospital suffered in the roof and the lantern of. tho operating room.' The State-school escaped with only four broken squares, but no doubt the slate too! will require attention. Above the -"da Iter of the Jailing bail in the. neighborhood «l the : Fire Brigade Station could be heard l the note of the fire-ball as it was. from : time to time struck by lumps of ice." '- ! After devoting about two eolamns, ■ describing the damago done to - the town, the report.fluithed thus .--"The Jason mentioned-- are only a few of those Tyhich-oeenrrod, but will i-show how severe the visitation was. In fact •niiieouß of ten houeeholderg require the-Bemotti ; of the' glaziers.- For a couple of hoars; after' the .'fall'had .9«??^r carpenters' ancl.'tinsmiths had a lively time'.of 'it ,'ap- windows, andpntfcingion sheete;pfiron as'temporary covers, and till long; after dark the clatter of hammers could bn beard. ' The only fatal results which we have heard of occurred to the goats, %me, <k Lot us hope this was «ll, : .bnt we fear we are hoping against hope." -,' ;: