THE MAURITIUS GALE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3102, 2 June 1892, Page 2

THE MAURITIUS GALE.

a T)K':\ytlkd acch'xt. (iiv kuvtiuc ti:i.].i:::.m'h. --roi'viiiMin. A!.;s\:;v. ".1.-y :;i pKTAM.s iii 1 lii. sijvi'f" ■ ;■■:• ■; .'. i;i -'.i visit"l! Mauritius a;v al. h:::id. A third of .Nt L'uiisw;is;imii:iiln.!<:l. Countless houses and Diibiic buildings, incliiil' (1 '2-I chuivhis. were r,i/"'l, inel the. greater part of the sugar crop was destroyed. It is estimated iii;tt 2~>, (M0 pcotile have been rendered homeless. There was no indication in the morning of the approach of the. storm, but at noon Ihe wind increased Id the rate of (IS miles per hour, with terrilie squalls. Still no damage wu< done. At half-past two p.m. there was a lull for an hour, when suddenly the wind veered round to the S.W., and and a hissing noise, was heard, followed by a squall of wind of treoiomlous snood, which Innst Lite a clap of thunder, causing fearful vibra tions of buildings. Squall followed squall in quick succession, and the rate the wind was blowing was 128 miles an hour. The sights in the streets were of n horrible nature, as buildings began to fall. The. wind soon abated, and within an hour reliof parties were out. The debris catching fiie was a new element of destruction, and many of the wounded in the falling buildings weiv burned to death. The estimated damage to buildings is a million rupees, and to sugar crops fourteen million rupees The damage to the country is assessed at two million rupees.