Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954), Sunday 7 December 1913, page 2


THE CORRIGIN STORM

A GRAPHIC ACCOUNT

Considerable Damage Suffered

A lot has been written concerning the havoc wrought by the Quairading storm, but little has been said of the ill-effects suffered at Corrigin, on the Wickepin-Merredin railway. Mr. Curlewis has receive the following inter-

esting rêport from his agent át Corrigin

On Saturday Novmember 22, at about 8pm. a terrible hailstorm broke over Corrigin. The storm area was from 12 to 15,miles wide, and came from N.N.W. to S.S.E. -The hailstorm con-

tinued for some 25 minutes, some of the hailstones being an inch in diameter. The storm was accompanied by a hur-ricane wind and followed by a deluge of rain.. My rain-gauge was knocked down by the hail and wind, but re-set. The estimate, therefore, of 350 points may not be exact but it is, as nearly correct as I could judge by the quantity of hailstones and water in the upset measure under the gauge and

flood waters.

"All crops (standing) within the area of the storm were knocked down and destroyed haystacks were part-

ly demolished and soaked with rain.

stocks of hay in the field's, were soak-ed and many washed away. From those

stocks left standing, the ears of wheat were stripped off. All grass in pad- docks was washed out and generally

carried away. Fences in low lying

places were destroyed, the soil in the

gullies washed out, new gulies form-

ed and silt deposited everywhere a catchment afforded. Much 'fallow ground will have to be re-ploughed.

The- townsite'" Corrigin (Dóndakin)

was. two feet tinder water (and. of.

-course,' jn- places .much moré) for a j

time, and].-all résidents' were ./bonipelied

to seek" shelter" iii".one partially-ele- j vated store, land .they experienced.ire-' mendpus "..difficulty in Teaching there. Many buildings, in th«' township and much personal property were washed away.- A surveyor's camp-was blown to pieces and his property scattered. [ The Storni did not'entirely pass away

for some 50 minutes.

"This was easily the most violent storm I have experienced during my sojourn in this district" (from June, I 1906). From Monday, '24th,. to Sat-urday, 29th, the weather was* hot and oppressive,' reaching 110 degrees in the shade, and one.night '98 degrees, at 9 p.m. The barometer (Corrigin House is- about 1000 feet above sea level) varied during the week from

I 28.8 to "29.2, and on Saturday stood

at 29. The limits of variation of ray barometer* are, approximately, 28.5 (very low) to 29.6 (very high).

"All the farmers within the storm area who" had crops (generally- in-sured- against fire only) will lose the proceeds expected, and the crops' were generally very good. A gi-eat deal of hay. has been lost, and most of the grass."