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HURRICANE AT GERALDTON.
The following official report of tiie
storm at Geraldton has been furnished
to ns for publication : —
Kestdens's Oi&ce. GeraUton. Fcb 13. 1672.
Sin,— It is with the itreaUwt regnrt that I
have to report for the information of Hi*
Sccellencr the Governor tliat this dutriet «?««.
on the tiigfat of the 10th inst.. visited with
what I may most truly describe as a hurricane,
inflicting most serious damage not only ou
private but also on public property.
On that evenia» I iiaj rebooted from
tforthaaipton, and although there «?- Imt
little wind, aud that liule Cromttthe
South, there was heavy rain. Aboat 9 p.m.
Ibe wind eudJenly disused to Korth and e«n
uieaced blowiug in heavy gusts, with the sea
rapidly rising. At (put ten the atom was
at a fearful height, and it was with the oUnost
difficulty that, a little after IL o'clock. I, on
reeei»iug a commuuicatinu from the Sab
Inspector of Fo!i--e. iiifomting me of the
devastation that was going on. tnanazed to c*t
don-n to die police qua'ters and jetty lr.»-n the
Kuaidiiicy !-o gr--at was the lo.t« ot the wiud
that in that 6hort distance I was several U-ws
blown completely across the road, over « hicli
the sea came iu several place*, beiug far huhtr
than ever belore knoaii. It was at that time
expected that tli.t jetty would be Washed away.
Xotbiug whatever could be d;nte uiorv lhau
simply watch the progress of affair*. Wbeu I
left the Iteaidency. my Imrometer wm down to
2938— a fall or about 5 I Oth of on iurfa bavins
taken place in aboat au boar. Providentially,
afioat midui^ht the «^ctreme lory of the storm
di«fatly abated, and tboaih it continued to Mow
heavily until 3 a.m. siill it was n--lhiiig a*
c--mpar--d with its ramug violence from abont
IO o'clock, nnd on XaeUlay moruiug it was
nearly calm. Under Goo'fi good providence no
lives were lost, though at one time it was
tcreatly feared Uut two men who had gone op
tlie coast on Saturday aftenioan iu a dingy bad
been drowned; bat it was touud on sending a
policeman to look after them, ou Monday morn
ing, Uiat they iiad managed to laud before the
gale commence 1. but their boat was dasUeel to
pieces. Ou inspection I found the jetty to be
very seriously injured — tiie fljorin.; torn up;
many of to* beams lifted cut of their plaws and
broken ; n-any of (he capsill* lit'ted completely
off the piles, while tlie shore riid is washed
away. At a moderate estimate I b,-l eve it will
take one hundred pouuds to repair it. Tlie
Chairman of the Mum-i(Mil Coancil informs me
that be has issued au order, and I tliihfc «i«J_»,
that UO vessel be at present allowed to lie along
side. Thrre-foartbs of tiie stone fouudaiiuu
of tba water |iolice boat liou^e. quite lately
Guidied. has lieeu washed anay, and the police
wtfie obliged to kuoek dj-vu t!«sliore«id to
get Uieir boat out. At the saud bilk very
serious damage, as might tie expei-t^d has taken
place, not leu than 6H acres beinj; stripped oi
die bushing. The 'uuht Lantern on the hill
olew out aud was totally- destroyed, so that we
are now uith-ut. a ii:itt at alL Ot private
property injured and destroyed, ihe iollonin^ is
its ai-cnrate a list as Uie police have been able t-.
make out: — At Mr. O..«rtht-rV. part of ware
house unrooted, nwf ot (lwe]liu,r-uou*e'iauiaged
aud half a chain ««f brick wall blo«n clown.
Itoot of Mr. Donrn'i! stor« blown codiple'el*
off. and part of end wall blotvu down i also.
4oods damaged to a considemble amou.it. At
Mr. Grab's, about S cliaiuo of brick wall urashetl
?lowu. Victoria Ho'el, chimney t4owu nway. roo'.
aud ceiling of room damaged. Geral.ltou
Hoti'l. chimney aud flagstaff blown down.
^Villiaai C'arr. staMc roof blowu tiff*. C. Hara
dine, wiill of anfiuisbed dwetliiig-lioiue blown
il'WH. J. Touard. workshop Mono uway.
William Stokes, roof of small cottage blown off.
T. , two partition walls ot servant's
sleeping room fallen in. H. c'resaiek, «^-of ol
workshop blown off. Tlie above are the most
?Htastroas damages in Uemldtnn aloue : as yet I
have been noable to ascertain what lus taken
place iu the country. 1 bear lilac at Uie
Greenough a great deal of loss has «-cfniieJ. bal
1 have no d -nbt Uiat, of ll:a?» the liesidsnl
Magistrate will make H foil ivjort.
Tue Mary Ann, Irom Nicul B y, arrireJ this
(breuoon, mid rejiorts Uiat Uie storm 6lin-:« her
about 1 1 a.m. ou the tsatnrJay nioru;nz. and
that, during a great part of its dnratiidl, slit
was Under lore poles.
1 have. &c..
GKOHGE ELIOT. Rraident.
The Hon. Uie Colouial Secretary. &c . &c Ac.
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