The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-12-16
Great Damage by
Storm in the
South.
FOUR MEN DIE
IN AUSTRALIA
Melbourne Loses Heavily in the
Matter of Glass and Goods.
How the Storm Ragged.

lhtiDpuTne ddNlCeS nv Jna la-I steam
or give interesc Ing irtaiIs - ;he raw
ages of the hailsto~m wnicn swcpt ever
that city and the sur cunning country
In all four deaths 1:e reported as due
to the storm. Many others were fatally
injured and there was tremend Gus
slaughter OF ANIMALS. The loss by the
breaking of w:n Dvs was enormous.
and incidental damage - stocks of
goods will reach into the hundreds f
thousands Of doijus
Mr.. w. G. Pelco.E. in i Letter cr3m
his brothe:. received information .ha-
in the firms rdc.,iy alone above 2Oco
panes OF glass were broken. In addition
/ there was much damage through tho
flooding of the works % the company.
The letter said the Geash roll would be
four or more and >ai1 that at the fac
tory some of Tie hail stones measured
two inches in liame-er.
The Melbourne Age in is report Of
the storm of Nov. lin. says. Al abou,
/ 80 there was a tremau 1prs squat. fol-
lowed at o'clock by the hailstcrm. Tn,.
! hail descended in perfect fusiladc,
and of a size whieh is oriy inadequate
I " described by the usually exaggerated
description Of pigeons eggs" The
stones ranged up to 1I4 inch in diam
eter by actual measurement, or AZ
inches in circumference Iany cf them
were as large as hens'eggs, some were
even larger. The streets were crowded
at the time by people vending their
way from business to the railway sta
ton and to the trans. and i, is needless
to say that there was an immedia e
stampede for shelter to escape the mer-
CHESS bombardment. Verandas, door
ways and every available refuSe were
crowded. The horses in the streets be
came exceedingly FESTIVE under the pit
less pelting of the hail, ana one saga
cious animal, when he'd been attached
by its storm bound owner to veranda
post in Collins street sought the friend
~ shelter of the Veranda where it s:ood
patiently till the storm had ceased
Amid the rattle of the hail the crash
of breaking glass could be heard IT all
directions The streets were trans
formed into sheets of glstenng white,
while people watched with excited in
terest the unprecedented spectacle. The
storm lasted for about a quarte- Of all
hour. and when it had subsidized the Ell
ugees came out from their places Of
shelter and the streets We're again peo-
pied. But the covering of hail mace C
comotion difficult.
OF public institutions the Public Lii
brary suffered most, the icy shower
beating in from the westward drove in ;
the skylights in the Queens Hall gal |
lery along its whole length, completely |
destroying them. Though the roof !
lights in the library are composed of
plate glass. an eighth of an inch thick. !,
and solidly set in leaden frames, ii had /.
no chance of resisting the force OF the |
furious fusillade directed against It. |
Large irregular shaped pieces of ,ce /,
came hurting through, carrying with I
them panes and pieces of sharp edged /
glass and fra gments of frame down on /
to the tables below. It soon became e. !
ident 10 the students within that the II !
brary was no place for them. and :
general retreat VAS effected to the Sc
curity afforded by the lower floors. A !
number of windows were broken in 9TH |
none Of the valuable contents-bookS, |
pictures, art curios or chronological !
specimens-were Injured. 1t will be nee
essary to replace practically the whole
of the roof lights in the Queens Hal
for the glass still standing Is
nearly all cracked and just hanging
together Some of the thick heavy glass
looks exactly as though perforated by
bullet the holes made being perfectly
spherical. proving that the missile
which made them was propelled with
force. on account of he
danger from the overhanging frag-
ments of glass and the deluged floors.
the library authorities considered il adj
visable to exclude the public for the
rest Of the evening. The Fire Brigade
salvage corps secured the library roofs
rom further damage. by covering them
With tarpaulins.
few minutes before the storm
broke over the city many people were
rresistibIy attracted by the appearance
# a large cloud. electric blue in color.
n the western sky. Almost immediate
v afterwards the atmosphere seemed
% he surcharged with electricity, AID
lightning scintillated at short intervals
gaiDst the windows of railway trains
and dwellings. Gradually the cloud
anne overhead. and the storm burS--
rhe hail ala not fall steadily at first.
1ut great pieces of ice Of varied shapes.
.ome round. like acid drops. and others
Ike hen eggs with one end chopped oft.
descended at wide intervals Falling
IN the extensive corrusated iron roofs
# the railway stations. they res aniblci
tones thrown by a host Of small h'-
,r the sound Of pompoms on the field
= hn--l. The stnrrn eat,l-.L II in VIC