TORNADO IN CUNNAMULLA

On Sunday night at about 11 o’clock clouds commenced to gather up, on account of the excessive heat during the day. By the look of the clouds no one thought for a moment that the town would be a total wreck before the morning dawned.

When all were slumbering in their virtuous couch at about 3 a.m. on Monday morning a terrific storm broke over the town accompanied by wind, hail, and rain, which only lasted for about half-an hour.

At first it was thought that Cunnamulla was to be supplied with copious rains, but the wind gradually increased in force, and in about twenty minutes after the storm had broke the wind was terrific and was blowing at the rate of 60 miles an hour, carrying everything before it. Roofs of houses were blown in all directions, while timber and iron were strewn in heaps in the main thoroughfare.

The tornado came over the town and wrecked it before the people perceived the precarious position they were in. Three or four private dwellings were levelled to the ground. One dwelling in which Mr. Tottell and his wife were living collapsed before they had time to escape, and Mrs. Tottell received a severe wound to the side of the head, and had to be taken to the hospital next morning.

How the people escaped without loss of life seems to be a miracle, as sheets of iron and pieces of timber were flying in all directions, and roofs uplifted and falling in. Next morning the town appeared a total wreck, iron lying in all directions.

The following buildings have suffered most : — Mr. M’Guigan’s bulk store is a total wreck, the whole of the roof uplifted ; the large store is apparently damaged and also the private residence ; the Club Hotel, kept by Mr. Sharp, has the roof taken off and the walls are destroyed and also the outbuildings; the shoemaker’s shop and residence levelled to the ground: Mr Murphys store and Storey’s commission agent’s office were unroofed and the outbuildings of the store were blown down.

The new court house was utterly destroyed, but the old building remained untouched; the police barracks was badly damaged ; Pearce’s hotel had the roof taken off, the chimney falling in and the walls of the building considerably damaged, all the outhouses were a total wreck. The Post Office, Yatham’s brewery, school house, play shed and schoolmaster’s residence were slightly damaged. D Carter’s Hotel was greatly damaged, the dining room was one mass of debris; Warner’s out store was stripped of its roof, and his private residence and kitchen greatly shaken ; the Queensland Bank, was slightly damaged and the private house shared the same fate; the Commercial bank building is very much shaken and greatly warped. Cobb’s stables were totally wrecked, the iron blown away about 300 yards, nothing being left but the relics of the stable.

Six horses were in the stable at the time but they escaped unhurt. The School of Arts and Divisional Board were slightly damaged. The top story of an hotel owned in intestacy was blown clean off the lower frame, leaving the other part a mass of ruin.

The Post and Telegraph office was the only building that escaped the disaster. The gardens suffered greatly, and the town was a complete mass of ruin on Monday morning. The rainfall amounted to only 0.6 in. Business has been entirely suspended.