["Cyclone at Onslow", The West Australian, Thursday 30 December 1897, page 5]

CYCLONE AT ONSLOW.

MUCH DESTRUCTION DONE.

Intelligence of a terribly destructive hurricane at Onslow reached Perth yesterday. During the morning Col. Phillips, the Commissioner of Police, received a telegram from Constable R. H. Pilmer, who is stationed at Onslow, to the effect that on Tuesday the town was visited by a terrific storm. From this message it appears that the police buildings, the residency, and all private buildings were more or less damaged, the derrick belonging to the artesian bore destroyed, the hospital partially unroofed, and the new jetty almost totally destroyed. Mr. F. Inkpen, the postmaster at Onslow, yesterday forwarded the following telegram to Mr. R. A. Sholl, the Postmaster-General, in reference to the storm, which confirms the report received by the Commissioner of Police:--"A hurricane passed over the town yesterday. The old residents say it was one of the worst seen here. The barometer had been falling steadily for some days, and read yesterday at 8 a m., 29.492, and at 10.30 a.m. 28.804. Every house in town was more or less damaged. The new hospital roof had about fifty sheets of iron ripped off. The derrick at the bore was destroyed. Almost the whole of the decking of the new jetty was stripped and the piles were lifted. The building at the jetty which had bean used as a boarding house was laid to the ground. Not much damage was done to the telegraph buildings. The rainfall was 2.34in. The weather seems to have cleared up.

THE S.S. ALBANY IN THE STORM.

Mr. W. E. Moxon, manager of the Adelaide S.S. Company at Fremantle, last evening received a telegram from Captain O. Odman, of the s s. Albany, stating that that steamer reached Onslow at noon yesterday, 36 hours overdue. The Albany met the full force of the cyclone when bearing Anchor Island, close to the port of Onslow, and had to put to sea to ride out the gale. Captain Odman states that the wind was terrible in its violence. The sea rose mountains high, and repeatedly swept the decks of the steamer. A quantity of deck cargo was carried away by the first of the heavy

seas which broke over her. After contending with the gale for over twenty-four hours, the steamer put into Onslow, arriving, as stated, in a dilapidated condition. Mr. Moxon expects to receive intelligence that the s.s. Lubra, which is on her way southwards, has also experienced the violence of the gale.