Damage
p. 26 · Read in the full issue
Cook Is. Storm
Aitutaki Suffers Heaviest Losses
From Our Own Correspondent.
Rarotonga, Mar. 24.
THE Resident Commissioner of the Cook Is., Judge H. F. Ayson, C.M.G., on his return from a tour of the Lower Group immediately after the recent hurricane, reported that the island of Aitutaki had suffered the heaviest damage, about 95 per cent, of the orange and 50 per cent, of the kumura crops were lost, in addi tion to the total loss of all taro, yam, arrowroot, banana, and breadfruit plant ings.
Sixty-four stone and wooden houses with iron roofs were demolished, making, with the native built dwellings destroyed, a total of 123 homes completely wrecked.
The wharf, school, and other Government property also suffered considerable dam age, several detached classrooms being blown down by the wind. Mountainous seas swept all the motus along the reef, washing away thousands of coconut trees and completely changing the formation of these islets, many of which are now covered by several feet of sand.
Relief food supplies were left by the Matai, the supply being augmented by a very substantial gift of taro, kumura, arrowroot, etc., cuttings sent over by rhe people of Mangaia, which island, inciden tally, experienced the least damage of all.
The islands of Mauke and Atiu were comparatively fortunate, the crop losses being respectively 50 and 30 per cent. In both places the approach to the main landing and a number of dwellings were damaged either by the sea or the high
winds. On Mitiaro there was a very heavy loss of orange, banana, coconut, and all domestic plantings. So much so that in view of a threatened shortage, relief supplies were landed from the ship.
At Palmerston—that isle of plausible opportunists who have never yet been known to be in any state other than that of “extreme privation”—the roof of the L.M.S. church was blown away and a large number of coconut trees destroyed.
The loss of the church roof is a serious matter, since it formed the principal catchment area for the island’s fresh water. That such a limited supply is sufficient may possibly be explained by the fact that ever since the wreck of a French barque carrying a cargo of mixed wines the Islanders have lost interest in H2O.