TOWNSVILLE, March 9, 11.40 p.m.

At midnight last night the wind suddenly hitter from the north to north-west. Sunday was hot and dry, and the night very oppressive. This morning a stiff breeze was blowing from the north-west, but nothing exceptional was noticed till 10, when the wind increased in force. The barometer fell rapidly. At 11 o’clock it was blowing a gale, and at 12 a hurricane was raging, and continued till 1 o’clock. Then the barometer fell still lower, and the wind swooped round from the south-east. The barometer at a quarter-past 2 was 28.956 in.,which was the lowest reached.

Every part of the town and suburbs suffered terrible damage. The English cathedral and rectory, the new Catholic church, the Grammar School, the School of Arts, and the Queen’s Hotel (old and new buildings) were severely damaged. Buildings in every locality were unroofed. Seven hotels from the Newmarket corner tothe causeway were damaged, and two demolished. Iron was twisted and blown about like paper, and the streets were strewn with debris.

Hundreds of people rendered homeless are sheltered in warehouses and offices and hotels. The Baptist Church collapsed. In the North Ward and Hermit Park the greatest damage was done, and it is difficult to discover a building uninjured.

Many awful instances of suffering are reported. Flinders-street was dangerous

from flying iron, and innumerable cases, of accident are at the hospital.  The Boys’ Grammar School is reported to have collapsed, and one boy is missing. Telephone and telegraph wires are hanging in the street.

By 4 o’clock the storm gradually abated. The rain has ceased ; in fact, it never was heavy. Ross Creek was like a surging sea. It is impossible to estimate the damage, but the

rescuers at the hospital include Colonels Chauvel, Tunbridge, Sub-inspector Quilter,

the police, and the Garrison Battery Artillery.

A heartrending disaster occurred at the hospital. At the Harvey ward, a two storied detached building, Dr. Bacot, fearing the destruction of the premises, ordered the removal of the typhoid patients from the top story. Shortly afterwards the roof was blown away. Then, when the gale was at its fiercest between 1 and 2 p.m., the 14in. brick wall collapsed, burying the patients on the ground floor, eight persons perishing in the ruins. All the outbuildings were levelled with the ground. No food was cookable at the hospital since  breakfast. The roof was blown off the Samaritan Ward, and the covered way was demolished. The verandahs are strewn all over the ten acres comprising the hospital ground.

The destruction is far in excess of that caused by ” Sigma.”

The city is completely stunned by the disaster which overtook it on Monday afternoon, and (by the heavy losses involved. The destruction of private as well as public property has been terrible, andso many private houses have been destroyed that large numbers of people are homeless. Townsville this morning presented a most depressing appearance, and numbers of people were roaming about gazing at the demolished buildings, and the debris of galvanised iron, timber, and other material, and discussing the dreadful

experiences of the previous day. Additional horror was lent to the surroundings by the discovery of two bodies amongst the ruins of demolished houses, thus increasing the list of fatalities to eleven, no less than eight persons having perished in the collapse of the Harvey Ward of the Hospital.

The necessities of sufferers and refugees from Hermit Park and the North Ward and other portions of the city and suburbs early attracted attention, and the Mayor

(Alderman W. Ackers) called a meeting of the Municipal Council this morning to consider the steps which should be taken for the relief of distress.  The Mayor telegraphed to the Premier (Hon. R. Philp), asking for assistance ; and the Police Magistrate (Mr. Boyce) also

telegraphed to the head of his department, asking authority to render temporary assistance to those in distress, and to provide shelter for the homeless, who number some hundreds.

Both from the loss of life involved and from the destruction of property the collapse of the Harvey Ward of the hospital is the most serious event of the calamitous storm. The death roll amongst the unfortunate patients amounts, as already stated, to eight persons, and there is a fear that others may yet succumb to their injuries.

The victims were—Hugh McDonald. H. Burford, Kennedy, O’Brien, Charles Moores, William Oliver, Hans Thorensen, and Walter Evans.

Nurse Evans, who sustained a broken leg, compressed fracture of the skull, and other

injuries whilst bravely doing her duty, is reported to be doing well; but the boy Willie Herrington, aged 8 who was dragged from beneath the ruins with his arm all

but crushed off, underwent amputation of the limb this morning, but his condition is such that he is not expected to survive.

The total damage to the hospital buildings, including the demolished ward and covered ways is estimated at 8000 pounds.During the violence of the storm there were many narrow escapes from death through falling timber and flying sheets of iron and no place seemed altogether free from danger. So far as can be ascertained to-day, accidents of a more or less serious,character befit some twenty persons, and many or these had to be treated at the hospital in spite of the reduced accommdation now available.

At the Cluden Park Racecourse the damage to buildings was very severe. The grandstand and stewards’ stand were blown down, and the roof was torn off the St. Leger stand, representing altogether a loss or £2000 to the Townsville Turf Club. Many cottages on the Idalia Estate, adjoining the racecourse, were demolished.

It was learned to-day that several buildings in connection with the Ross River Meat Works had been unroofed. As stated yesterday, great destruction was wrought in various parts of the city amongst business promises and public buildings.

A feeling of Intense relief was occasioned by the intelligence that the harbour works, which have cost an enormous sum of money, had escaped without damage. The force of the gale, however, drove the steamers Wodonga and Barcoo from their moorings last night, and they both drifted on to a sandbank within the harbour, fortunately uninjured, so far as is known.

The Wodonga, it is said, lies in 3ft. of water, and the Barcoo, which is just at the stern of the other steamer, has her bow on a mud bank, whilst her stern remains afloat. When the Barcoo broke away she carried a portion of the wharf with her, tearing out the fastenings and beams to which she had been secured, so terrific was the force of the gale.

The steam tender Baratta, which, as already reported, was blown out to sea during the height of the storm, returned to Townsville this morning in safety. The lighter Alexandra is ashore on the rocks near the pilot station.