78
14
the probable loss, but in the light of previous experience it seems likely to be heavy though unevenly distributed. A series of photographs of fields in the more severely damaged areas is annexed.*
9. As will be seen from the Police report the loss of life involved was fortunately not great it was indeed astonishingly small con- sidering the number of houses demolished and the amount of debris of all sorts, including thousands of fallen trees, lying on the ground after the storm. Excellent work was done by the Medical staff in hospitals and elsewhere and by the Police in rescuing people from exposure during the hurricane. I have already brought to Your Lordship's notice the services of some of those who were most prominent in this work, but there are many others who did excellent service whose names have not been obtained.
Among Medical Officers special mention should be made of the work of Dr. Jocelyn Maingard, Government Medical Officer of Plaines Wilhems, and Dr. Roger Pilot, Government Medical Officer, Moka, and Resident Medical Officer at Moka Hospital. I attach a copy of a report by Dr. Maingard which gives a vivid picture of the conditions in Curepipe and neighbourhood. Dr. Pilot at Moka had equally severe conditions to contend with. Several of the wards were unroofed or otherwise damaged and many patients had to be transferred during the storm to safer quarters through a courtyard flooded with water and littered with debris of all sorts, including a considerable quantity of iron roofing sheets which are especially dangerous in the high winds of a cyclone. Dr.. Pilot was admirably supported by the hospital staff headed by the Matron, Mrs. H. Brunning. I visited this Hospital on Sunday morning the 8th March, and found every remaining dry spot crowded with patients, lying in many cases on the floors or on improvised couches. The Hospital was subsequently evacuated and patients removed to the Victoria Hospital. The conditions in other hospitals, though less acute, involved a very heavy strain on the Medical and Nursing staff nз many wards were flooded and patients had to be continually moved. The staff was exposed to considerable hardship and not inappreciable danger in moving from building to building at all stages of the storm and in working continuously in drenched clothing.
10. The occurrence of a cyclone of this severity at this particular time was especially unfortunate. Had the economic conditions been normal the repair of material damage could well have been met from the resources of the Government and from private reserves but as Your Lordship is aware the present position is that all reserves both of the Colonial Government and of the planting com. munity have been practically exhausted, and in addition the credit of producers has been strained to a High degree by the continued depression in the sugar industry. The prospect of an exceptionally * Not reproduced.
18
heavy sugar crop had however served to maintain confidence as to the ability of the industry as a whole to carry over the current year, but the heavy and sudden loss caused by the hurricane destroyed this confidence at a blow and created a natural and wide- spread despondency. The offer of His Majesty's Government which was conveyed to me on the 3rd April to guarantee a loan to make good the immediate damage and loss incurred as far as possible has, therefore, been of inestimable value in restoring con- fidence, and I have no doubt that with the help of this guarantee the people of the Colony will be enabled to meet the difficulties before them with the courage and resource which they have in- variably displayed in times of stress. Now that the finance of the coming crop and the provision of necessary funds for essential repairs has been assured by the guarantee offered by His Majesty's Government there is no risk of distress being aggravated by general unemployment. On the contrary the repair of the darnage caused by the hurricane will give work to a number of men previously unemployed.
11. As a matter of general interest I enclose a series of photo- graphs illustrating the damage done some of which have been referred to in the text of the report.
I have, &c.,
* Not reproduced,
W. E. F. JACKSON,
Governor.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
། ༄། ། ། ། །
π T T T l l l l l l
Reference -
C.O.882/12
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
BF | COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
1
Churches.
General
population.
Indian.
Chinese.
Enclosure 2 in No. 11.
MAURITIUS POLICE FORCE-CYCLONE Return,
Return of Losses reported in the Colony as a result of the Cyclone which occurred on 5th-7th March, 1931.
Destroyed or Damaged.
Total Number of Lives Lost.