OF NOVEMBER 9tH, 1886. 
7 
following account, for whicli I am indebted to Mr. French, 
Resident Engineer in charge of that division of the line — 
" At Arkonam the storm was not very violent and no damage 
of any consequence was done to the railway. The same remark 
apphes to the portion of the hne between Arkonam and Puttur. 
A traveller by the train could just perceive that a storm had 
passed, by looking at the number of trees that were blown 
down within sight of the railway Une. After passing Puttur 
the wind appeared to have become more violent. The telegraph 
line was first affected ; the insulators being actually lifted out 
of their sockets by the force of the wind alone. Close to Pudi 
station the telegraph Hne was completely blown down and 
several posts were broken, and from Pudi into Tirupati the 
railway telegraph was almost completely wrecked. The Gov- 
ernment telegraph line on the opposite side of the railway line 
escaped by being protected by the railway bank. At half 
a pier on the up stream side of Soornamooky bridge (composed 
of 9 arches of 30 feet span) gave way on the evening of the 9th. 
From the top of the bridge the only indication given of the 
disappearance of half of the pier was a sKght crack running 
across the ballast. The bridge was crossed by men on a trolly 
who fortunately noticed the crack as they passed over it, and 
they went back to examine the bridge. It was then found that 
a portion of the 6th pier had been carried away. All the 
arches remained in position until the night of the 10th, when a 
portion of the 6th arch fell in, and carried with it portions of the 
7th and 8th arches and 7th and 8th piers. It was reported that 
four tanks breached in the Chandragherry taluk, and the sudden 
rush of water broke the bridge. The rainfall close to the railway 
was very light, and none of the small rivers had much water in 
them except what escaped from breached tanks. 
" At Thupati station the storm was most violent. All the zinc 
roofs were more or less damaged. The goods-shed, a building 
about 60' X 30', was completely stripped of its roof, and the zinc 
was blown 60 yards from the building. The station palings 
were blown flat upon the ground. Lamp posts, sun shades, 
