GREAT TIDAL WAVE.

Auckland Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2241, 12 May 1877, Page 4

GREAT TIDAL WAVE.

(Per Press Telegram Agency.)

NELSON, this day.

S.S. WELLINGTON IN THE TIDAL WAVE.

L-aptam .Lloyd reports that yesterday, at / p.m., Avhen the s.s. Wellington Avas about three miles to the Avest of Jackson's Head, she encountered a very heavy tidal wave from the westward. The "stem of the steamer dipped nearly under water, and the vessel was drawn lack half-a-mile.

WESTPORT, this day

THE TIDAL WAVE,

There was a tidal Avave here yesterday at 2.30 p.m. ; also at 6, when it rose six "feet in three minutes. No damage Avas done, except the washing away of some loose material at the wharfage Avorks. It. still continues, but is slight.

WELLINGTON, this day

The Tidal Wave.

An extraordinary . tidal disturbance occurred in Wellington harbour yesterday morning, shortly before 7 o'clock, when the tide AA rasa little more than a quarter ebb. A considerable commotion was caused among the shipping, and general amazement excited on the part of all Avho Avere about at the time by a sudden rush of so vast a volume of Avater into the bay that in about a quarter of an hour, the tide had risen above usual high water mark. It then receded with equal rapidity, and loav water mark was reached in another fifteen minutes. From this time the tide continued to floAv at intervals gradually decreasing from 15 minutes at S a.m., to 10 minutes at 10 a.m. The amount of rise and fall diminished proportionately. At S a.m. the difference was nearly 5 feet,. which by .ten, had decreased to 2 feet, and at noon the interval of ebb and flow were only seven minutes, and the rise about a foot. At the corner of the old reclaimed land by the rear of the Lion foundry, where an opening is left between the piles of new reclamation sea Avail, the tidal Avave rushed iv and out Avith terrific force, with the speed of a millrace. When the rush avus at its strongest, the mass of water flowed in a big wave between the piles, running at the rate of fully seven or eight knots. The impetus of the outflow carried it far beyond the Queen's wharf, past which a volume of turbid and discoloured Avater rushed, until checked by the next incoming tide. The surface of the harbour avus a series of eccentric eddies and Avhirls, which in several cases had the appearance of being caused by actual upheaval. Disturbances continued all day, and the ordinary tides Avere quite at a discount, high and loav water, each having occurred some twenty times between 7 a.m. aud 3 p.m. Several times, Avhen boats or small craft moving about wore caught in the eddies, they were rendered quite unmanageable, and several accidents were narrowly escaped. The barque Australian., while shifting berth at the Avharf, avus caught by one of the tide rushes, and nearly driven on to end of outer T, and just escaped running its jibboom through'the shed. No actual mishap has occurred so far. The tidal disturbances continued till night, the tide ebbing and flowing every 20 minutes. The rise and

Fill bcin"4 feet, with a slight increase after noon with no signs of diminution. The decision re wharf tenders was postponed until Monday next.

GRAHAMSTOWN, this day. The tidal Avave rose a foot here, but Avas much greater up the Thames river, where the rift* of timber were torn away from their moorings. The water rose from IS inches to 2 feet, and alarmed the busbmea ijx-jn" on the river banks. About two months •!,.-,. there Avere two tides within 12 hours up the river Thames, and at Shortland.

Captain Sdwin's Theory-

33; a Attributes it to Earthquake*

L doubt that the tidal disturbances has been caused by storm Avave, as the area ot the loAvcst pressure noticed on the Sth •uncars to me to be too far off to have '•tiiWd them. I also think the Avave could rot have been felt over such an extent of ,'oast in such a case. More likely it Avas caused by a distant earthquake.

THE TIDAL WAV!

I'm-; effect of the tidal Avave seems to have been felt on the Australian shore at the -nine rime us it avus experienced here. We ["earn from SA-dney that the tide there fell <uddenlv over 2ft", and then returned to its i »ri ■ dual levol. 11 also fell 20in. in 5 minutes at Newcastle. At Timaru, the wave must have oeen very strong, for a telegram received by Mr <; W. Owen to-day says that three vessels parted chains yesterday in the roadstead, anil as it afterwards goes on to state that chains and good rigging Avere to be had cheao, the conclusion seems to be that some (if them have gone ashore. The Ethel, Aviiich is there', is knoAvn to be safe, as a telegram avus received from the captain tliis morning, intimating that -■'lie vessel had been chartered iby Captain D. H. McKenzie. At Mahurnngi, four distinct Avaves ca.me up the river, but things are not;quite so bad as reported with, the shipping. The s.s. Kin;: Avas lifted ashore, but she floated off at one ..'clock, and avus able to return to toAvn in the afternoon. She is not at all injured. At Tauranga the tide suddenly rose from 2ft. to Bft,. higher than sirring tides, and receded with great rapidity. Several other rises Avere observed during the day.