NEWS FROM WAIAU.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7257, 19 November 1901, Page 1

NEWS FROM WAIAU.

A MAILMAN'S STORY. A PERILOUS JOURNEY. c,. , ■ j HTJNDALEE SETTLEMENT DEVASTATED. [From Orm Corbespondent.} WAIAU, Nov. 18. . At 7.45 this morning we had one of the sharpest shocks since Saturday morning, provjng that the subterranean disturbances are still io very active progress. ■Mr Albert Creed, who carries the mail between here and' Hawkeswood, has just raturned from the latter place, and brings the first * earthquake news from that locality. On Saturday morning he started on the usual trip, but found the way blocked to his conveyance .at the Serpentine cutting, fifteen miles from the township, and was compelled to return. He made a fresh start on horseback on Sunday morning, and after surmounting many difficulties, succeeded in getting through, not, however, without several spills through the horse putting its feet in fissures in the road. He states that about seven miles from Waiau, a landslip six acres in extent, has been shot into Station River, forming a dlaim and lake. AH the cuttings along the road are more or less damaged. No. 2 Coldstream cutting, this side of Hawkeswood, is all gone at the top, and the. road is blocked. On the swamp land at Conway Flat heaps of silt and mud have been thrown up from twelve to fifteen feet high. At Conway Village chimneys are down, and Mr J. Tait's house is levelled _to the ground, also a house occupied by Mr Johnston, head shepherd at HawEeswood. Mrs Johnston was milking when the shock came, and saw the roof of the 'house faffing ito. She had beam thrown i down by the shock, but got on her feet and made a dash to save h«r baby, in this falling building. She snatched it from its bed just as the house fell. But for her promptitude the child would have been killed ; in fact, her arm, as she raised the child, was struck and bruised nearly, its full length by falling timber. Hawkeswood homestead had been reported to be destroyed, but matters were not so bad as that. The men's whare was shaken down, but the loss of chimneys, and the back wall twisted somewhat, were the only damage to the bug house, which proved' its reputation for being ' substamltdally built. The Conway riverbed is full of holes, and hundreds of dead trouifc are to bte seen in, the river, probably killed by concussion or poUutfotn of water by outbreaks of.. gas, 4,t..,Him*dwo^the'''6e6til!etsv'seviS^'^'; niimber; have suffered in most cases as baldly as those of Spdttswood or Estate, their ehinineys being down,and the conitemts of their houses much damaged. On the Hundalee Roiad wide cracks hava been formed, and those driving have to lift their buggies over *bem. At Claverley Station, at Boat Harbour, only log chimneys are down, the place btdng out of the line of ifoe earthquake's chief severity. Shocks \ and earth tremors continued afc intervals in the most affected, part of the counltry all through to-day, amdi at one spot the ground was in constant motion for over an hour. I At the time of the severe shock alb mime o'clock this morning Mr Creed) was on has way home, and has horse was thrown on to its side. . The last heavy shock heate tihis evening has causal some apprehensi'oai' for the night, and the ocdy chimney I?cips stain/ding a/fc the hotel are being viewed with' much nespeet by sixteen occupants ol the house. Mr Anderson, a carpenter here, hlas just returned from an inspection) of tbe Mendip Hills homestead. H© confirms ufoe report of the damage done, only five rooms out of eighteen Wing in any eianse habitable. Muoh of •th'e furniture he saw iihrowin out in rubbish heaps. The men managed to straighten up the walls of thie wooli&hed with wine ties and 1 shearing was in progress again. Tba damiagie was dome through bales of wool being forced against t(he wall and 1 bulging it. .