EARTHQUAKE IN NORTH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 127, 14 March 1950, Page 2

EARTHQUAKE IN NORTH

SHARP TREMORS FELT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, March 13. An earthquake tremor shook Wellington at 9.38 o’clock to-night. Preceded by a ioug rumble the tremor lasted about two seconds. Without doing any damage it was sufficiently strong to set lights swinging and to rattle crockery on the shelves. It was the first earthquake since January, when a series of shocks lasting about a fortnight alarmed Wellington residents. The shock was specially severe in the northern part of the South Island. Both Blenheim and Nelson had shocks. At Blenheim a sharp jolt was followed by steady swaying for some seconds which ended with another jolt. Three distinct tremors, the first of them the most severe, were felt at Nelson. In the North Island the shake was felt as far north as Ohakune but apparently was mainly in the western and central parts of the island. New Plymouth reported one Qf the severest shakes for some time. Palmerston North had a noisy but not violent tremor. Other places which reported feeling the earthquake were Wanganui, Masterton, Featherston, Levin and Paraparaumu. A slight tremor wps felt in Cheviot at 9.41 o’clock.