AN EARTHQUAKE EXPERIENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 213, 8 September 1923, Page 17

AN EARTHQUAKE EXPERIENCE.

FOLLOWED BY TIDAL WAVE. ST. THOMAS' VISITATION OF '67 (By J. D. LECKIE.) -Again the Pacific has been the scene of another groat earthquake and seismic wave. To describe it as a tidal wave, as is usually done, is a misnomer, as it has no connection with the tides. The earthquake on the Chilian coast, which occurred not so long ago, was also accompanied by a wave of this kind, and the same is true of many other great earthquakes. The writer had a personal experience of a great earthquake, followed by a gigantic wave, which overwhelmed the town of St. Thomas, West Indies, in the year 1867. The shipping in the harbour was entirely swamped, many lives lost, and much damage done. Yet the loss of life and damage would have been much greater had it not been for the narrow entrance to the harbour (which is almost entirely landlocked breaking the force of the wave, spreading it out like a fan. In some of the outlying bays, which, on the contrary, were funnel-shaped, and concentrated the force of the wave as it advanced, the sea rose on the mountain sides to well over 100 ft, as was proved 'by the seaweed which -was afterwards found clinging to the branches of the trees. Ships were swept asliore and left stranded far above high-water mark. It was said that the island was permanently raised several feet, as could be seen by the tidal marks—the tides in the West Indies never rise or fall more than a foot or two. Springs, with which the island is ill supplied, dried up, doubtless owing to dislocations of the rock strataIt seems certain that tne earthquake in Japan, like that in St. Thomas and Chile (and probably, also, that in San Francisco) was caused by a submarine volcano; many eucli exist in the neighbourhood of Japan. It is a curious fact that nearly all the great earthquakes have occurred at points on the sea coast or near it, and generally without any terrestrial volcano being in evidence, thus indicating submarine volcanic action as the probable cause. In the West Indies slight shocks of earthquake are very frequent; in fact, one scarcely takes any notice of them. "Did you feel the earthquake last night?" is a common remark at the breakfast table, just as one might make a remark about the changeable Auckland weather. The recollection of the great earthquake, though it happened more than 50 years ago, when the writer was only a child, is still indelibly fixed in his memory. We were aroused early one morning and found the house in great commotion. Vases and other mural ornaments were lying scattered on the floor, having been thrown down by the shocks, which were repeated at frequent intervals. Ou looking out of the window the streets were seen to be filled .vith crowds of people, running for safety to the hills which overlooked the town. Every now and then a shock of greater or less severity would occur, when ' the panic-stricken multitude would fall down on their knees, in imminent danger of being crushed by falling buildings, many of them raising their hands in prayer or supplication. 'One friend afterwards ' related in great glee how he took advantage of this prostration of the crowd to ' jump over their heads, thus making his '• way in record time to the empty Bpaces outside the town. We finally took refuge in an open : space close to the house of a friend, ' which was situated on Government Hill, the principal residential quarter. There was no danger here from falling build- : ings, and we were able to obtain a brief ; respite. The. weather was hot, and we : were overcome by thirst. All the drink- ' ing water in St. Thomas was then (and is perhaps yet) obtainable only from the large cisterns attached to each house, which caught the precarious rainfall. On going to the nearest house to get some water, it was found that the fluid, which I under ordinary circumstances was as clear as crystal, was now almost as black as ink, the heaving motion of the earthquake having stirred up the sediment which lay at the bottom. This will give some idea of the force of the shocks. The shocks continued to be felt intermittently, with decreasing violence, for j several days. As it was not considered safe to sleep in the house, tents were hastily rigged up in the garden—made from blankets, sheets, or any other handy material; and here for several nights we slept—adults, children, and servants all huddled together. , Vie were advised how to act if sud- j enly caught unawares 'by a violent ' shock of earthquake. If indoors, of ' course, the 'best method, if time allowed , it, was to run outdoors out of the range j of falling buildings. If the house showed signs of collapse 'before there was time to reach the open, the safest piafe to stand was under a strong doorway, which afforded some slight, though insufficient, protection. The corner of the room afforded better protection than the middle. Archways of brick were j looked on as places of re-fuge, the arch j swaying backwards and forwards without collapsing. We heard of one case of a party who wore playing billiards \ when a sudden and violent shock was experienced. There was no time to run . out of doors, so they immediately , plunged under the massive Klliard 1 table, whence they were extricated un- | hurt after the building had collapsed over their heads. It is as well to remember these hints, for ihere in Auckland we also are subject to earthquakes, and any j day we may experience a cataclysm comparable to that of San Francisco, Valparaiso or Yokohama. I The height of the seismic wave in St. Thomas was variously estimated at from forty to a hundred foot. As far as the harbour was concerned, the i helgilit perhaps did not exceed the former figure, but in the outlying bays it may have reached three times that height. jlt was an awe-inspiring sight, never to be forgotten by one who had witnessed lit. The town, which is built on an I amphitheatre of hills, was only swept by the wave in its lower portion, but I from the residential quarter on the hills a fine view of the phenomenon was ob[tained. ■In tiie year lSfi7 the island of Thomas had a treble visitatioi ;n t l, " : shape of a destructive cyclone. » ..-in'ont i earthquake and an a:tuck of the :In the same .war the I'nited States ' (Sovpi'uniPiit made tlie • first overtures for the acquisition of the island, but the negotiations on thie occasion fell through, larj.'plv owim;. it was said, to the fear inspired iby these unwholesome visitations.