THE EARTHQUAKE.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7148, 8 September 1888, Page 5

THE EARTHQUAKE.

VISIT TO THE UPPER WAIAIL SEEKING THE CENTRE OF THE DISTURBANCE. GREAT FISSURES IN THE GROUND. OTHER STRANGE PHENOMENA. 1 WRECK OF THE WAIAU STATION. THE SCENE HOPEFIELD AND GLYNN WYE. MEN SLEEPING IN TENTS. [By The Wakrioal.] After journeying from Mrs Pry's hotel to the Springs, from the Springs to Mr Atkinson's ruined homestead, Woodbank, and from Woodbank to the Perry Hotel, over very rough roads and in very heavy rain, I was glad enough to seat myself by a blazing log fire, and to hear my cheery hostess, Mrs Holmes, ask mc what I would like for supper. 1 ordered a substantial meal, and 1 ate it, for earthquakes and upland air breed a splendid appetite. The cob walla of the room where I had my tea and spent the rest of the- evening were cracked and bulged in places, but this was in the fashion, so no ono complained. Mr Jones, an Aniuri sta'ion-holdor, and Mr Withers, the Government Engineer, maintained a lively conversation by the fire. A dozen or two people in the next room wero talking earthquake, and I was making copy. This state of affairs was only varied once, and that was by a quiver of tho ground, a creaking of the roof timbers, and the general exclamation, " There's another !" When bedtime came only one person volunteered to sleep in the cob part of the house; and that person was Mr Withers. Sir Jones was to accompany mc on a journey to the Upper Waiau early in the morning, and I, anticipating a rough day, went to sleep. About midnight I wished that an earthquake would swallow a particular rat; but I speedily and piously retracted such a wish and suggested a more ignoble death. We were only aroused once by a quivering of the ground and a low rumbling noise; then seven o'clock came and with it breakfast. Mr Cooper, of Culverden, had sent his son Will with a light strong buggy'and a fine pair of horses to drive mc about the country; and when I wanted a safe horse to take mc into the region of landslips and fissure's Will Cooper suggested that I should take Tommy, one of the pair just alluded to. So I took Tommy, and by half-past seven Mr Jones and I were mounted and . away. Our road lay along the left bank of the Waiau. To our right (across the river) stretched the Hanmer Plains; before us rose a range of snow-clad mountains; on our left level-edged terraces rose in majestic steps toward bold tussock-covered hills. The morning air was sharp and keen. As we let our horses canter along, the light wind struck our faces, and we seemed to breath pure cool water. No one could expect to meet anything awful on such a bright clear morning; but we soon began to meet with evidences of one of the most awitd things known to man —the power of an earthquake. When we left the Hanmer Plains behind us, and entered the upper valley of the Waiau, we , saw on every hand evidences that some mighty disturbance had occurred. The road be- , neath our horses' feet was cracked and torn in every direction; in some places covered with debris, in other places'part of it form-* ing debris itself in the valley below. Terraces of heavy alluvium cemented firmly aiocracked for scores of yards. In some placee these cracks still gape inches wide, in other places they have closed with such violence as to squeeze the ground into ridges along their course. There is scarcely an acre of ground in the upper valley of the Waiau that does not bear witness to *he terrible shaking it must have received during the recent disturbances. Whilst riding along we saw on the opposite side of the valley, somewhere near the boundary between Mr Atkinson's estate and the Hopefield run, what appeared to be a stream of water gushing out of the steep side of a hill. As no hollow course marked the stream above or below, we judged the spring to be new. About two miles from the Waiau station, on the Montrose run, a large creek descends from the hills, and tumbles over a perpendicular cliff 120 ft in height, forming a magnificent waterfall, which some people would go miles to see. When we reached the Waiau Station Mr Jones, its owner, erclaimed, "What a wreck." His woolsh'ed was completely de olished, the roof of the men's hut rested on the ruins of the walls. The shearers'hut leaned over at an angle of 45deg, supported by props, which formed the skeleton of the walls. Mr Jones opened the door of his house and entered; I followed him. The floor of the kitchen was strewn with broken crockery. In the sitting-room a tall bookcase had been hurled to the ground, and a valuable library littered over the carpet amidst piles of plaster, wall paper, pictures, ornaments and such like tilings. The Waiau station, is not the only house Mr Jones possesses, so he surveyed the ruins very complacently, and began to suggest what the carpenters whom he expected up should do. We left the Waiau station and pushed further up the Valley. Five miles further along we saw Hopefield station, the property of Mr Acton Adams. The fords had altered considerably, and we were some time before we could discover a fit place to cross the river. The water was deep and running very swiftly, but we managed to cross aafely, and with only wet feet and legs. Hopefield does not look very bad from the outside. Both the chinmey3 are | down certainly, but the building itself is not much broken. But a glance inside shows us what a tremendous shaking it has withstood. There are six rooms in the Hopefield building, and in each room the things lie just as they were left when Mr Cook, with his wife and family rode away from it. The furniture lies on the floor broken and defaced. The carcase of a sheep lies amidst the ruins of the pantry. We dragged this out to feed some hungry dogs, who seem to wonder what has happened to their master's home. The roof of Hcpefield is twisted out of shape, j and everything in the house is more or les3 broken. The store, which is built on stout piles about 4ft from the ground, is now neatly balanced in the handiest place for falling, and one or two smart strokes with a hammer would send it to the ground. At the back of the house is a large fissure, which extends for chains along the course of the terrace. When j such a thing ast that was yawning what wonder is it that people should want to leave the place. . Crossing the river once more, we pushed, on towards Qlynn Wye, and as we advanced the cracks in the ground and the slips from the sides of the hills seemed to appear larger and more numerous; Some of these cracks or fissures were still open more than a foot, and their course could be traced for more than a mile. Others had closed, and in some cases one aide of the crack was more than 20in below the other, and in other cases quite a long , mound had been thrown up by the pressnre of the ground when it doflied.' It is impossible to give any idea of the,

general direction of these fissures, for they are so erratic. When nearing Ulynn Wyo we suddenly came in sight of Horse Shew Lake, and Mr Jones pointed out to ■ a the floating island, remarking at the saiuo time that the earthquake hfttl evidently disturbed it, for during thp Inst yrirs it had been attache! to the I auk. Tho earthquake could have moved more than the island, for it had suilleient power to crumple up the road like a piece of paper, and make the hillside gape like a wom-oufc boot. We judged it unsafe to take the horses along this road, so Mr Jonos kiudly led them over a spur, and I walked round by the lake. As I stood on tho narrow crumbling lodge, called even yet a road, i coiildt see Horse Shoe Lake to perfection, and tv very pretty la&o it is. Ita waters must have been groatly agitated during tho earth shock, ■ for it has levelled a broad fringe of raupo reoda, as a ilood levels tall grass. The wonder is that tho lake did not burst its weakest bank, which is only a low yiirds wide, and fully sixty feet above the level of the Kakapo Creek. After rounding tho western end of the lake we see Glynn Wye\ perched on tho edge of a terrace on the opposite side of Kakapo Creek. The road to it is not long, - but very rough, for the ordinary track ia impassable. Glynn Wye is one of tha. many estates of tho Kuthorfords. The house was really a large one for this part of the country, but I don't think it will ever be habitable again. It has certainly received a greater twist than any wooden house I have yet seen. '1 ho lower story leans bodily at a considerable nnglei windows, doors, verandah, and wails. preserving the angle with great acenraoy, whitet, strangs to say, tho upper storey still remains perpendicular, and tho ridge of the roof is perfectly level. It is getting monotonous to relate the effect iho great uitrth-shaking had on the furniture of a house. If anybody wants to gain an idea of tha effect lot him furnish a lurge matchwood box in miniature, and thon kick the box for about five miuxites with padded shoes. I wish somebody wonld gd round with handy earthquakes, simply to save the poor Pressmen from impossible descriptions. The men at Glynn Wye aro sleeping ia tents pitched out in the homo paddock. Tho cook was busy cooking bread in a camp oven. He found us some luiicheoa, and we ate it beneath a largo tent fly, which has been spread to form a kitchen. Tho woolshod, tho biggest and finest ia tho district, has been thrown from ita piles, or rather the piles have crumbled away beneath it, and now tho floor looiss like a wooden sea, and ita roof like the ■ outline of Leslie Hills. Large fissures aro to be found in tho ground near tho house, and we visited two circular holes in tho ground which havo been only recently formed. They aro about four feet in diameter and several i'eet deep. We saw all that wo could sparo time to see; find then commenced oiu? return journey. A few miles down tho river we met Mr Thompson, tho of Glynn Wye, who was returning to the station for the purpose of originating something like order out of the wild confusion which rei'trasL When we roi«jhe4 Horse Shoe Lake again we had the pleasure of eoeing tha floating island, ia motion. The wind had shifted, and there was the floating mass of vegetation sailing grandly before the wind, much to tho surprise of a pair of paradise ducka, who had sought its lee side as a plfieo to flurV This island looks like a large fragment.of , a f1«35 and raupo swamp floating on tho water, and now that it is once moro dotachod from the plac& where it had l&in for years, will sail about before .every changing breeze, a natural curiosity, and an interesting feature in a most interesting lake. There is one evidence of tho power of thaearthquake at Glynn V7yo which must strike even the most sceptical person. Kcsund the draining stage above tho sheep dip is a strong new and well built fence. The draining stage is of concrete and the posts of tho fenco are sunk in tha concrete. Now thid fonce, has been lifted" or shifted so much that the railu have dropped from tho mortice holes and soma of them lie ,on the ground. If tho fence had shifted horizontally tho raile would have shifted with the posts, and an. earthquake wave must have lifted'the jpost'tfcree feet before even the upper rails : would drop out of their place. Before ion£ we shall be able to collect reliable details that-Httre'nob yefe couxe to hand, and our scientific men wilt "be able to nrake calculations so aa to give us some ideao| the extent and power of" this , recent earthquake; but I am quite sufficiently impressed with its power without anymore proof, arid shall steadily* refuse to believe the most scientific theory which eays'th&% such an occurrence is merely a petty affrtirj and unworthy of much attention. terraces, hills and plains are rent Jand torn, houses have been shaken aa> a terrier- shakes a rat, and the tremendous power that has done thia cannot bo tailed, neither can we say "It will do no haroj;'' for no one knows what it can do, or what it! will do.

i PEESH SHOCKS.

[FEOM OUB SPECIAL BKrOBTHS.] ~-, . Peeey Hotbl, WAIAIU, September fr. At about 3.15 this morning a sharp earthquake was felt, the severest that'hae occurred since Tuesday. The first elxopK was very sudden, and waa followed" "& about half a minute by a low rumbliidg noise, which terminated in another ground tremble. About an hour after this another ahock was felt, not serious but sufficient x to awaken those who were asleep, and send a few pieces of plaster from the clattering on the roof. / >': Mr Atkinson with his children and iheir governess returned to Wbodbank tbia after* noon. They will inhabit the- woodea portion of the house which ia still erect, though shifted from its' foundations e&me inches. / THE CATHEDRAL SERVICES.. \ We have received the following with enclosures, from the Very Bey Dean of Chrlstchurch 'y \ TO THE BDITOB OS , THE PRBSO. i •■/; Sib. —May I ask you to be so good, aa to give insertion in your issue of theßthiost., to the accompanying letter, which 1 have received this morning room the City Surveyor, together with the ex* tract which I append from his report on the state of various buildings in the city after the recent earthquake, which forwarded to mc by the TownClerjc ontil? previous day. In accordance with these corninunlcafcions, the usual services will be held in the Cathedral on Sunday uexfc, as advertised elswhere in your columns,— Yours, Sec, - ■■.'.., , Henry The Deanery, September 7th, 18St5. [enclosukks.] , ..,.. City Council Omces, Christchurcn, 7t5 September, 1888.-r-The Very/Bey. the Dead of CJariatchurch.r-Sir,—l huye carefully examined the Cathedral building, wifca the view pf ascertaining what damage it sustained from the earthquake, and TndW beg to inform you that I think be no risk in again holding divine.service in it.—l am, sir, your obedient servant O* Walkden, City Surveyor. .■ . ; The following is the extract from the Surveyor's report on the state of varloai buildings after the earthquake ofHs* September, 1888 :— Chriatchurch Cathedral —I consider'tbia building now in a safer condition than it waa before the earthquake, aa the greats element of danger, the spire, is removed.. 1 cannot,find that any damage has been sustained by the building, beyond what) has been caused by the falling of the spire, which damage is now being repaired..