AFFAIRS AT CHEVIOT.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11131, 25 November 1901, Page 6

AFFAIRS AT CHEVIOT.

MORE SHOCKS ON SATURDAY.

(SPECIAL TO "THK PRESS.**)

CHEVIOT, November 23

Yesterday afternoon several slight shocks of earthquake were felt here. These subsided towards evening, and a quiet night was looked forward to by the settlers. Theircst, however, was somewhat rudely broken #i midnight, when a very severe disturbance -« - :is experienced, and as this was followed by tremors and another light shock shortly after 6 a.m., few were able to sleep afterwards. To add to this a strong nor'-wester sprang up. and wrecked many of the tents and impromptu shelter?". The wind is still raging, and adding generally to tbe discomfort.

The shocks lat-t night and the high wind to-day helped to make up the minds of several waverers, and in consequence the two coach-?*- tills morning were packed to discomfort with women and children to (ii? number of twenty-nine. Mr Williams, telegraphist, has passed a good night, and is progressing towards recovery.

The St. Leonards five burnt itself out yesterday afternoon, being stopped by the deep creek and tributaries half a mile" from the Cheviot boundary. Several settlers mustered their sheep and took other precautions. CULVERDBN, November 23. Tremors were reported last night at Waikari.

Two shocks were felt at Waiau t^-day,

Writing on Friday night our correspondent at Cheviot says: —"Women and children are becoming scarce in the district, and if this keeps up much longer McKenzie will, in this respect, resemble a Californian mining camp in the good old diiys. The Government tents sent up from Waipara by Mr Jack, the engineer, are a great comfort, "and the supply was very soon exhausted. Numerous enquiries were made for tents after the supply had run out, and additional tent* are being *>enfc up aa soon as available.

''Mewßrs Archer and Ward have been continuing their investigation of the condition of the Port road, and although they are Kdmewbat reticent on the matter, I gather that fre»h discoveries have been made on The Brothers cutting that will render further work on the Bluff road inadvisable at present. This is most unfortunate for the settlers, as the Ministers' generous proposal to open this road with public funds wii-be lost in all probability. "In conversation with some of the members of the Cheviot Relief Committee, I learned that no cases of immediate distress are coming to hand. Inconvenience is, of course, up here experienced by all, but no case of the lack of actual necessities is yeb reported. The Comnuttee are hard at work collecting information, and from that already to hand there is no doubt that all available funds will presently be urgently needed. •

"The party of bricklayers that came up by the Wakatu will be set to work immediately, although there i« a tendency on the part of the settlers to delay rebuilding till the fchocks are over. However, there is plenty of work to go on with in taking down shattered remains and making preparations for a start. Anxiety as to the supply of bricks to replace those broken is allayed, as Mr Hillier has stated his willingness to supply over 30,000 sound bricks, and this ft Ls thought will go a long way towards effecting the repairs. "Strange sights are reported from the high country in the Lowry Peaks portion of the' settlement. Whole hills have in some places been shattered, and present the appearance of having Bfeen shot out of a tip-cart. On Mr Slosses 1 run a hill of considerable extent has its top pushed in all round about 2ft, like the crown of a hat, and the appearance is most uncanny to look at . Wire fences are damaged in all directions."