CANTERBURY SHAKEN

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28766, 11 December 1958, Page 16

CANTERBURY SHAKEN

Jolt Lasts For Four Seconds

Lights swayed gently and windows rattled all over Canterbury as an earthquake rocked the province shortly after 7 o'clock last evening. The weather office at Christchurch airport reported that a force three earthquake on the modified Mercalli scale had been recorded for about four seconds at 7.7 p.m. The only report of damage or mishap came from Lees Valley, near Oxford. A full jug of milk standing on a tea-table began slopping over as the tremors started, marking the table-cloth. Reports of the earthquake’s duration varied considerably. A Waiau resident said it lasted five seconds, while a Sefton resident estimated it at 20 seconds. Heavy buildings in central Christchurch as well as homes in the suburban areas shook and creaked. Although it was sufficient to rock articles of furniture and sway curtains and blinds, there were no reports of chimneys toppling or fences falling over. Persons in Christchurch agreed that it was "a good shake,” but in Waiau it was dismissed as little more than "a light quiver.” However, some Waiau residents ran outside their homes as they felt the first shock waves. "We all get outside now after the big earthquakes of six or seven years ago,” said one resident. The' first indication one home gardener in the area had was when the firewood piled in his shed began rattling against the walls. In the Oxford Hospital, lights swung and crockery rattled in china cabinets. At Waiau the shock was described as “a dull earthquake without a severe shake.”