SEVERE EARTHQUAKE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3156, 7 August 1917, Page 6

SEVERE EARTHQUAKE

EARTH ROCKS FOR HALF A MINUTE

HEAVY DAMAGE IN THE YVAIRARAPA

One of the most, severe shocks of earthquake felt in Wellington i'br years occurred at 3.23 a.m. yesterday, when for .at least half a minute the earth I'oeked, waking nearly everyono up at a time when sleep is Usually heaviest upon them, and causing minor damage to insecurelyhehl articles -in city shops, warehouses, and private homes. Those who wero awakened early in the 'quake were, owing to its duration, able to mark the character of, tho shock, or rather tho series of shocks. These were evenly registered and freo from jolts. The earth swayed very perceptibly but ever eo gently for at least 30 or -10 seconds, and after that the tremor, maintaining the even movemcnt of the metromone, lasted another 15 or 20 seconds, until all was still once more and citizens composed themselves once moro to slumber. At 5 a.m. thero was another earth tremor, but not sufficiently disturbing to wake people. The direction of the earth movement was from north to south. When consulted yesterday the Government Seismologist (Mr. Hogben) said that so far ho had not had time to gather information from outside sources to aid him in arriving at conclusions, and until he had received those reports and examined the seismological record that is made at the Wellington Observatory lie could not report officially. He was of opinion that the 'quake came from the same fault which had been responsible for most of the seismological disturbances in tho southern part of the North Island of re. cent years. That fault had its centre about 250 miles south-east of East Cape, and its line of effect took in the Wellington district and an area as far south as Christchnrch.

Whenever there is a severe earthquake in AVellington, there are two buildings which are always thought of as likely to register damage. These are the Central Free Public Library in Wakefield Street and the Government Life Insurance Buildings 011 Customhouse _ Quay, both of which buildings are raised on "floating" foundations 011 reclaimed land. The only visible evidences of an earthquake at the Library wero a few specks of plaster which had probably crumbled out from old cracks as tho building heaved to and fro. ,'There was not a vestige of white powder on the desks in tho long room of the Government Life Insurance Department's offices. Both the tower and the Featherston Street clocks of the G.P.O. were stopped by the earthquake, and at the Hutt the town clock stopped. A pipe in the retort house of the Petone Municipal Gasworks was broken by tho strain.