AN EARTHQUAKE AT OTAGO.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXI, Issue 2463, 12 June 1865, Page 5

AN EARTHQUAKE AT OTAGO.

The Daily Times of the 29th ultimo thu« describes it : — There is no doubt that an earthquake occurred early on Saturday morning; tho concurrence of testimony puts tho fact beyond question j but we have not heaul of any one who was able very particularly to note tho ciicumstances attending it. One of our informants states that he was awake at the time : that his bed oscillated or vibrated at least half a dozen times ; that feeling instantly satisfied bim that the cause was an eai thquake; he got up, •truck a light, and looked at his wntch, and found that the time was twenty minutes after four o'clock. Wo have uob heard it stated tbat any noiie {accompanied the earthquake, iudeed the informant to whom we have referred states that he noticed what seemed to him tho strange stilhiets, even for so early an hour of the raorniug. Mr. A. G. MoGiegor, wiitiug from Watson's Koyal Hotel, WalUer-street, states that the shock occurred about five o'clook ; and he adds, "I at once ascribed it to an explosion of some lriud, tho motiou being exactly similar to, though uot so great, as that I experienced last year, on the morniug of the disastrous explosion of gunpowder at Erith, near Gravesend, from which I was distant about twelve miles." We shall be glad to leceive any information tending to show the extent of couutiy over which this earthquake was felt." In its next morning's issue the same journal adds : — A coi respondent at Gaveisham writes that, being awake eaily on Sat m day morning, he felt a "quick but slight shaking" of his bed ; that he was satisfied that the motion was caused by an earthquake ; and that there followed " another shock much more severe, causing a quick vibration of the bed, and shaking the (stone) house, causing a jingling of doors and dishes " FJe also noticed that there was no noise, and not the least wind at the time. The shock was distinctly felt at Port Chalmers by more than one peuon. Mr. Murray, shipping-master, described on Saturday morning that, at about half-past 4 am., he felt his dwelling-house distinctly vibrate, and the vibration was of such a peculiar chaiactertlntitat once occurred to hiintlnit it must have been caused by an earthquake. The shock was uot seveie, but quite distinct fiom any commotion which might be caused by a high wiud or a passing object outside. From various other quarteis we have leceived confiimatory accouuts oE the vibratoiy movement of the earth which occurred on Satuiday morning.