SEVERE EARTHQUAKE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 46, 24 February 1913, Page 3

SEVERE EARTHQUAKE

„. DAMAGE AT WESTPORT . SERIES OF SHOCKS. ■ («?■ M!iS<}ttA]?fi-i.ritESS ASSOCIATION.) WESTFOET, 22nd February. The big earthquake experienced about 12:35 p.m. to-day has been succeeded by a series of minor shocks, one at 3 p.m. being accompanied by a loud cannonlike explosion. The first was the most severe and most disastrous in the history of Westpdrt. Business places suffered considerable damage, and few "houses escaped' withI out something in the nature of crockery, , pictures, flower-vases, ahd ■ clocks being I broken. I Numerous. chimneys were also partial- ' ly destroyed, bat the chief- damage was done in the business centre. The re-cently-erected large brick Post and Tele- ■ graph Office got a severe shaking, and is cracked in all directions. The southern ■ wing, about a foot from its base,' has been bodily shifted about half an inch, and the metal doWn-pipe on the back of this portion of the building bent with the moving building inside. Almost all I the gas mantles were, destroyed, and a good deal of plaster work on the ceilings ( and walls came down. . The Post and Telegraph? 1 staff got' • a | great fright, and speedily made their exit on to the road. •.' ■ The principal sufferers in "'the' Mainstreet are :—: — Hansen and Co. (warehousemen), estimated damage, £50 ; -Sinclair (chemist), £40 to £50 ; G. H. Hothard '(ironmonger), £30 to £40 j JM'Donagh- (grocer), £20 to £30; Skilton and ' Jones (grocers), £20 to-£3oj G. W. Martin -(ironmongers), £25 to £30 ;-M' William' (pictureframer and fancy goods store," including plate-glass -window), £20; Shaw (hotelkeeper),,£ls to £20 ; J. J. Lawson (boot and shoe depot), £15 to £20; Dr. Dorm (chemist), £10; E. Hullan (chemist), £10 to £15. . , Mr. Sinclair, the chemist, describes the scene in his shop as representing a hailstorm of bottles. He was lucky to get out uninjured. , . Along the Buller-road a good deal of loose rock and earth came down, impeding* tho 'progress of motor and coach services. . . l Considering the severity of the shock, it is rather remarkable' that no loss of life occurred. Some buildings must have been close on the collapsing 'stage, and thousands of pounds' worth of goods on shelves were just hanging in the" balance when the shock ended s Business people, beinji generally of the opinion that things might have been very much wqrse, are taking their losses philosophically!' P,eports from the country show that the shocks were severely fejt there, but the damage appears to have been confined mainly to the collapsing of chimneys. Reports round abdut the town show that in some of the houses almost all the crockery and -glassware was 'broken, while othera, close beside them, escaped with but slight damage. The 'tops of many chimneys were broken off, the bricks in several . cases falling down inside the building and. doiiis; damage to the cooking ranges. Some households suffered los 3of almost all theil" season's jam, through the bottles and jars being thrown violently off flio shelves on#o the floor. The shocks were felt in the surrounding ''districts more or less severely, 'with accompanying breakages in tlie houses, but Westport eeeir.s to have fared worst. 'The "quakes'" continued through the night, and right up tilLthk .afternoon (!3.00 o'elgck). They _\veie .nbqut..fourteen in number, bin of lessening severity. _ " '•' ■ The higheot tideb tor some jeais aie reported at Kpmnca. avd't, puilycampm^ vii the NuiiJ) Bcdi'ti at WoitpoH wcic rompelied to shift liom "t^uarteisi hitiiuito .uie'fruui the encroachment jf iho Jifia.'