WIDELY FELT

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 139, 17 June 1929, Page 10

WIDELY FELT

NORTH ISLAND COVERED The following Press Association messages were received to-day:— Auckland.—A prolonged earthquake in the ci*y and suburbs at 10.20 a.m. caused an oscillation of all large buildinga. NOj damage has been reported. Tauranga.—An earthquake shock was felt at 10.20. It was,a prolonged, gentle swaying movement. The direction was apparently south-west to north-east. Dargaville.—The earthquake was a novel sensation for Dargaville. • Residents of fifty years' standing say they only remember one'other, in 1912; ■ The shock was felt at 10.22 and lasted about half a minute. No. damage was done. •■ • Hamilton.—An earthquake- with a long, swinging motion was felt at Hamilton at 10.21 this morning. It lasted for over a minute. . The'rocking gave many people a feeling of sickness. No damage is reported, but much alarm was caused. Many townspeople rushed into the streets. The direction of the shake seemed to be from north or northeast. Ngaruawahia arid Raglan report similar experiences. . :

Rotorua.—-A slight earthquake was felt at Rotorua at 10.20 a.m. There was considerable disturbance on the Utahina Stream, two miles from town. No damage is reported. ..Taupo reports a mild shock, lasting eight'minutes. / Pukekohe.—A' sharp earthquake was felt, at Pukekohe at 10,24' this morning. , Palmevston An \ earthquake of unusual length and type occurred at 10.20. Buildings commenced to sway gently, and then the shake developed in intensity, then gradually lessened until the end. It lasted, forty-five seconds. The ground had a perceptible movement. Clocks wer,e; stopped, but no' damage is. reported. Workmen on the scaffolding of buildings left, and many people vacated their homes andbusiness premises. . . ' '. ; * Dannevirke.—The longest and most severe earthquake experienced in Dannevirke for very many years started about 10.21 thk morning, v /It lasted about, three minutes. The oscillations \rere fairly severe, and the rocking' motion was like being at sea. People vacated places of business and watched them perceptibly rocking. No damage was .reported. ■',-■■■: Napier.—At 10.20 this morning Napier experienced a prolonged rotating earthquake lasting several minutes, the effect being like the movement of a ship at sea. No damage is reported. Hanging electric lamps Bwung for fully five minutes afterwards. Hastings.—At 10.20 this morning a steady swinging earthquake from N.W. to S.E. was experienced, lasting about j two minutes. Tho Post. Office and some other large clocks were stopped,' and water washed over the railway tanks. The top of the flagpole on the Post Office tower seemed to swing a i foot on either side, whilst everything pendulous swung for many minutes. People ran into the streets from shops and offices, but more through curiosity than fear, as the movement was regular. No damage is reported. Woodville.—An earthquake of fully a minute's duration occurred at 10.20 this morning. The movement was of sustained violence, and buildings and BH>%a*«ajM erased tai.cwt toy Besi-

dents rushed into the streets. No. actual damage is reported. . . Masterton.—An earthquake haying a swaying motion and lasting for two minutes was experienced at. Mastexton at 10.18. No damage is reported, but there w^s much alarm, as buildings rocked dangerously. Carterton. —A • very, long earthquake, having an apparent' rotatory movement, was . experienced in Carterton. about 10.25 this •morning. A slight tremor was first felt from south;to north, and changing to west to east; and then it gave the effect of a floating, island,on a rough sea, and worked up to a fairly strong ' movement, gradually dying away. No damage is reported. ' Otaki.—The earthquake was felt here as a big swaying motion. Electric machinery was put out of action. Marton. —The earthquake rocked the. buildings for over,a minute.. A very faint rumble was heard. The shaking was continuous. The ground seemed to roll like the deck of a ship in a slight swell. The shopkeepers and the occupants of the houses gathered in the streets, where the swaying of the telegraph poles and lamp stands was very perceptible. The movement appeared to be from west to east. The visitation' was not similar to previous shocks, and it created considerable concern, though no damage was reported. Waipukurau. — An exceptionally severe and, prolonged earthquake shock was experienced at 10.19 this morning. No damage was reported. Many people left their homes and shops, rushing into the streets, which appeared to heave convulsively. Street lamps, trees, etc., swayed violently.' No severe jerk was felt. The direction of the shake appeared to be from east to west. Whangarei.—A slight earthquake tremor was reported this morning, approximately at the- same time it orcurred in other parts of New Zealand. This is the first time such an'incident has occurred in the North./

Hawera.—The most Revere" earthquake felt here in the memory of the present generation occurred at 10.20 this monihig, lasting about three minutes. Many chimneys in private houses were wrecked aiid plate glass windows m shop fronts were cracked, while: the interior fixtures tumbled, causing damage to breakable goods. < Shop assistants left the buildings to seek comparative safety in the streets. ' Many persons fainted in the streets": The water overflowed from the emergency reservoir at the top of the 160 feet tower, but there was ho-" structural damage! The top of the 60-foot smoke stack of the timber mill swayed but shows v no visible damage. Occasional tremors were felt at intervals till 12.15. When the first shock was felt there were' a series of reports, as of heavy explosions at sea, apparently a considerable ; distance from the coast. ,