PURELY LOCAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 4 July 1928, Page 10

PURELY LOCAL.

SPIDER REGORDS AN EARTHQUAKE. “THE GREATEST KNOWN TO CIVILISATION.” A spider has been the, cause of a series of enormous earthquake records at Kelburn Observatory, says the “Dominion” The insect lound its way into the interior of the delicately adjusted seismo logical instruments and proceeded to initiate a private earthquake all its own. The spot of light that normally records tlie faintest ’quake jumped about in a series of wriggles greatez- than the greatest earthquake ever recorded in nistory of civilisation. From a glance at the actual record yesterday it was obvious that something quite remarkable had occurred. “If that had been a real earthquake,” said Dr. C. E. Adams (Government Astronomer), “it would most certainly have had a devastating effect on the whole world!” Fortunately the spider omitted the sequence of tremors normal to more orthodox earthquake records. It was, therefore, a simple matter to trace this purely local disturbance to its source and expel the cause of all the trouble.

As a matter of fact, a number of fairly strong earthquakes have been recorded at Kelburn during the last few' days. The last was on June 30, and it is thought that the origin is situated in the Solomon Islands. This area is little inhabited, the houses are mostly very simple, and a very considerable area is under the sea. Thus it iis not anticipated that any reports of damage will Ire received.