THE EARTHQUAKE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 248, 6 October 1911, Page 5

THE EARTHQUAKE.

A HAWKES BAY VISITATION. THE SH<M K CREATES A PANIC. HASTINGS l LOCK TOWER GETS A SWING ON. BUT LITTLE REAL DAMAGE DONE. The t-arthtgtake at Hastings was a very violent one. It lasted about s*i second-, anil the populace was thrown into a state of nervous excitement. People rushed out of the > ot» Is. biisint->s premises and private* home's, and the -tree;- wire filled with excited people. Heretaunga -triet was crowded :n a verv short space of time, and when people* ha«i regained a normal pulse they turned their attention to the Grand Hotel, fearing that it would have fared badly. That building, m.wfier. .-.rood the test splendidly, ami Mr. Mackay reports that absolutely no damage' at all had been done. The Pot Office building suffered the worst of any place in the town, hut fortunately no actual structural damage has re suited from the severe -hake. The clock tower sway ed like a sapling in a storm, ai d the root o f the* tower broke away from the main building, but the foundations Stool firm and the tower and btiild■ngs are practically as strong as ever they were.

Mr. Bcyland. District Overseer. Public Works Department, visited Hastings this morning. He reports that he has examined the Post Office which he found perfectly sound. The shake opened up all old settlements. The main cornices of the budding are- separated about threcqnnrters of an inch from the tower, a- also are the inside partitions on the first flm.-r. The cement facings on the first floor wmdows on each s de of the tower, and the intersections of the main building with the tower are also afficte.l. but the whole damage is not great.

The clerk stepped at the t in.* of tht slt..ek 7.7 p.m. However, it made up for lost time at 8 o’clock, when it struck about 1»H instead of H. Mr. Diinninglfini was on the scene shortly after and rendered first aid. and to-day "Big Ben" was working ns though nothing had happened. The cadettt s in the T< It phone Exchange r< reamed at tht iv p-.st '.. fin exchange -ystem was in a state of flux for some time, about 7t> wires in use being thrown into one cent act, during which an enormous current wa v gcimi t.air of the l- itti rv. ’I lit* itt legrap’n linesmen !«<-t m> time m putting matters aright, anti at 7 , ’ lcek this morning tvtry thing wa* working with eiistt ni iiy smoothm ss The eltetrr telegraph •*' •' ¥ made j■■ hasty rt treat from thi r rooms I when thev 1:< aril plaster fulling "ii I the staircase, ami filed ntc the road to await <l« velopmeiits. Various rumours were nfltcif in town this morning relative to tin damage to the Post Office, one even going so far as to 'tate that the ,owt r would have t'- be demolish •<* ri».i rebuilt. Reports of damage in other parts of the town .although numerous, are not of a serious nature. A passer-by avows that the spire on the Catholic Church swayed like jthe petluluin of a.clock, but fortunI ately no damage occurred.

The direction of the tremor was from east to west and some pedestrians sav that the ground heaved like the deck of a ship at sea. The motion was more vertical than undulating and this probably accounts for the small damage done considering the strength of the shock. Plate glass windows were broken in the business premises of Messrs. J. A. Miller. Joe Tos and S. T. Tong I and the old premises of Messrs. I Landon. Stewart and Co. | Messrs. Land and Heighway’s pre- | mises suffered considerably. The 1 parapet of the building facing Marj ket street was dislodged for about ’ in or 12 feet and in another portion ' about five feet of wall was displaced. ! The dislodged mass fell inwards on >to the roofing, smashing the iron, and beams of substantial dimensions. One hole rent in the roof | was nearlv two feet in diameter. In the various hotels bottles were I shaken down from their shelves, and similar incidents were recorded in I nearly all the grocery shops. Among the residences a number of chimneys are reported as having bemi lowered to the house roofs. Two chimneys in Mr. <l. N. Pharazvn's new residence were ruined. Several rdls of lincle.im in Casj ‘in’-, show r. oni> were shaken orc:’ land tiie furniture they fell on «.i--hmdy smash' d. Mr T. Line. In. si nr., who was < .n ! fined to his bed tndi pier.: by. hi" j the unpleasant experience -J I unable to move while ihe chimney of j his house was crashing i.u r. i The clanging of the firebell about i,5..-„> inc.-ea.-rd the prevailing ex.-ite I ent. but ti’.e fire v.a. m thing mo;-. -< 11 u-- tha» r. < Irtzntg .-Imm-vy -J the Ranftirlv Hotel. 'll.- -> ". k Lr--light down a iremen- ! .... quantity of matt rial Hom the . -Vi-. < liff.-i between < lift n at.d tin Kidnapper. The made a loud tear, and sent a heavy ch.ml c! dust - I. ns di-tat.ee out over the sea.

THE SHIH'K AT X API ER. What i< regarded by most of the Xante: residents as the severe 4 earthumike that has taken place since tie big stock of Itml. was «‘X pcrieneed in X.ipier at 7.* o clock last ev.-mi:-- Ike shock gradu.lt* d in violence, commencing with a gentle rambling, and slight vibration which iih ieased I" great violence within a few seconds, and eotitinm-d foi- about 2' l s«-comls. although the motion "f 'h’- buildings was prei-e>>-tibie for a coiisi.lerab|\ longer p.-rb'.l- Within M'-en to ten min il'*r anot her slight shock v. a - felt. pre. eded with if anything, more distinct rumbling than the tit <t, ami pie .inti'ipate.t that another h.-aiv sick v.a< coining. 'lke mam >lc>,k .au-e.l grcit alarm in all part,.t H.e town. p. ••!•:■ lushing about in all ooe. ..on . t-.i! umitei. no s.-iioii-damage is r* potted. It appear- to I. ire b.-. n much k-'S violent in Xa

pier than in Hastings. The onlydamage reported in Napier is that a mass of masonry fell from the Provincial Hotel onto tiie footpath and road. Several people who were passing by at the time had narrowescapes. Many of the chimneys in Carlyle street ami other places are cracked and one or two have fallen down. Small pieces <>f plaster have fallen off other buildings, but no serious damage has been done. T lie cross on the Cat lied ral lias been displaced while tiie removal of half a tile is the only damage the roof has sustained. REPORTS FROM OTHER CENTRES. Taihape. Oct. G. A severe shock of earthquake was experienced here at 7.8 last night. It was preceded and followed by mild vibrations lasting seme time. WAIROA. Oct. G. A sharp and prolonged- shock of earthquake w as t xperienccd here at 7.G last night. Waipawa. Oct. 6. A very severe and prolonged earth quake was felt here about 7.7 last night. Na rrricus damage is reported.