SEVERE EARTHQUAKE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 126, 29 June 1881, Page 3

SEVERE EARTHQUAKE.

Perhaps the severest shock of earthqtfake that has been experienced for a quarter of a century was felt along this coast on Sunday morning. Luckily, no damage has been done around this dis-

triet — at all events, so far as we have been

able to learn; but many persons were 'considerably frightened, and we have heard of a few who made terrific efforts to get at the doors and windows of their sleeping apartments. From different statements, we gather that the vibration lasted form a minute to a minute and a half, and during that time the hotels in Hawera swayed like a ship at anchor. Mr. Pitcher had most of his clocks stopped at 21 minutes past 5 a.m., and in several Otb«r places " old time" was completely turned off his beat. As will be seen by the subjoined telegrams, the shock was very severe between Wanganui and Foxton. Perhaps the heaviest and most severe shock of earthquake that has been experienced in this town (says the Wanganui Chronicle) for the last 25 years occurred on Snnday morning, about 5.23 o'clock. The weather at the time was extremely boisterous, a strong^south-eaet gale blowing, accompanied by smart showers of rain. The direction of the movement was from east to west, and the ground was in a state of violent agitation for about half a minute, -r The first shock was the heaviest; persons were thrown out of bed* and in many houses movable articles were overturned. In the hotels and chemists' shops a number of bottles were shaken off the shelves, and in this manner some damage was done. Some twenty chimneys in various parts of the town fell, and as many more are bo badly shaken that they will have to be taken down. . The turn-table of the bridge shifted slightly fup stream, but was got right again without much trouble during the day. We learn that the brick house built by Mr. B. Peyman some time back, which was thought unsafe, withstood the shock without the slightest damage being done. One peculiarity of this earthquake was that, though previously the night was pitch dark, yet during the agitation it was possible to discern with some distinctness objects at a distance of some yards, and when the quaking ceased, the night became as dark as before.