Severe Earthquaks.

Manawatu Herald, 23 April 1892, Page 3

Severe Earthquaks.

On Wednesday the heaviest earth quake ever experienced at Port Darwin occurred. The shock ' iasted three minutes. On the same day, in America, the earthquake was also felt and is stated to have been the worst ever experienced in the Baeraniento Valley. Owing to the stoves being upset, hundreds of houses were burnt. The loss is estimated at a million dollars,

Port Darwin 13 situated in the northern territory of South Australia, and is the port of the chief town, Palmerston. The earthquake would appear to have been continuous from that port to San Francisco, thus travelling under New Guinea, and a number of the small islands in the Pacific ocean. In time we shall probably learn of move damage and perhaps materially altered features of the geography of this portion of the world.

Earthquakes have been felt over the world, more or less severe, but the countries touching the Pacific ocean seem to be experiencing severer shocks than elsewhere. It is not long ago when a severe shock destroyed an island to the north of Australia so much, as to make a fresh survey of the straight imperative. Cua, in Venezula was nearly destroyed in 1878. San Jose de Cncuta and other towns on the boundary of Colombia were destroyed and 14,000 lives lost in 1875. We can only trust that the damage done by this last shake will be confined to property.