THE EARTHQUAKE AT NELSON.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume I, Issue 3, 1 March 1855, Page 35

THE EARTHQUAKE AT NELSON.

Since Tuesday evening last, when the whole of the Blind Bay district was startled with the shock of an earthquake fully as severe as that experienced by us in October, 1848; the earth has continued in a more or less tremulous state, but no further shocks of any great severity have occurred. The first shock took place about a quarter past nine in the evening, and appeared to come from a N.E. direction, and is believed to have lasted from three to four minutes, but not with the same uninterrupted violence, for it rose and fell several times, and instead of being one shock, was probably a succession of shocks, but so closely following one another as not to be distinguishable. Although from this shock a few brick buildings have sustained great damage, they are those which were injured in the earthquake of 1848, and ought to have been repaired after that event; instead of which, by being allowed to remain as then left, they are now so far damaged as to require in part taking down. This applies to the premises in Trafalgar-street, occupied by Mr. Nicholson as a warehouse; the premises in the same street, lately occupied by Mr. Foy; Mr. A. Aitken's residence in Bridge-street; a small building adjoining Mr. Hargreaves', butcher, and the Wesleyan Chapel. The three first named are two-story buildings. Beyond the demolition of several chimneys, we are not aware that any other buildings have suffered, except a pise house, the residence of the Rev. H. F. Butt; all the remaining brick and cob houses in the town and neighbourhood being uninjured, while the wooden and lath-and plaster buildings are not of a character to be affected by such an occurrence. In three or four stores property to the amount of from £2O to £SO was destroyed by breakages, but in private houses little if any loss of this kind was sustained. It is satisfactory to be able to state, that no personal accident occurred of a serious character, and the only instance in which an injury was sustained was by a little boy, son of A. M'Donald, Esq., Manager of the Union Bank of Australia, who, while lying in his cot, was slightly struck by some falling brickwork.— Nelson Examiner 3 Feb. 28.