SEVERE SHAKING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 4 May 1931, Page 5

SEVERE SHAKING

WESTPORT AND DISTRICT TERRIFIC UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS (By Telegraph—Press Association) •WESTPORT, This Day. What appear to be terrific underground explosions are occurring at intervals and giving Westport and surrounding districts severe shakings. They are worse during the night than in the day time, and speculation is busy as to whether tlie full moon has anything to do with these powerful eruptions, as the severest of the earthquakes generally occurred at about the time of the full moon.

“LIKE A BATTERY OF HEAVY GUNS NOISE FROM DIRECTION OF SEA WESTPORT, This Day. Although Westport has experienced many ’quakes since the big snake of 17th June 1929, the loud detonations which occurred on Friday night and early on Saturday morning were most alarming. The worst occurred at 1.30 on Saturday morning and continued until daybreak. They were like a severe thunderstorm and appeared to come from the sea. The actual earth movement was not severe, but the noise was like a battery of heavy guns in action.

With each severe detonation there was a distinct upward thrust. The detonations eased off on Saturday night and last night also was quite. A peculiar feature was that the detonations were not felt in. the mining townships situated in the hills only 20 miles from Westport.