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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9149, 3 September 1888, Page 4

The earthquake which has just taken place m the South tells us that the subterranean forces, which were once such a source of unrest to these islands, have not yet been wholly extinguished. The earth tremor which has been the most severe that has occurred for many

years appears to have centred in +v latitude of Christchurch, extend south to the extremity of the island and north as far asTaranaki, and op rally as far as the line of the Errei?^^ of the Thermal Spring, Fortun for us that singular break in the co y tinuity of the earth's surface apiw"". to give _us immunity in Auckland from _ wnat, at the best, must 1 sometimes unpleasant experiences I" our friends on the other side of ° It is true we are not absolute!-' exempt from earth tremors, thou-"; hardly in our case to be dignified f" the name of earthquakes; but it'\ probable that in respect of such pl, w 1S mena the city of Auckland is not. raor" subject to the visitation than most of the British Islands. Unfortunate!for us, this distinction will hardly if recognised by people far away. ami doubtless we shall share in tho' r pathy, if not the pity, of those who v.'iM learn that there lias been an cart} quake in New Zealand. This exempt-Jo'" from a class of terrestrial phenomena that is in some other parts of tt' world a very terrible visitation, must h recognised among the many other ad van" tages which we possess in our favoured district; but none the less we express our sympathy for our fellow-colonists further south, who have been subject,.,-! to a rather startling sensation.'' The falling of a portion of the Cathedra! spire at Christchurch appears to ha\e been the chief casualty in connection with the earthquake ; but as no livehave been lost, we are fortunately not called on to chronicle the event as one | of' painful memories. Indeed, wh ea | we consider what earthquakes' are in other lands, the worst of our New Zealand earthquakes are comparatively insignificant events. On other shoreabutting on the great Pacific basin' earthquakes are very real things' and the swallowing up of v.i.o'e' districts, including populous towns' in South America, in Japan, and in some of the Indian islands, makes it hardly fitting to give the name o: earthquake to anything experienced in New Zealand in modern times. Time was no doubt when these islands heaved and rocked ; and when the numerous volcanic cones that now in their covering of green give beamy to the landscape, rained a fiery delude all around them, a very lively condition of things existed, if there were any inhabitants to witness the scene. " But though these earth tremors come now and then in certain parts of New Zealand to tell us that the latent energies are not wholly exhausted, there h, or course, no one in the colony, even in those parts of it where such things occur, who regards them as in the le«V. militating against the colony as a place of secure and pleasant residence.