ALARMING EARTHQUAKES IN THE SOUTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11824, 29 November 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

ALARMING EARTHQUAKES IN THE SOUTH.

VIOLENT SHOCKS AT CHEVIOT. PEOPLE THROWN TO THE GROUND. / ALMOST EVERY HOUSE WRECKED. AN INFANT KILLED. THE INHABITANTS PANICSTRICKEN. CAMPING IN THE OPEN. CHRISTCHURCH CATHEDRAL DAMAGED. SCARE AT NELSON. j

ONE of the severest and most widely extended shocks of earthquakes ever experienced in the South Island, occurred on No- : vember 16, and in several places did conB iderable damage, as will be seen from the " subjoined telegrams: — Chbistchxtrch, November 16. At thirteen minutes to eight a.m. to-day r t seT ere earthquake was experienced here, and in other parts of the province, its effects being most disastrous at Cheviot, where, unfortunately, one life was lost, that of a young child. , Telegraphic communication with Cheviot has been destroyed by the earthquake which wrecked the telegraph office at that place, but from information obtained from a gentleman, who has come through to Rangiora, l/:' there is hardly a house habitable in the r township. . Every chimney in the settlement is down, not a single one standing. The first shock was so severe that people were thrown to *\ the ground in all directions. The child killed was only two months old, and belonged to Mr. Charles Johnson. The family lived in a sod house with an iron' roof, and on the first shock the whole ' structure collapsed, the child being recovered dead from the ruins. The body of Dr. Williamson, who died a few days previously, was thrown from the coffin, and the house was much damaged. , The township looks as though it had been through a bombardment. } Pemberthy's large boardinghouse was completely wrecked, and Scott's Hotel was so damaged that • it will have to be rebuilt, McTaggart's butchery shop, which was built of brick, ; is simply a heap of ruins. Hubbard, Hall, and Co.'s store has been removed completely from its foundations, and hardly a dwellinghouse in the township is habitable. Many of the inhabitants refuse to return - to their dwellings, and are camping in the open. The Bluff and Beach Roads are entirely blocked, and the schoolhouse at Point Ro»v. binson is wrecked. The telegraph office suffered very everely, all the instruments being smashed, and everything overturned. To illustrate the force the shock the heavy iron plates in ': the office were overturned. The shock was most severely felt in MacKenzie and Spottiswood. At Domett the r j houses were shaken, and chimneys thrown '!, \.. down. When the last information came from tZ Cheviot at three p.m. the shocks were still continuing. At Waiau and Tipape the shaking was "r felt severely. At Waikare a lot of damage is done. The i heaviest losers are McDowell, storekeeper, ■ Kermode, hotel-keeper, McNaught, saddler, White and Co., storekeepers, and Lorner, V/■";-;' hotel-keeper. The vicarage of the Church J, ©f England in almost in ruins. There is Is. hardly a chimney left standing. Several ■j'l.i' women fainted. ,

•#R;.:":. In Christchurch itself the shock lasted over half-a-minute. The Cathedral spire '■-'■: was cracked in two places, and part of the *~-,:-•• spire tinder the cross has been shifted about a foot. Beyond injury to the Cathedral spire, the =W'v' damage to other buildings is not consider- >? J able. Several house chimneys fell, and the' . tank under the roof at the D.I.C. overflowed, damaging the goods in the two '.storeys below. At the Normal School, which was built on peaty ground, several cracks are noticeable on the outside walls. One crack on the ;; v northern gable, though not serious, seems to show that but for the buttresses the whole wall would have fallen. A leading builder estimates that it will take £800 to repair the Cathedral spire, the same amount practically as on the previous -< ■ occasion. ;|S*; r , Tikaru, November 16. A sharp shock of earthquake was felt here ■' this morning at twelve minutes to eight. The shock caused a distinct trembling, last- • ing about 345. '■.•;. r Westpobt, November 16. ' A heavy and prolonged earthquake was (I felt here at ten minutes to eight a.m. ,', .. Greymouth, November 16. vt-rO A sharp shock of earthquake, lasting over ten seconds, occurred at a-quarter to eight this morning, and several lighter shocks in !/ the afternoon. Blenheim, November 16. A prolonged but not very severe earth:'v quake was felt here at a-quarter to eight this \k~~ morning. ° -K~ X- 1 1£

61 Nelson, November 16. A prolonged shock of earthquake was felt . here at a-quarter to eight a.m. this morning, lasting over half a minute. The direc- ' tion was north to south. Buildings rocked and groaned. The church clock stopped at the exact minute. Doors, crockery, pictures, etc., swayed for several seconds after the shock ceased. A marked feature of the shock was its duration and its gentle swaying and undulating motion. Several people " were quite scared. Some rushed out of their houses in alarm. Happily, though it was one of the longest shocks over felt here, the ; motion was not severe, and no damage is % yet reported. Hokitika, November 16. A sharp shock of earthquake was felt here this morning at sixteen minutes to eight, its direction being north-east and southwest. AsmitrßTON, November 16. A sharp shock of earthquake was experienced here at twelve minutes to eight this morning, lasting several seconds. One or two clocks stopped. Dunedin, November 16. A sharp shock of earthquake was felt here at a-quarter to eight o'clock this morning. InvErcargill, November 16. A slight earthquake was felt here at ten minutes to eight o'clock this morning. CHRiSTCHtritcH, November 17. At Cheviot the shocks continued all day and night. The people deserted their Wrecked houses and camped in the open. i In the great shock clouds of dust were ;: Raised, and people were thrown down. ■ : In some places fissures opened, water issui'i'- ing. ' A number of persons were injured, some ~' Severely, by falling bricks. The bridges are badly damaged by slips in many places, and on the Bluff Road to Port Robinson thousands of tons came :!own and will take many months to clear. Id Waiau damage to the extent of £300 was done to the hotel. Every chimney in V the township will have to be rebuilt. It is reported that the Hakweswood and Parnasmia homesteads have been destroyed. At Hanmer a new spring broke out, and the water ill the others turned black. -j-:-<--■■'-■■■■■'. -,-■'■■ ■■■■.- -..-■■