THE EARTH TREMORS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15237, 26 February 1913, Page 8

THE EARTH TREMORS.

MORE SHOCKS IN WESTPORT. NO FURTHER DAMAGE. [BY TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] Westport, Tuesday. From eight, o'clock yesterday morning till 11.30 last night the community -was undisturbed by earthquake shocks. Then came a repetition of the dull boom with little vibration. At 12.17 a.m. another cannonade was heard, followed by very pronounced shaking. No damage was done by any of the numerous shocks since the lively couple of minutes at 12.36 on Saturday. The origin of the disturbances; is plainly to the south-west of Westport, and it must be relatively close to that town, as no damage was done at Greymouth on one side, and only the initial shock was felt at Kfirn.mea on the other side. Colliers describe, Saturday's experience as pandemonium let loose. Women and children throughout the district arc unnerved. EXPERIENCE AT SEA. STEAMER KATOA SHAKEN. The Union Company's steamer Katoa, which arrived at Auckland from Westport yesterday morning, had a rather peculiar experience shortly after leaving the West Coast coal port. Captain A. T. Norton reported that at 12.38 p.m. on Saturday the Katoa was shaken by some tremendous submarine disturbance, and shook from stem to stern. At the time of the disturbance the Katoa was sixteen miles distant from Westport, and wis steaming at a fair rate of speed through water which the chart showed to be 35 fathoms deep. Captain Norton described the sensation at the time of the upheaval as though the steamer had been raised from the water and gave the impression as if she was scraping her way over a derelict. The shock lasted for three or four seconds, and although the disturbance did not have any appreciable effect upon the sea, the upheaval below the water appeared to be a far-reaching one. Captain Norton expressed the opinion that the centre of the shock which struck the ship was well out to sea. The time at which the earthquake was felt on the steamer was just two minutes after it was recorded at Westport. TREMOR IN SYDNEY. ONLY SLIGHT MOVEMENT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. —Copyright. Sydney, February 25. Tho Government astronomer reports that the earthquake which has occurred on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand, was registered in Sydney, although the record was nothing like what he expected from the cabled accounts of the occurrence. The seismic waves caused only a very slight displacement hero. The astronomer says that the centre of the disturbance most likely occurred in strata directly under the surface of the earth. The waves would thus quickly reach the surface and cause considerable damage, but the severity would bo felt only locally. The tremor reached here at 15min 2s* 3 past 11 on Saturday morning. It re-ached its maximum at 18min 9sec past 11. The largest waves were only .4 of a millimetre in amplitude.