EARTHQUAKES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18746, 27 December 1922, Page 5

EARTHQUAKES.

EFFECTS IN CHRISTCHURCH HOSPITAL BADLY DAMAGED A TERRIBLE ORDEAL. ANGLICAN VICARAGE SUFFERS. i'Pee United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, December 26. Hardly any buildings in WaikarK escaped damage as the result of the earthquake, the extent of which is worse than that of the Cheviot ’quake in 1901. With few exceptions the chimneys in the township are down or damaged in some way. The greatest damage was sustained in hospital and the Anglican vicarage. There were only two patients in the hospital at the time —a woman, suffering, from a nervous breakdown, and a baby a few months old. the matron and two other members of the staff were present, and shared a terrifying experience. The hospital is a two-storey wooden building, which was opened in September, 1920. The shake it received was terrible, the building swaying from side to side. To this terrifying motion was added the terrific crashing of chimneys on the roof, and tie bricks were scattered in all directions. The adult patient was in a room in the upper storey, and the bricks from two chimneys crashed on to the roof outside her window, breaking through by sheer weight into the operating theatre below, and making a total wreck of it. aHe plaster work throughout the building was cracked, and large pieces broke away, crashing to the floors. The roof above the operating theatre lookcu as though it had been out with a giant knife, so clean was the hole made by the tumbling bricks. A number of doors were damaged, mailing it difficult to use them. The matron was leaving the ground floor to go upstairs to the patients When the shock occurred, and she was thrown down by the violence of the ’quake. The troubles of the hospital were added to by the splitting of the concrete water tank, the escaping water flooding the outside of the building. A crack was left in tire ground near the gate of the hospital, the fissure being two yards long and an inch wide. The vicarage, occupied by the Rev. F. R. Rawle and Mrs Rawle, is a stout building, erected about 45 years ago. It is in line with ihe hospital, about 100 yards away, and both buildings are on the side of the hill.' - ' The earthquake cracked the building very badly, and the whole of the west side broke up, about 30 tons of stone toppling to the ground and leaving some of the rooms exposed. Mr Rawle was away attending a funeral, but Mrs Rawle was in the bedding, and had a terrible experience. When the wall fell she attempted to get out of one door on to the lawn, but it was jammed, and she had to use another exit. Mr Rawle, on his way home, saw the groat cloud of dust thrown up by the wrecked wall, and thought the builc; ng was on fire. Old residents say that the ’quake was the worst ever felt in Waikari. In Hawarden district, Mr Saundercook, of the Co-operative Stores at Hawarden, states that hundreds of pounds’ worth cf groceries and’bottled goods were damaged, and it is considered that very few chimneys escaped. ' DINING OUT. CHEVIOT RESIDENTS’ PLIGHT. ROTHERHAM HOTEL SUFFERS. SHOCK EVEN FELT AT SEA. (From Our Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, December 26. The accounts received of the damage done bv the earthquakes in Cheviot township state that the chimneys of homes have been razed to the ground in all directions. so much so that to-day the Cheviot people are dining out owing to the untenable nature of their dwellings. Not one chimney remains undamaged. - People have constructed fireplaces in their back yards and gardens with fallen bricks. The shelves of the stores have suffered severely, and Mr Mqir’s store is a wreck. He estimates his damage at £SOO. The severity of the earthquake can be gauged by the fact that the heavy safe in the post office was twisted round by the force of the Fortunately there were no fatalities in Cheviot., but the material damage was very considerable. Since the big shake yesterday several slight shocks have been felt. Yesterday's earthquake was felt at its worst on. the alluvial flat, the hill country escaping comparatively lightly. There were several narrow escapes from injury. One casualty is reported, a young lady who was visiting Mr and Mrs Graham being struck on the head by a falling brick and rendered unconscious for some hours. The local chemist had to clear his floor of debris by using a long-handled shovel. In some gardens apiaries wore upset. A party of three young people on _ Leithfield beach had a. strange experience/’’ They felt themselves sink with the ground for several feet, and the water began to bubble up in some places to a depth of 15 inches.. As soon as the ground became steady they lost no time in getting further away from the sea. At Gore Buy, some distance out from Cheviot, the shake was very severe. mer campers there had the unique experience of watching great slices of earth become detached from the cliffs and sweep down to the sea. Campers say that it appeared as if the whole front would fall into the sen, which, at the time cf the (make, was exceedingly rough. The road from Gore Bay to Cheviot cracked for a considerable distance, and on the Camnbcll estate the water tanks burst. The railway lino suffered, but tea train was able to get through to-day. The earthquake was very. severe at Rotherham. The hotel -was apparently the centre of the disturbance; every bottle crashed from the shelves, the chimneys were wrecked, and the furniture upstairs was capsized and broken. The hotelkeeper estimates his loss at. £3OO. The shock was also severe at Culverden, chimneys being wrecked in some of the private ‘ houses. The To Eoa homestead suffered severely. The' chimneys cracked and broke, and plaster from the coiling crashed to the floor. Hanmer Springs was well shaken, but nothing serious occurred there. Even on the Union Company’s Kaiapoi, at sea; the effect ef the earthquake was felt. Captain Yelknoweth stated that when the vessel was six miles off Lyttelton Heads a. sensation was, felt similar to that of the vessel being changed from full speed ahead to full speed astern. There was a bumping as though the stern had grazed a sandbank; the whole ship was shaken, and the masts Quivered. At first it 1 was feared that something had happened in the engine room. HILLS ESCAPE LIGHTLY. CHEVIOT THE WORST SUFFERER. (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. December 26. The anticipation that Cheviot would be one of the worst sufferers from the ’quake was realised, and very few places escaped without some reminder. The damage is fairly extensive The chimneys are practically all down, or bound to come down. All private houses have suffered, and, added to structural damage, there are heavy losses in crockery and household ornaments. The earthquake was felt at its worse on alluvial flat land, the hill land escaping comparatively lightly. There were several narrow escapes from injury Lady Campbell’s residence is reported to bo damaged. The new fervo concrete building being erected in Mackenzie township for Dalgety and Co. stood verv well, but a lot of the plaster work was shaken loose. Cracks are visible in the road, and shops and th°ir contents also suffered. The local chemist (Mr J. Rintonl) had to clear Ids floor of debris by using a long-bandied shovel. In some of Ihe gardens apiaries were upset, much to the discomfiture of the bees. Two small shocks wore experienced this morning, but they did not add to the damage. In the opinion of some of the older hands, who experienced the 1901 earthquake, yesterday’s shock was not so severe in Cheviot as on that occasion. CATHEDRAL SPIRE INTACT. UNIQUE EXPERIENCE FOR MACLAREN. CHRISTCHURCH, December 25. At the Cathedral, the bells were rung down by the earthquake, and two of the largest shifted from their place, but did not fall. It. is stated that the roof was damaged, but evidently the spire is uninjured.

The crowds on the beaches had a experience owing to the knocking sensation,, ~ of the earthquake, but the wave motion,, , was imperceptible. , ~.. ; At Hangiora a chimney was displaced m T ,. the post office, and extensive cracks cle : ; ; veloped in the now lush school buudlflffW* and Presbyterian Church. A glasshouse belonging to Mr W. A. Bowse (Rangiorai xvas "really demagod, and the emmney toil on a° bicycle. The total damage is mated at 5500. . MacLaren’s team never had a similar ex-.. . perienc?. and MacLarcn’s comment was:,,. ‘■'No. never before; and I don’t wapfr another.” ’ v : TELEGRAPH WIRES REPAIRED. : ‘ (Per United Press Association.) ‘ CHRISTCHURCH. December 26. Most of'the telegraph lines on the East - ! Coast that went down during the earthquake have been repaired, and messages, arc being sent through as usual, although.'- ' there are two faults between: Arqberley and ' Waikari. , , Since 5 a.m. to-day there have been' v _ slight earth tremors in the Cheviot did- jl triefc. >,md one was felt in ChnstchulcK'wd' at 5 a.m. SYDNEY OBSERVATORY'S RECORDS; SYDNEY, December 26. (Received Dec. 27, at la.m.) The first tremor of the ,New Zealand earthquake was recorded at the Sydney Observatory at 37 minutes past one on. Christmas Day, and the principal wave five minutes later. .