EARTHQUAKE SHOCKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2561, 15 April 1903, Page 15

EARTHQUAKE SHOCKS.

, MELBOURNE, April 9. The seismic record of the severe earthquake shock which took place at Warnambool on Tuesday, causing the collapse of the town hall and doing a considerable amount of damage to many houses, was confined tc a very small area. The town is near an extinct volcano. Several New Zealanders resident there state that they never felt anything so severe. The wonder is that mor ( e damage was not done. Some thing like a tidal wave followed the shock, and a huge wave swept over the bar at the mouth of the river. Another slight shock of earthquake was felt last evening. The public are in a state of high tension.

-* A smart shock of earthquake was felt in Dunedin about 10.47 on Thursday morning. Many of the hill residents state that the shock was very severe, and that it »vao accompanied by a rumbling noise.

Our Cromwell correspondent jelegraphed that a sharp shock of earthquake was felt thero at 10.45 a.m. accompanied by a rumbling. The shock lasted about a minute, and rattled wooden houses.

Our Naseby and Alexandra correspondents telegraph that a sharp shock was experienced in each town, the time being given as 10.50. No damage was done.

The manager of Gladbrook station. Middlemarch, reports that a strong shock was felt there at 10.50 a.m.

Our Palmerston correspondent writes that the shock was the severest felt for many years, and caused great consternation, several buildings rocking to and fro. The direction of the shock appeared to be from north-east to south-west, and it lasted about 10 >r 12 seconds. It was accompanied by* a loud rumbling noise, as if a railway train was passing. One gentleman thought it was tho carter tipping a load of timber outside his house.

Our St. Bathans correspondent writes: — April 9. — An earthquake of £ most alarming nature was experienced here at 10.50 on Thursday morning. Houses shook to their foundations, and some of them were thrown off the plumb. The phenomenon differed ' from all other earthquakes ever felt here.

The ' earth trembled violently, and thtf trembling was accompanied" with a roaring noise like a mighty whirlwind, Womeu and children fainted, and some ol the -latter became • hysterical and wer-> unable , to walk home. A panic took place in the public school. The blackboards were thrown on the floor, slates 'were shaken from the desks, and the children made a rush for the door, where they got jambed for a short time. When they reached the open each child was deadly pale and trembling all over. The school building had a severe shake, and the" doors, that previously closed with ease, cannot now be shut. Other buildings and chimneys have been shifted off the square.