Heavy Earthquake in Wellington.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume II, Issue 151, 21 May 1894, Page 3

Heavy Earthquake in Wellington.

Great Sensation Caused.

By Telegraph.—Frees Association.

Wellington, May 19.

There was a small shock of earthquake about 4.30 this morning accompanied by a sound like a sharp explosion. At 9.40, however, there was another, the most prolonged and vigorous felt here for years. It fetched the people running out of tie houses into streets in all directions. Later. • So far as can be gathered people had only a fright, and no actual damage was done. There was more noise than anything else. Persons in the open say there was a loud orash as though hills were coming down bodily, and the noise of buildings rattling together, and the rustling of trees was tremendous. In some of the larger wooden buildings the swaying was violent, and women fainted. Brick buildings d» not appear to have felt it so much. Sir James Ilector says the seisometer at the museum showed a vibration of 1-8 inch, and the shock, which lasted six seconds, was the most vigorous in his experience. Tho direction was from the north-west, and he thinks it is very likely connected with some disturbance in the central region. The shock in the early morning was preceded by a loud concussion which led many to belive that there had been an explosion somewhere in town. Later. The Public Library got a bad wrench from the earthquake. An old crack caused over a year ago in a similar manner was opened out again and extendeda little. The plaster fell largely from the roof in the hall and cracked on the walls.