STORIES BY EYE-WITNESSES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9305, 19 November 1901, Page 4

STORIES BY EYE-WITNESSES

GRAPHIC ACCOUNTS OF THE DISASTER. A resident of Cheviot who arrived m Christchurch on Saturday night gives a graphic account of the earthquake there. He says:— "At about a quarter to eight 1 was getting dressed m my whare, which is situated on a rise about one mile ifrom McKenzie township. The. first thing that made me aware of the shock was mv clock falling off the shelf, and ou my picking it up the main shock came with terrific force, accompanied by a loud roar, which appeared to come from the bowels of the earth. My sod chimney was dashed to the ground, and the birdcages hanging outside were shaken off the hooks. I immediately went outside, and the sight that met my gaze was peculiar. The next-door neighbor's chimneys were both down, and on looking on McKenzie township from my elevated position on the lull I could not see one chimney standing, and the whole valley was enveloped m clouds of dust, the wavy motion making the valley have the appearance of a huge carpet being shaken, and clouds of dust rising therefrom. Along the road m front of me an old muu was bringing m the cows for the morning milking. I saw him fall to the ground, and no sooner did he regain his feet than he was down flat again on the ground. I could see the people down at the township running here and there, and horses rushing about the place. Une harnessed horse galloped past my way, neighing m a pitiful manner. It was a painful sight to watch the terrorstricken faces of many of the people among the crowd that watched our departure. I'm afraid there will be much hardship there yet, as all the" bakers' ovens are wrecked, and it will be some time before things can be righted again. As all communication was cut off from the outside world, and not knowing whether we could get safely through to Christchurch or not, we took four horses and put two saddles m the conveyance ; but happily, on reaching the Hurunui bridge, we found all safe to cross, and eventually reached Waipara at 4 p.m." Mr Wm. Knott, a young man employed by Mr ,A. Niccol, baker, of Cheviot, cycled into town on Saturday, leaving McKenzie about an hour or so after the shock. He said:— "l was m the stable behind the shop when the earthquake took place. The place began shaking, niul I could not make out what had hap-

puned, and it was impossible to sco much, owing to the .clouds of dust occasioned by the falling chimneys and buildings. The horses began squirming, and I ran out of the stable, and could see others rushing out of other buildings. The houses were all rocking and shaking, but it was impossible to see much, on account of the fog caused by the dust. In the bakehouse the bakers had just put a batch of bread m the oven, when it collapsed, and all that could be seen was a heap of bricks. The bakers managed to get out unhurt. Water was running all over the yard from the overturned tanks. The big American stove m the kitchen was destroyed and upset, and kitchen , utensils were to be seen on all sides. In all the township I don't think there wus cne brick left on another ou the chimneys. Indoors, beds and tables had jumped ii.to the middle of the rooms, and wild confusion wus met on every side. Looking out ou the township when the dust had settled, it had the appearance of a. place that had been bombarded by Long Toms.' .Houses were all askew, and the windows, instead of being oblong, were of diamond shape. Sonw of the buildings which previously had appeared to be most securely built were amongst those wrecked. McTaggart's butcher's shrp, built of brick, collapsed, and Hubbard and Hall's shop shifted off the piles. The crockery was mostly all smashed, and the stock was all mixed up. Johnston's cob house, m which the child was killed, is on the Waiau road, and is built below the level of the road. The walls were made of clay," were about two feet thick aud about nine feet high, and it had au iron roof. Neither the -Anglican nor Presbyterian Churches appeared to have sustained any damage, and the Town Hall also escaped."