FURTHER EARTH TREMORS.

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

FURTHER EARTH TREMORS.

Although they have not been m all instances appreciable, there has been a series of minor quakes since the unmistakable one on Saturday morning. Mr Farr was m the instrument room, or vault, for it is a concrete room underground, at the Observatory, about noon on Saturday, and noticed that the magnetographs were being agitated, and he at once set them m order to record further tremors. He expressed the opinion thai, m all probability there had been a continuous series of tremors since the one experienced early m the morning. The vertical force magnetograph wus thrown out of adjustment, probably by the big quake, and the records of the succeeding tremors were taken on the horizontal force and decliniation magnetographs. It may suggest itself to many that it is somewhat strange that instruments designed to record variations m magnetic conditions should record earthquake shocks, but it is possible that earthquakes have an influence upon magnetic conditions. At any rate, the photographic records of magnetic variations are totally different from the records, which are undoubtedly the result of earth tremors. Mr , Farr has been assisted m his observations by Mr H. F. . Skey, who' was m. attendance m the Observatory all Saturday night and Sunday morning. The exact times at which the major tremors recorded, took place are as follows: Saturday, 2.44 p.m., 3.12 p.m., 6.23 p.m., 8.19 p.m. ; Sunday, 1.11 a.m. There were also many others, but quite appreciable tremors on Sunday. From 25 minutes past noou on Saturday till midnight 12 distinct tremors were recorded. One tremor apparently, lasted for about three ■ hours, between 7.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m. The shake recorded at 6.23 p.m. on Saturday was distinctly felt by several persons m town, whilst the one recorded at 8.19 p.m. at the Observatory was also felt at Cheviot. The instrument's a/t the Observatory also recorded distinctly a series of six separate shocks which took place at 1.11 a.m. yesterday, the duration of which was about seven minutes.