SHARP 'QUAKE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19826, 31 December 1938, Page 14

SHARP 'QUAKE

LOWER HALF OF ISLAND CENTRE IN HAWKE'S BAY SEVERE AT DANNEVIRKE PEOPLE RUSH TO STREETS (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. A sharp earthquake, felt over a wide area from Manaia and Porangahau in tile north to Nelson in the south, and reaching an intensity of seven on the Rossi-Forel scale at Dannevirke, three at Napier, and live at Wellington, occurred at about 2.20 yesterday afternoon.

From general reports received by the Dominion Siesmological ObservaWellington, the centre of the earthquake is placed about 95 miles from Wellington, where it appears to have originated in Southern Hawke's Bay, a little east of the Tararua riange. , .

The shock in Dannevirke lasted about 40 seconds, and was violent irom tne commencement. People rushed into the streets.

Some structural damage wai done, the worst being an extensive crack on one corner of the frontage of the Dannevirke Power Board's building. Chimneys came down in outlying districts, and fairly heavy losses were caused in some households. Water tanks were also damaged. Chimneys Down

Some chimneys were brought down between Bulls and Greatford. At Wanganui, where the shock was sharp, there was a general stoppage of clocks and considerable movement within buildings. Little or no damage is reported, however. The shock was heavy at Porangahau, where several cnimneys and tanks came down and crockery was oroken. ■ .

The shock at 2.21 p.m. was felt as a fairly sharp one in Wellington, the peak of the shake lasting about 10 seconds. It was placed at intensity 5 at the Dominion Observatory, where one of the time clocks was stopped. The shock was preceded by a rumbling sound in the Hutt Valley. No damage is reported. A good recording of the shake was obtained on the observatory's strong motion siesmograph. A small shock, probably a fore-shock of the later earthquake, was recorded at 0.9 a.m. yesterday at the observatory.

No damage was done at Palmerston North, but at Pahiatua there was a sharp jolt which dislodged merchandise from the shop shelves, wrecked window displays and toppled over a number of chimneys. Shoppers made a hurried exit to the streets: xue excitement, however, was soon over.