WEST COAST SHAKEN

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 498, 21 July 1932, Page 5

WEST COAST SHAKEN

SEVERE EARTH TREMORS NO DAMAGE IN STRATFORD PATEA AND NEW PLYMOUTH SUFFER jSECOND SHAKE AFTER MIDNIGHT Lasting for 3' 2 minutes a severe earthquake shook Stratford at 4.23 ; yesterday afternoon and caused considerable alarm. People rushed j from houses and other buildings and although no great damage was done there were cases in which ar. tides were shaken down from shelves. The earthquake had more of an up and down than a side to side movement, anil somewhat resembled the heaving of a ship at sea. In at leasl one case the motion had the effect if making a woman sick. Chimneys were seen to sway, but as far as can he ascertained none were j brought down. Mr. A. W. Burrell told "The Strat-

ford Post" that the 'quake had a movement of three-eighths of an inch and the direction was south.west-north-east. Another shake occurred at 12.45 a.m. today and is described as being more severe than the previous one. This, however, was not recorded on the instrument, and Mr. Burrell says the non-recording would indicate that it had a vertical mcvement. This kind of earthquake is not recorded on the ordinary instrument; in fact there is probably only one apparatus in New Zealand that would record it. All around the Stratford district l*)th shakes were felt, but happily there were no serious effects.

Preliminary opinions formed by the staff of the Dominion Observatory were that the centre of the disturbance was 110 miles seaward from WelH n "*r>n between Farewell Spit and Cape Egmont.

The shake in the afternoon was felt at tfiiest centres along the west coast of the North Island as far north as Auckland, and along the west coast of the South Island as far down as Wesfport. Some damage was done in Taranaki, chimneys being shaken clown in Patea and New Plymouth. Damage was also due in Wanganui. The shock experienced at Welling, ton apparently was not as severe as was felt in some other places.

Slight at Auckland

Slight shocks were experienced at Auckland, and in the suburban areas at 4.25 o'clock, states a Press Association message. Residents at St. Heliers and Epsom, as well as in the city proper, stated that the earth tremor, thriugh slight, was quite discernible It was not of long duration. It was not felt at Whangaiei. Fairly Severe in New Plymouth New Plymouth reports a startlingly severe shake, Several chimneys, states a Press Association message, were shaken down, one plateglass window was' broken, and many of ornaments were tumbled from shelves, but the total damage was very slight.