SUMMARY OF THE DAMAGE. Christchurch, Sept. 3. THE EARTHQUAKE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 296, 5 September 1888, Page 3

SUMMARY OF THE DAMAGE. Christchurch, Sept. 3.

THE EARTHQUAKE.

The severe earthquake on Saturday morning, which has caused us the utmost excitement, may now be summed up as a whole. In a few words, it amount? to this : That though Christchurch people had a terrible fright, and have to mourn the present loss of the chief architectural ornament to their city, there is no e\'bent of damage done to private property. There i? no sense or use in magnifying the loss, and therefore Ta\ rite this. Twenty-six feet of the stone spire of the Cathedral has been broken down. For several hours on Saturday the gilt cioss and pieces of the stonework within a yard of the summit hung aloft in a manner that was both pitiful and dangerous. They were kept together by tlie bauds of iron built into them, and the strong iion rod running down the centre, and formed a melancholy addition to the wounded aspect which the truncated spire i eared. Beyond this damage, and several holes in the loof, the building i^ in tact. My own belief is it would have been perfectly safe to have held ser- \ ice there as usual yesterday. The City Council authorities*, howevei, i-iterfeied and stopped this. In the remaindei of the tow n the only real damage done luis been to the north and north-west quarter. The name thing was experienced in the shock ot June 8. 1809, and may. I fancy, be due to the shaky, peaty subsoil in that locality. At the Normal School and elseubeie chimney have been lett minus their tops, and insecuie wailb have been Clacked and plaster dislodged in showeit, but beyond this there i> nothing

SIX SHOCKS FELT Si\ shocks were telt since the principal one, but were so slight that many people did not teel them. They came at 4 30. 4.55, 4.45, 5, 10.55, and 11.30. The weather was beautifully tine.

THE DAMAGED CATHEDRAL The main fact about the earthquake it. the damage to the Cathedral spiie, before which everything else fades into insignificance for Christchnicb people. The Cathedral occupies almost the position in then affections, that Port Jackson occupies for the inhabitants of Sydney. It is the centre and focus of the city, its distinguishing feature, and a memorial of the ecclesiastical basis of one of the ino^-t high-principled schemes oi colonisation e\ er conceived in Great Britain. The graceful tapering spire was a landmark for every dwellei on the plains within thirty 01 iorty miles of the town, a beacon to the maiiner making Ins way to Lyttelton acios> the broad expanse ot Pegasus Bay. and the chief architectural ornament of the city. The melancholy appearar.ee of the wiecked >pire of course struck eveiybody. Hanging by hon bands built into the stonework, cro-s and parts of the final remained alott the cyuoeuie ot all eye^ in the crowd winch constantly gathered and melted away in the square below Fortunately, the rest of the building 'suffered no seriou- damage. Even the lower part of the s-pire, a^ tar as is known at present, is perfectly sound. The blocks ot stone iell mostly towuids Cathedral bquare, and spaied the building, though bright white spots on the giey masonry of the tower and ornaments showed plainly where they stiuck in their descent, in some cases breaking ofi large splinters in their course. One hole has been made in the high loof of the nave, but it is not lai ge, moic noticeable damage occuirino m the lo^ei rouf, which is bxoken throuyh in several placet. The falling stone, it is curious to note, -struck clear or the memorial font to Captain Stanley, coming to the ground on either side of it and spoiling nothing but a single arm ol one of the tall gas standards. The wreck hung dangerously and was wisely lowered to the ground as soon as possible. By the close of the da) the stunted spite, standing I up a very ragged and shattered -looking wreck, was cleared from the perilous pen- ! dant which had rendered haniers and policemen necessary on the pavement before the western doorway. The time of the disaster was accurately marked by the Post office clock just opposite, which stopped at twelve minutes past four, and recorded the fact complacently till long past broad daylight.

THE CRASH OF THE FALL. The falling stones made a ten ible commotion. A man who was walking in Worcester- street at the time tells me that the spire began to sway and the bells to 1 ing almost with the commencement of the earthquake. When the shock reached its climax, the upper part of the .structure seemed to collapse, and came crashing to the ground. The mass of stone which came down exploded like a bombahell, for fragments, some as lai'ge as a man's body, were strewn all over the footpath, and even on the road. The asphalt was smashed to pieces in irregularly-shaped patches. A considerable poition of the debn\ fell into the Cathedral yard on the north side of the tower. The steeple-keeper, 4nderfcon, an old salt, was on the scene a few minutes later. He ascended the tower, and without further ado, set to work to make all secure. His pluck and determination deserve to be recorded, for the ropes and beams with which he managed to make the cross and spiral fast prevented any further dislodgment in the numerous small shocks that followed during the day.

DONORS OF THE SPIRE. The spire wat the gift of the sons and daughters of the late Mr Robert Heaton Rhodes, whose personal bequest was the tower itself. In the original plans for the erection of the Cathedral, which were drawn by Sir Gilbert Scott, drawings were made for a stone tower with a wooden spire. This idea, however, was afterwards abandoned, and a stone spire was designed by Mr W. Mountfort, and duly erected from his drawings. The total height of the spire and tower was 202 feet. The break is about 20 feet from the summit, not including the height ot the cross. The spirewas about 6 fees in diameter at the point of fxactuie. The spire was built of Oamaru stone and the remainder of the structure of blue stone faced with Oamaru stone. The structure of the spire was strongly bound together with band stones and iron and strengthened at intervals with floors, and considering the material used was built in the strongest possible manner. The probability is that this very solidity was a fatal mistake. About six feet of the &pire will have to be removed below the break, as the stones are loose. Already the re-erection of the spire is , being talked of. The general public are so struck by the loss which the town has suftered.thatlfeel convinced that a subscription list, if started at once, would secure twice the necessary amount in spite of hard times, but I doubt it Oamaru sfcone or any stone will be used again. It w more likely to be of wood covered witli lead. The trifling damage done in the rest of the town hardly calls for comment. More

was done in fchc great shake of Juno, 1869. The wall of the Normal School is slightly ciackod, the chimneys thrown down and the plaster in many of the rooms cracked.

THE SHOCK IN LYTTELTON. The shock was felt severely in Lyfctelton, but little damage was done The wafcor of the harbour was agitated slightly, and vessels were observed to swing ab their moorings.

THE SHOCK AT HANMEK HOT SPIUX(!S. A telegram from Waikari oti Satuiday says: — "The earthquake at Waiau and llanmer Plains was veiy violent. Soveial chimneys are down at Waiau, where a monument in the cemetery was. thrown clown. The vibrations caused Hanmer Plains Hot- Springs to ovci Uow, and large quantities ot gas are escaping. The dhection ot the earthquake was noith to south. Slight, shocks were felt at Waikari yesterday afternoon from 2 to 2.,'>0. "' A teleguim received from Culverden says the earthquake at Hanmer Plains wassomet hing terrible. The hot springs o\ erllowed. Atkitibon s residence at YVoodbauk on the plains was completely ruined, also great damage wa? done at Leslie Hills and St. Helen's stations. All the residents escaped unhurt.

PROFESSOR MUTTON'S OPINION*. Professor Hut ton, writing to the pre«s, remarks . " Telt-gium& show that the e.n thquake ot Satuulay nioinuijj uid nut ou^inate i;> "Bank**- Peninsula, as 1 at lust thought probable, but bomewheie in the \\ e^t, piubably Lnangahua county. 1 miei thi^ Jroin the tune at which the eaithqualce occmiecl, at chfleient placet — iiit,c at CJroyniouth and We^tpoit. then at Chns.tohuiL'h, \\eliit.>gton, and Kelson, and la^o at ln\ ereais^ill, IHinodm and Kew L'lymoulh. The *liock \va>s tVifc ovei a iddiun ot 300 mileb irom the centre ot disturbance, and it is remarkable that a shock so widely cvtended should ha\e done little damage. Thij>uas }>robablj- due to the centic ot di^luibnncc lyh»£ down in the eaith, that the eai th \\a\c at the face \va- moie vei tical than usual '

CONSIDERABLE DAM ACE DONE The shock wa^ felt \eiy sevciely indeed at. Waiau, Hanmei Plains, and Leslie Hilk, and the St. Helen's conesponrlont declaies it was> something tenible. At i ho Hot Spiin^s the \ibration had the effect oi liberating an extraordinarily large amount of gas, and the Springs o\ei flowed Mi Atkinson's residence <U Woodbank, on the plains, i* described a& " completely ruined.'' AL the station at Leslie Hill& and St. Helen's, the damage ha-5 been \ery considerable Mr Low is removinrj his furniciue fiom St Helen's to Jack's Pass. At Waiau >eveial chimneys weio demolished, and in the cemetery a monument was ovoiturned. At Waikaii, the shocks weie moie ot Ic-s continuous to 7 a.m., and there weie intermittent vibrations horn 2 to 2.30 p. m.

ANOTHER SHOCK ON .SUNDAY. The last shock felt ncrc was ai 10 minutes alter eleven \Ooterda> morning. People weie in Chinch at tlie tune and great alairu prevailed in some oa.-es especially in St Paul's L'le&b} tenan Chinch. Foitunately. acting on the adad\iccof the Deputy Majoi, the intention to hold ice in the Cathedial was abandoned. A meeting of the chapter of tiie cathedial will be Held today to consider m hat step shall be taken toiestorethespue lt,is estimated that the cost of doing so will be about twelve hundred pounds?.

GLEN ROVE STATION WRECKED TeiecrmnT* received this morning fiom luhetden, t>'. enty-tne miles -outh ot Hamner Plaints, pay-: — 1 have Mi 1). Kutherford, of Leslie Hill?, and he inform* me that, the (Jlyn Kove station buildings aie completelj' wrecked and the men arc hying unrlei canvas. Le-he Hill's nouoe 1- wieckeii, and Montrose escaped vith only one or two chimneys smashed. Jollies Paso Hotel and Latimefp at Jacks Pass are intact, and .sustained no damage

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE UP COUNTRY Mr Atkinson's (Woodbank) brick hou-e collapsed and Mr Atkinson and his family have ardved safely at Culveiden The Hopeiield homestead is uiecked, and the manager, his wife and children ha\e armed at Culverden The Ferry Hotel, Upper Waiau, is damaged. The new Oppei Waiau bridge is s.ife, but there a>e large landslips in Hanmer cutting, tiaffic, howevei , is not stopped. There is great pei turbation as the Hot Spring's, but no damage to the buildings, etc., there. At St. Helen s Station three chimneys were thrown down, and damage wa-s done to the roof of the kitchen and conservatory, ■\\hilc the chimneys of the oveiaer'a cottage and the inens' huta were smashed. Mrs Low and family escaped to Jollie« Pas.s after removing furniture, etc., to the wool .shed. Many shocks of earthquake ha\ c been felt to day.

SHOCKS TO-DAY. Wellington., Sept. 3 In the Westport district, shocks of earth quake were telt on Saturday at 4 and another at 6.45 These were repeated on Sunday at 6 and 11.20 a.m., and again at 8.16 thi& morning.