THE EARTHQUAKE TERROR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 273, 19 November 1901, Page 2

THE EARTHQUAKE TERROR.

SEVERE ViSirATIONS IN ARMENIA. PBB PBIW ASSOCIATION. Cokstantmoplb, November 17. Twenty earthquake shock* were experienced at Ritah, Armenia, by wbioh damage t-> the extent of £IOO,OOO «u done. FURTHER SHAKES AT CHEVIOT, A PAN IC-8 THICKEN POPULATION. Wellington, November 18 | The Secretary of the General Port Office has received tbe following telegram from tbe postmaster at Cheviot, dated this morning at 8 40: —" Seven! additional shocks of earthquake have been f«le since my last report; oqe about 10.36 last night wan of an ex* ceedingly sevore mture, and has bad a very alarming 6 fleet up m the inhabitants. A recurrence of tbese shook* has prevented people from entering tbeir dwellings, and last night women again slept in the open air. It is ia< possible to estimate tbe damage bere, but investigations of representatives of newspapers lead me to conclude many people are ruined, and that enormous sums of money will be inquired to make good the losses." A later message dated 8.80 a.tn. says:—"A tremendous shock owrared at 9 o'clock this morning, almost equal in force to the great shock on Saturday. A panic has set in, and people are preparing to leave"

Mr Hogben, Inspector-General of Schools, who is in charge of one of tbe two sensitive seismological instrument* imported by the Government, has examined the teoord taken by the machine. He states that the seat of the disturbance appeirs to hare bam in the Lake Sumner district. The maximum vibration* lasted for tiro minut *. The shock b gan without any warning at 7.47J a.m., and tbe vibration* which constituted the earthquake proper went on for 91 Large tremors went on for 7? "rtnwtofr and small tremors were going 09 all Saturday, right up till 10 at night, when Mr Hogben cut thereoord paper. The solid block of stone on which the seismometer attnds was slightly tilted towards the we» fc , and Mr Hcgbeu sayg that if the tilt were general throughout'the oolony, which bethink* improbable, it would mean that the west oast would aiok six inches, and that the eas. coast would be raiaad three inotaes.

Ghbirtohuboh, November 18. According to tslegnmv daylight found Cheviot mora demoralisedthan ever.. The residents were in the open air all night. Several mora shookn oocured this morning, and t general exodus of women and children to Christchurob, Waipara, and other placse set in from the districts round Cheviot. News continues to be r«ei*ed of devastation aud loss. Th«.* tremendous shock of this morning caused a penie among the Cheviot people, who are preparing to leave in large numbers. Smaller shocks and earth tr*Morr are fe't every few minutes, intemiogled with more revere convulsions.

The position is beeooaing fresh cracks and fttsures oontinnaUy opening up in the ground. 80MB OF THB DAMAGE AT OHIVIOT AND MACKENZIE. SOLEMN THANKSGIVING SKB7IOV. MARVELLOUS SSOAFB3 FflOK DEATH. FISSURES IN A HITBR-BID. Chbistohuboh, November 18. It is impossible at present to etrte' fiive an estimate of the damage done by the earthquake in tbei Cheviot district. Every house and some have been utterly wrecked. Mr A. C. Bsllwood, storekeeper and general agent, estimates his lon at £3OO. His shop is twisted, windows are gone, and the stoak ruined, lib Ja?. Jenkins had his Christmas stock on hand, and estimates the damage ft* between £309 and £4OO. Mr F. A. Cook's grocery «tore has been smashed unmercifully. He estimates his damage ai over £3OO. The damage to,, the Cheviot tfevta Office amounts toaftqnt £2OO. McKenzie'e boarding-house also suffered extensively, and has been shifted from its foundations. Brownie's drapery store suffered to almost great an extent, and Hubbard Htil's premise* were temporarily divoroed from their foundations. There are dozens of o'her buildings which are in k the same oondition, but these oomprieer the most important businesses iniftae[k»nsie, the township of the district. The private residences of Messrs Jlask Butt and Dr. Inglis, two of tike best housee at Cheviot, are more or lew ruined, and uninhabitable. The at it ions north cf Waiau sssm to have suffered with the rest of the Cheviot country. The damage at Rutherford's fine Jiomestead is estimated at ovsc £2OOO.

In addition to the damige ,il taa done to Mackanz : e the earthquake bt# played some strange pranka with the landscape. A road in the vicinity baft

SUBSIDED FOUR BBBT into a creek > and roads all round art cracked and Insured, Townepeojda an only now beginning to reoorer fraa their demoralisation and to take ao interest in th«iy surroundings. Woman and childrea are still oamped in garbat some attempt is being mad* to get the least damaged of the housM into a habitable condition, Yesterday afternoon outeide tb» 1 post office a soUmn BEHVIOB OF TH4NKBGIVINOs conducted by Anglican and Pretty* terian clergymen, Was held. It wa* lin imprfs>ive scene. Fbopla vwv gathered bareheaded in the opeu 'nd, surrounded by the ruins of (Ur homes, offered op fervent and heartfelt thanksgiving to Almighty for the p<*ssrmtion of their lives.

| A drive to Fort It jbinaoa from Uw> keozie ju-t now is only ftccomplW>ed under peculiar and «xcitiog condition*. On tin Kluff-road the upheaval hail been atup-udons.

MILLIONS OF FKBT OF ROT' hare been from the high bhfi above to the road below, "■ ba county engineer estimates that it wiU take * year to clear the road again. One out* cot cease to marvel at the WONDERFUL KBOAPXS FROM DEATH which occurred on ev-ry hand. At G re Bay there was a meat ra~ markable instance in an aocomri*xtatioo. House. When the first shack took p'fto9 the family were at Vxeakfaa-; io> 'he ki'chsn, a linnd rreaa with a* tofigued and grooved roof. Toe high; chimney -tm.lvn/f 15Tt abive tb» roof cmshed headlong in>o the ri"om r smashing <n t 1 e iron, Hpl'atariog the ]iuims t<> niatihwocd, ard filling ti>«< room three feat de<-p with gn vanited iron, broken boarding, bricks, awfc mortar; and yet no on*' HHtd.

Only one lad had his ankles bruised. After a survey, it is even now almost incredible that anyone could have escaped alive from such a death-trap. Battlers fiom Waiau report that cracks two feet wide have been made in » paddock, and are full of water. The river presented I A STRANG# SPECTACLE on Saturday morning.' As the shocks, progressed, great cracks opened in its bed into which the water poured. Presently the cracks closed snddenly, and •hot volumes -of water a hundred feet In the air. EARTHQUAKES CONTINUE AT CHEVIOT. Wellington, November 18. The postmaster at Oheviot telegraphed at 7.30 to-night" Regret to Wport two of the severest shocks qince Saturday morning. The people are in ft state of deep depression, and have again taken to tents." EARTH TREMORS NOT ENDED. HKLP FOR HOMELESS SETTLERS. Chribtchusch, Later. Another light shock of earthpuake! was felt here just after 8 o'clock to-1 night.

Mr Hall-Jones arrived from the south to night, and will go on to Cheviot. •' ' Rutherford's house and contents at Mendip Kills were wrecked, and the fanjily are camping out in tent?. Mrs and the Misses Rqtherford had a narrow escape. A RIVER DAMMED UP The Stanton River, in the vicinity of Mendip, was dammed by slips and has formed two large Irkes. In some places WHOLE HILL SIDES HAVE SUPPED away, and roads blocked to wheel traffic. There is v ry little real cause for alarm at Hanmer Springs, but at Ada Valley, 35 miles away, rocks rolled down the hill-sides among men's tents. Rnn set in this afternoon and still continues. It is very much needed. AID TOR BUTPKRKRB The editor of the Lyttdton Times telegraphed to Mr W. D. Robinson, Oheviot, asking if subscribed fands for the immediate relief of sufferers by the earthquake would be accepted, and received the rep'y: " A few cases urgently require help, and though we j shall do what we can locally, the cooperation of our Ohristchurch friends will be very arc pt-tble. Several

FAMILIES LOST THEIR HOMES and p-ac'.ically all belongines, and are absolutely destitute. The Government must, of course, assist in public works such as roads and bridges, but that will not reach the whole of the distress

ROADS WANTED AT ONOE. It is difficult at present to estimate the extent of the damage, bat at least £3OOO is reqaired to restore means of traffic and communication. It is imperative that the Port-rotd be put in order witbon l ! a moment's unnecessary delay. -- There was a very large IXODUB OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN to-day, bat as far as I can learn I understand they are all going to friend*." MEETING 09 Thifi CABINET. GOVERNMENT RELIEF MEASURES. Wellington, November 18. At a meeting of the Cabinet tonight, the question of the damage done at Cheviot was considered by Ministers. It was decided to request Hon. HallJones, who is at present in Christchurch, to proceed to Cheviot to-morrow morning and investigate affairs. Wher his report is made, Ministers will takaction. It is probable that extensive relief measnrra will be at once instituted by the Government.