THE WAIROA-GISBORNE EARTHQUAKE.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 2888, 13 December 1898, Page 4

THE WAIROA-GISBORNE EARTHQUAKE.

On Monday lßst we published telegrams from Gisborne and Napier, stating that violent earthquakes had been experienced there, especially at Gisborne, the previous evening. Gisborne papers are now to hand giving fuller particulars. At Gisborne the heaviest shock occurred at 6.5 p.m. It lasted 30 or 4C seconds and set the whole district m a state of agitation, causing a good deal oi damage m various directions and generally upsetting the nerves of the inhabitants, who made a speedy exodus from their homes. The earth appeared to rise up m jumbled confused masses, giving people that queer sensation of giddiness and nausea that usually accompanies a severe earthquake. The spectacle of the whole of the landscape being on the move, rising and falling and throbbing violently, the creak of the houses, and the peculiar hissing noise of the trees as they shook to and fro will not soon be forgotten, and many voted it to be the most severe shock they had experienced, thoughitis believed several equally heavy quakes have been felt m years gone by m the district. Persons who happened to be on the bridges at the time had the liveliest of sensations, Toruheru bridge especially rocking freely, whilst the water m the river, as it was shaken up into confusion, gave forth a whirling swishing sound. The fact that the tanks at the houses happened to be mostly fall to the brim caused a great splashing about of water round the residences, and persons watching their tanks during the height of the quake declared that they swayed to and fro, leaving the walls against which they were placed m some places three or four inches. The effect m the dairies was most marked. Mills set m shallow dishes had to as great an extent as two-thirds of the contents shaken to overflow. Fortunately there does nol appear to have been much damage done inside the houses, though m most dwellings ornaments or other house hold goods went crashing to the floor The chimneys were the worst sufferers Great commotion was caused m Glad stone road, where the large business premises swayed to and fro, and there was naturally a good deal of concern lest those built m brick should come down, The smash of falling goods m several oJ the shops could be plainly heard, and the fall of the parapet from Mr Whinray's warehouse on to the fancy arcade below caused sufficient noise to wake the dead. Other brick buildings m the town stood the strain well. The chiel shock opened several locked doors, indicating that the buildings were considerably twisted. The shocks were plainly felt on vessels on the roadstead, The crew of one ran on deck under the impression that some other vessel had run into them; On the Tokomaru the sensation was as though the ship was bumping on a hard rocky bottom. Most people were at tea when the heaviest shock occurred, "and there was a general rush for out-of-doors. So great was the excitement, especially where a numbei of people were together, that at some hotels the lodgers dashed out through the windows. One or two persons were so confused that they could not move al all. As the tremors continued through the evening, many persons declined tc go to bed m brick buildings, and sought sleeping accommodation elsewhere. In all the surrounding country the earthquakes damaged chimneys and shook articles off shelves. At Murewai the Maoris were a good deal scared, and one native graphically described the movement of the earth as like the crawl of a caterpillar. The earthquake was apparently still more violent at Wairoa, on the north side of Hawke's Bay, from whence we received no news per Press Association, Special messages to the Napier papers state that at Wairoa there were nearly a score of shocks, and the principal one of Sunday evening was the heaviest felt there within the memory oi the oldest inhabitant. The first shock occurred at ten minutes past four, and but for the subsequent ones would be called heavy and prolonged, At ten pasi five a heavy shock occurred, preceded by a rushing sound m the air, Several chimneys were shaken, and some damage done to breakable goods m the stores. Then at ten past six anothei slight shock occurred. People were beginning to feel that the disturbance was over, but m another five minutes the heaviest shock of the series occurred, the wave coming from west to east. All the townspeople rushed out into the streets, some having been very much alarmed, the crash of falling chimneys at the Clyde and Ferry Hotels, the rushing sound m the air, and the rocking of the buildings creating a scene not soon to be forgotten. To add to the confusion.when the chimney of Mrs Harmer's residence on the Marine Parade came down someone called out that the place was ablaze. The cry of "Fire!" was* carried up the street, and the residence being m the thickest part of the town dismay was intensified, but fortunately the alarm was a false one. No loss of life is reported, but there were several narrow escapee from falling goods and bricks. Ten oi twelve shocks took place during the night, none of them severe. It is said that a good slice of the bluff at the heads has been carried away. An eyewitness states that all the cliffs from Potutu along the seashore to Waihua were obscured by dust from the crumbling of the overhanging peaks. The roofs of Hewitt's and Crarar's hotels were broken by chimneys falling through, eleven being down m both premises. The bottom of one at Crarar's has sunk several inches. All the chimneys at the school have been shaken and must be taken down. A considerable rent runs along the bed of the Wairoa river through to Whakaki, where it is stated to be .two ieet wide. The northern|approach to the Wairoa bridge has been elevated about six inches. To the northward of the river the damage Jseems to have been most extensive. All the chimneys at Frasertown, Nuhaka, and Opoiti are reported to be down, and at Springhill some bricks were hurled a chain away. Many people imagined that the end of the world had come.