’QUAKES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17526, 1 May 1925, Page 1

’QUAKES.

THE CITY SHAKEN. PEOPLE SCARED BUT NO DAMAGE. The severest shock of earthquake experienced in Christchurch since the memorable quake on Christmas Day, 1922, occurred at 10.32 o’clock last night. Although the shake was a fairly heavy one, and frightened a good many people, especially women, no damage was done. The direction of the earthquake was from north-east to south-west. There were two or three distinct shocks. The first lasted for fully five seconds, and the second occurred about thirty seconds later, but was not of such a severe character as the first one. Minor vibrations followed for fifteen minutes after the first shock. There was also a shake at 9.35 p.m., but this was not generally noticed in Christchurch, though it was felt quite distinctly in North Canterbury, round Cheviot, Waikari and Culver den. This earthquake was not nearly as severe as the one that occurred an hour later. Although the second quake was a severe one, several people who were spoken to' this morning stated that they had not felt it. When the quake took place, the annual meeting of the ' Christchurch Returned Soldiers’ Association was in progress in the Jellicoe Ilail. There was a large attendance, but apparently no one felt the shake, for it passed without comment. At

the Theatre Royal several patrons got a scare. The shake was most pronounced in the gallery. One man who was in the gallery said that after the sahke he had a feeling ol* “ seasickness/’ There was no panic., but one ro two women left the theatre. A patron who was in the dress circle said that he did not feel the shake at all. To people who were in bed the quake was most noticeable, but this is usually tlier The tremors were felt strongly in the St Albans district. At the telephone exchange the operators had their attention first attracted hv the uncomfortable swaying of the: .-hairs and by the swinging of the electric lamps. At Cheviot, which is one of the. earthquake centres of Canterbury, both shocks, the one at 9.35 p.m. and the one at 10.32 p.m.. were felt quite distinctly. The second was much the heavier of the two, and it rattled the windows in an alarming manner. No damage was done. The earthquake on Christmas Day. 1922, did a good deal of damage at Waikari. The two shakes last night were felt in the Waikari district, and, while they had the effect of giving people a scare, they were not attended by any damage. “ The earthquake stopped one or two clocks, but there was no damage done,” the postmaster at Culverden reported this morning. The following is a report on the earthquakes by Mr 11. P. Skey, officer in charge of the Magnetic Observatory, Christchurch: - “ The first shock, which occurred at 9hr 35min 42sec p.m.. was of small amplitude, and lasted for six minutes. It was felt in Christchurch. The second shock, which occurred at lOhr 31 min 40sec p.m.. was of much larger amplitude. Fresh movements of the ground occurred for fifteen minutes after the arrival of the first wave. In both cases the first local movement was to the cast rather than to the west of north. In the second earthquake hjrfwwu >yrment was from north-east to south-west as indicated ffby hanging lamps. In the record of the second quake a displacement of the level of the instrument occurred when the longest earth movements began to come. This is. of course, a natural effect of the disturbance of the foundations in the shi uglc. BLENHEIM SHAKEN. Per Press Association. BLENHEIM, Mav 1. A double earthquake shock occurred at 9.35 p.m. yesterday, followed an hour later by a more severe shake. No damage is reported.

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