BRICK WALL CRASHES IN CITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18787, 17 June 1929, Page 10

BRICK WALL CRASHES IN CITY.

OLD STABLE DAMAGED IN TUAM STREET.

The brick wall of an old stable at the back of the Wellington Hotel in Tuam Street collapsed as a result of the earthquake. The building, which is a very old one, backs on to a right-of-way running between Tuam and Lichfield Streets. The wall collapsed for a length of about forty feet and the bricks fell in a heap completely blocking the right-of-way. A couple of men were immediately put on the job of stacking the bricks, and it was not long before the right-of-way was clear again.

In the Tunnel. The 10.5 a.m. train from Christchurch to Lyttelton was passing through the tunnel when the 'quake occurred, but the passengers reported when they arrived, at Lyttelton that they did not even feel the shock.

At Lyttelton. The shock at Lyttelton was considered even more violent than that felt in March and known locally as the Arthur’s Pass ’quake. Almost everybody felt the shock, and many women were greatly alarmed. Some of the office and shop employees ran out into the street for safety. Persons standing in Norwich Quay near the post office could see the post office clock tower rocking. The telephone posts, lines, street lights and overhead electric wires in the railway yard swayed violently. In the railway yard a number of workers watched the live wires lest they should come down. The ’quake seemed to have lasted about a minute. It had a rolling motion and not a distinct shake, as in the case of the Arthur’s Pass ’quake. Vessels in the harbour felt the ’quake through being bumped by the wharves. The Trelissick was just in the act of i finishing berthing. Her chief officer, who was speakin gto a local business man, remarked that the ship was bumping on the bottom. “Impossible,” stated the business man. Someone then drew their attention to the fact that it was due to an earthquake. The Union Company’s high coal grab swayed dangerously over them, and with others they stood clear lest it topple over, while ashore there was a general ' scatter clear of the structure. Mr W. Paine, proprietor of Godley House, Diamond Harbour, stated that the earthquake was felt pretty severely at the settlement. The shock was also felt severely on board the ferry steamer Wahine, which is at present’ in dock. The verandah on the ferry wharf was rocked violently. Damage to Congregational Church. Fragments of building stone cover the pavement in front of the Trinity Congregational Church at the corner of Manchester and Worcester Streets They have fallen from the obelisk top of the tower, the stones of which have opened up and seem in a very precarious state. Tidal Waves in Tepid Baths. The water in the Tepid Baths came up like a heavy sea, say people who were in the baths at the time. Waves over a foot high broke across the concrete and filled the dressing sheds. The girl in charge of the box office hurried into the bath chamber to see what, was happening. As she opened the door a wave of water rushed out and flowed out towards the street. Fortu natelv the surroundings of the baths are well drained and soon cleared them selves. At the Wireless Stations. No damage was done apparently at the wireless stations. Station 3YA was not on the air, and its apparatus seems to be quite unaffected. Station 3ZC was transmitting the morning pro gramme. The studio control clock stopped at 10.20, and transmission was suspended for nine minutes while the electric power was off. Mr Plominski immediately got in toiich with the Observatory to set the control clock to rights again. Provincial Council Chamber Suffers. The back seats in the gallery at the west end of the Provincial Council Chamber, which suffered severely in the last ’quake, are cov«»cd with frag ments of rock and mortar. The western gable, where repairs have only recently been effected, has assumed an extra lean outwards, and is separated ; by about an inch from some parts of the stonework of the walls. The large j stained glass window in the centre of the gable has crumpled, and cracks already existing in the eastern wall have opened further. One of the chimneys at the eastern end has split near the top. Fountain for Christchurch. Those who would like to see fountains about the streets of Christchurch would have been pleastirably surprised if they had been at the corner of Manchester and Gloucester Streets _ at twenty minutes past ten. There is a square sump near the telephone box by the Crown Iron Works. With each wave of the quake a column of water about ten feet high shot up from the water main, but it stopped when the shock was over. One of the young women assistants in the office of the Municipal Electricity Department developed a serious heart attack. A doctor was called in and ordered her not to l>e moved for an hour.

A Slip at Quail Island. Several hundred tons of the northern side of Quail Island slipped into the water as a result of the earthquake this morning. In the midst of the ’quake, a cloud of dust in the direction of Quail Island was noticed by workmen on the wharf. The dust 1 practically obscured the island from vision. W'hen the sky cleared it was seen that a large landslide had taken place The damage was all on the northern side of the island and as far as is known at present none of the residents suffered any loss. Along Rolleston Avenue. At the Museum no damage was done, though the little tower opposite the end of Worcester Street swayed ver}' violently, and was watched with interest by a considerable number of people. Some lads sketching beneath the statue of the late William Rolleston moved quickly when they observed it in motion Fortunately the statue did not come down. Inside the Museum there was a veritable “valse macabre,” all the skeletons doing an unearthly jig, while the long-necked birds, the storks, the cranes, and the swans, solemnly nodded in unison. The heavy-headed hornj bill nodded disapprovingly for a long while. The O.karito whale did not take much interest in the ’quake, and after a few ponderous creaks left the visible display of emotion to the tall trees alongside. At the time the Museum was closed, only the staff being on the premises Further along Rolleston Avenue, at Christ’s College, most interest was taken up in watching the extraordinary movements of the tall trees behind the Chapel. Some of the forms made hurried exits, but many went on with “business as usual.” No damage was done to the school buildings. In the Gardens there was nothing beyond the excessive movement of the trees as thocigh caused by a heavy wind. The concrete floor of the kiosk was slightly cracked. The younger folk seemed to take the occurrence as a novel and exciting experience, or else quite stoically, and beyond the unexpected ringing of bells and a few shrieks in the girls’ schools, very little notice was taken of it. Adults, however, appeared to be more affected. Many people had queer feelings under their waistcoats, and some of the fairer sex were overcome with nausea. Canterbury College withstood the shock perfectly well The classes carried on and there was no incident. It was said that had the event been nearer to capping day, the students would urobably have received the blame for it. Destructor Chimney. As far as can be ascertained at present. no damage was done to the chimney of the destructor. When the earthquake happened, workmen told a reporter, the chimney surged to and fro in an alarming manner. Fearing that it might fall, the workmen rushed into the yard. Water from the tank in the destructor spilled out and ran over the floor, but so far no damage has been discovered. Cathedral Spire. Though there appears to be a slight list in the Cathderal spire and the cross at the top has twisted slightly, no actual damage has been done. A reporter climbed the tower shortly after the ’quake, but found no trace of any damage. Several of the bells had fallen partly over, and this had caused the clangour which had turned startled eyes towards the spire when the ’quake first occurred. From the balconies at the side the spire did not seem to be at all out of the perpendicular, but a man in the street, who used a plumbob, estimated that it was two feet out.

As the upper part where the new concrete work has recently been done was closed against the public, it was not possible to see how it had stood up to the shock. No official inspection had been made this morning. The contractor expressed the wish that his concrete work had had a few more I weeks to set.

It was stated early this afternoon that an expert had inspected the Cathedral tower this morning, and had reported that there was no damage whatever. The tower has been strengthened considerably since the last earthquake some months ago.

POWER LINES SHAKE IN MOORHOUSE AVENUE

Railway officers decided that the safest place during the earthquake this morning was the open street and with the first shake, there was a general exodus from the railway station. The power lines which supply the tramways shook violently in Moorhouse Avenue and a water tank from which steam engines on the Port line used to replenish their supplies rocked so much that large quantities of water poured out. During the whole period of the ’quake, a couple of men who were on a pole repairing the overhead electric lines never stopped their work, being unaware of anything untoward happening. These poles are permitted to have a certain amount of sway and it is probable that the workmen thought the movement was not more than usual The big concrete water tank at the Linwood locomotive depot swayed with the ’quake and some water was thrown out.