EXTRAORDINARY TIDAL WAVE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXIII, Issue 2720, 18 August 1868, Page 4

EXTRAORDINARY TIDAL WAVE.

On Saturday last a moat unusual phenomenon took place in this harbor, and also in other parts of the colony, as we learn by telegraphic despatches which we have received ; wo refer to the irregular tide which took place that day, and ! which created not only astonishment, but in some cases dread that a great disaster was about to happen. On ordinary occasions, as is well known, the tide rises, under the influence of tho moon, with the greatest regularity, to a height which can bo previously ascertained with the utmost exactness. There are two kinds of waves: one tho ordinary ocean wave, occasioned by the wind, when the water does not move onward, and has only apparent Jateral motion, in consequence of the rise and fall, of the water — in the same way as a field of corn, when the wind passes over it ; the other the tidal wave, which, ordinarily rises and falls twice a day with great regularity. That it does not always do so was shown on Saturday. It is somewhat remarkable that the event was foretold : during the whole of the week a rumor was current in the town that there would be an unusual rise in the water on Saturday, attended with earthquakes ; at every public-house bar the common expression was, " We're all going to be swamped on Saturday," of course, generally, both spoken and heard in a half-incredulous manner j but we have been unable to trace this rumor to its source. We can only say that the prognostication proved correct. On Saturday morning the water rose in an unusual manner, and consequently great excitement prevailed throughout the whole town. The first indication of the wave was about halfpast eight o'clock in the morning, and from that hour up to noon, the tido kept "bumping" against the brickwork beside the watermen's gridiron ; sometimes rising above high water mark and then suddenly receding. Some people felt considerable alarm, for it was thought to b© the precursor of something worse. Those who are given to ill-boding were disappointed. The time for high water was three o'clock in the afternoon, so that it would be dead low water at nine in the morning, and the phenomenon was therefore more easily observed. There was a crowd of persons on tho wharf all day. People who are very weatherwise prophesied that something was " going to happen," and accordingly discovered in the result, the vindication of thoir opinion. The greatest observable difference in the tidal level was about eight feet. At Te Aro the water almost came up to tho public street, and floated a quantity of timbor which lay a distance of twenty yardß from tho high water level. But a still more remarkable effect was caused at the mouth of tho Ngahauranga river, whero a bar of gravel has been thrown up to the height of two or three feet. The reasons given for this extraordinary event are various j some say that it is tho precursor of a great earthquake ; others that it has been occasioned by the recent earthquakes at St. •, Thomas. At all ovonts, two slight shocks of j earthquake wore felt hero yesterday morning shortly after ten o'clock. It is supposed that tho wave travelled westward, and some say that it ! hod something to do with a solar eclipse which '> recently occurrod in India. The following telegrama have beenreoeiyed from various ports :—

Bluff. Tide higher last night than ever known. Between 8 and 9 this morning terriific rush of water. Tide very high. Large bodies of kelp washed in. Carried all the buoys up the harbor. 11 a.m. Tide full, eighteen inches in twenty minutes. Post Chalmers. Three buoys drifted. Large ships swung round twice in one tide. Oamaru. Extraordinary change in sea level. Since daylight tide rising and falling about fifteen feet perpendicularly at intervals of fifteen minutes. Lyttelton, 10 a.m. Heavy rush of water. It is also reported that the shipping has been much damaged. 10.30. Water up to flood level. \ White's Bat, 11.30. Water \ip to Telegraph Office. Nelson. There has been a heavy rush of water over Boulder Bank ; water in harbor much troubled. PIOTON. No disturbance. Napieb. Tide higher and lower in Iron Pot than ever known before. Castle Point. No shocks. Tide higher last night than for ten years. 11.53. Tide up to high water mark.