HYDE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 149, 10 March 1876, Page 12

HYDE.

March 4, 1876. T have nothing in the way of news of much importance to communicate, unless it be to record weather changes. On the evening of the 23rd ult., a most violent rain storm descended on Hyde and the immediately surrounding country. It commenced about 4 o'clock, a.m., and continued with unabated fury for about half an hour, when it gradually subsided into a gentle shower, which kept falling pretty well through the night and part of next day. Harvest operations though, so far as the cutting part goes, are quite finished, and a good many are carting in, so that beyond at the farthest a day's cessation of labor no further drawback has taken place. The weather is now fine and dry again. We had two remarkable shocks of earthquake here on Saturday morning, 26th ult. The first occurred about half-past 3 p.m., it was the most violent, and was felt by a number of persons who were wakened out of their sleep by the heaving motion of the bedstead, and in some instances they thought persons were knock- 1 ing loudly at the doors. It continued for a few seconds, and had the effect of frightening timid females who were thus so unceremoniously aroused from slumber. The second shock happened about a quarter to 10 o'clock, but was not so general, or x'eportsays, of so demonstrative a character. Mr. John Laverty, who was engaged writing in his store at the time, describes it as shaking the building, causing the chair, on which he was sitting, to sway backwards and forwards with a rocking motion. Several articles hanging from the ceiling, such as panakins, billies, &c, swung like the pendulums of clocks, and made a clatter striking together ; the bottles and glasses on the shelves shook and rattled as if on an involuntary spree, and a Mr. Boyd, who was standing in the store at the time, clung to a post for support. Mr. Laverty says the motion seemed to be from north to south. It was also felt at Hamilton's, across the Taieri, at Pigroot by a road party, and in almost all surrounding localities. The Under-Secretary for goldfields, C. E. Houghton, (General Government), passed through by coach on the 19th ult., he made no stay, and seemed to ignore the existence of Hyde altogether as a mining district. Anyhow the Centralists policy is not much in favor here, so 'twere just as well he didn't remain. A sitting of the Warden's Court was held on the 23rd ult., beyond hearing applications respecting claims, &c, no business of great consequence was transacted. There was no case in the Resident Magistrate's Court, and nothing to occupy the attention of the Land Court, all of which Courts hold sittings when H. W. Robinson, Esq., Magistrate, Warden, &c, makes his periodical visits.