'Preparing' for Earthquakes

New Zealand Tablet, 30 August 1906, Page 22

'Preparing' for Earthquakes

Mr. Clement Wragge (a.lso known as Inclement Wragge) has been unburdening his prophetic soul to the cableman on the other side of the Tasman Sea. He has warned New Zealanders to ' prepare for earthquakes ' in the near future. The nature of the preparations is not indicated. But among them we might, perhaps, venture to suggest taking down or toracing our chimneys, practising camping-out, keeping an easy mind and a clear conscience, and, being thus prepared for the worst, hope for the best. The lion and the leopard of heraldry and signboards are much more terrible-looking than the same animals are in nature. And Mr. Wragge's prophecies often have a much more terrible sound than subsequent events justify. The fearfully and wonderfully named cyclonic and anti-cyclonic disturbances whose coming he used to announce in Australia, frequently passed over the coimtry as mildly and inoffensively as ' The balmiest sigli Which vernal zephyr breathes in evening's ear.' And his threatened earthquakes may also turn out to be as heraldry 'animals. Judging by the opinions expressed by some experts, in the Auckland ' Herald,' there seems no urgent reason for losing our sleep, just yet, over Mr. Wragge's predictions, even though seismic shocks aie always a possibility to be counted with in- our quaky and bubbly country.