BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1935, 4 September 1888, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

g. The ordinary meeting of the Counoil was held last evening. Present — The Mayor, and Grs H. Friedlander, Tuokei, Bird, . Roberts, Reid, Thomas, Scaly, and Williamson. MAYOR'S STATEMENT. The Mayor said that the debit balance at the Bank was £1313 123 Bd. The amountß which had been received since last meeting were:— Dog licenses, £1 15s; soil, £5 sa; rents, reserves, £23 14s lOd; rates, 1888, £21 ss ; refund solicitor's coats, £1 18s ; total, £53 17b lOd. The amount of rates remaining uncolleoted was £454 4s. CORRESPONDENCE. Letters were read (1) From Mr J. Hefford, offering to re-lease sections held by him at present rental. — Offer accepted. — (2) From Ashburton Cricket Club, asking permission to take turf off unformed portion of street near Moore street. — Permission was granted, sub- [ jeot to the supervision of the Engineer. — (3) From Western Fire Brigade, m regard to , expenses, pointing out that the Brigade incurred other expenses bbsides those incurred [ at fireß.— This letter had been held over from , the previous meeting. A lengthy disoussion , ensued. A motion was proposed that the matter be referred to the Fire Brigade Committee. One amendment lapsed, and another i was ruled out of order. A question was then i raised bb to whether the Counoil could i legally support the Western Brigade, when ' the Council had no olaim on the plant. An amendment was then moved by Gr William- ' son, that the matter be referred to the Mayor ', to ascertain whether the Council had ' authority to make payments to the Western Brigade. This amendment was oarried, Crs i; Thomas, Eeid, Bird, and Eoberts voting I against it. — (4) From the Charitable Aid [ Board, applying for payment of contribution. { — It was resolved that the amount due should be paid. — (5) From Ashburton Fire Brigade, asking Council's patronage for a aooial ! gathering to be held. — Granted. — (6) From ' Mr E. Cookson, offering to rent oertain reserves. — Referred to the Reserves Committee. « lamp. A petition was received from a number of ' burgesses, asking that a lamp be erected at ; the corner of Burnett and William streets. It was resolved that the request be granted, i an amendment that the matter be referred to 1 the Lighting Committee being lost. RESERVES. > The Reserves Committee reported with regard to Mr J. Sealy's application for a new , lease, containing a compensation olause, that , should suoh lease be granted, the lessee should pay to the Counoil, on or before the expiration of the lease the sum of ±'100, m consideration of their foregoing their claim [ to the improvements or buildings, the lessee to pay all charges m connection with the . new lease, and inßuranoe against fire to be ' made for purpose of rebuilding, the policy to ( be taken out m the joint names of lessor and lessee. , The report was adopted, i The Committee appointed to consider Mr i J. W. Sutherland's application for relief m i respeot to Borough reserve held by him at i Hinds, and which had Buffersd damage t through floods reported that before coming to i a decision m the matter, it would be advis- ; able to inspect the land. ; The report was adopted. I ENGINEERS 1 REPORT. The Engineers reported as follows : — Protective Works : The main stream of the river remains on this side, and scoured down five chains m length of the bank before it was stopped. We have had gorse fasoines 1 and mattresses fixed both at this point, and at the most threatened plaoes at the Old 1 Men's Home, as we believe this to be the 1 best plan to adopt for the present. — The oontraotpr for supplying shingle had commenced work again. The report was adopted. DISALLOWED AMOUNTS. In reply to Or Tuoker, the Mayor said that nothing further had been done m regard to i the disallowed payments. A Bill had been i before the House dealing with the matter, and although it had not become law, the ; Auditor- General, beoause of it, had taken no ' further aotion. Gr Tucker said that the reason he had asked the question was that three Councillors were shortly going out and might not return, and he did not think that it should be continually under discussion. He was m favor of voting an honorarium to the Mayor tb settle the matter. The Mayor said it was no use discussing the matter any further ; he would not aooept the honorarium. BOOK. , The Mayer exhibited a small book he had procured for the purpose of entering partioulars m regard to insuranoeß on buildings on Borough Reserves. He asked if the Oounoil approved of the purchase. The Oounoil expressed its approval of the book. VALEDICTORY. As Ors Williamson, Reid and Roberts re. tired by effluxion of time after the presentmeeting, Or Friedlander proposed a motion appreciative of the services rendered by those gentlemen. He trusted they would allow themselves to be nominated again. Or Tuoker seoonded the motion, which was supported by Gr Scaly and the Mayor, and oarried. Ors Williamson, Reid and Roberts returned thanks. The latter gentleman said that he had come to the conclusion that the Counoil business was not his vocation, and he would, therefore, not seek re-election. Crs Williamson and Reid both stated their intention of standing again, though at first they had not intended to do soi REDUCTION Ol 1 BENTS. A resolution drawn up by the solioitor embodying the Counoil's determination m regard to the reduotion of rents of lessees of Borough Reserves was adopted. ..; PAYMENTS. ' I Acoounts was passed for payment, and the Counoil adjourned. 1

THE EARTHQUAKE ♦ SERIOUS D vMAOE AT HANMER PLAINS. NEW HOT SPRINGS. Chriptohurcjh, September 3 W. A. Liw, of St. Helen's, Hanme? Plains, has ata'ed th-»t for roire three weeks bck atraoga rambling noiß°B have been hoard from the hills, at the back of Jollie'a Ppsi, but till Thursday evening they were not thought much of oa the Plains, as they *ere pat down to wind or some other otas^. On that evening these s< unds were fallowed by oth9ra more alarming, whloh ueariy resembled the report of single pieo«s of musketry fired m rapid snooeaßion These ware shortly Bocoeeded by shocks of earthquake at about ten minutes past ten In the eve iog. Ever since then ihe noises gained m force till Saturday m rnlng they were deafening, and continued to ba so till the violent shoots ffhhh did bo rouoh diuiage. The dir otion fr m whioh the soa. da have oome through the (iorge appe&ra fc'i have been from the h^ad waters of the Awatere R'ver, past OUrenoe at a point where an accommodation housa stands, aod b^'ween the range 4 to Jollies Pass, where they, m meeting the upon Pains, appear to have died away, as they had not been noticed further Bouih. At St. Helen's three chimneys were completely smashed, not broken off at the top as In Ohristohuroh, but smashed up completely. One fell through a conservatory and one outside. Mr Low removed the family to the Jollies Pass Hotel which had obtained no injary, and the furniture was put into the wool* shad. Ha estimates the cost of repairs at from £150 to £200. At Woodbank the property of W. Atkinson a large brick house erected there about five years ago and fitted with every con- 1 venlenoe and nicely furnished is a complete wreck. There was a brge two storey wooden addition recently made to it which was set oh oonorete foundations. This haa been forced off the foundations about 2 feet and is otherwise considerably damaged. The men's hut ia a complete wreck. O.\e of the men who was inside when the shook oime was Bllgbtly Injured by a falling rafter. Atkinson removed to the Oulverden Hotel with hia family on Saturday. At Hopefield station, the property oi Mr W. Aoton Adams, which is situated on the south side of the river farther np the , gorge the Btatlon house has completely collapsed. The manager left it on Satur day taking hia family with him. . At Glynn Wye station istllllfurther op the river on the north Bide a largo dwelling ; house the property of A. and D. Ruther > ford was first thrown bodily against the ! terrace at the back, and then completely - wreoked. Besides this the men's hut, a 1 large two storied iron building, wac ' wrecked. The manager, Oliver Thomp--1 aon and his me a were fortunately ie poßßesslon of tents and are now utilising them aa a temporary residence. The I atone walls of tbe large woolahed are at ' entire wreok. The Iron roof has fallen It , and the concrete dip has been literallj : shaken to pieces. Up, the rtvec and on the terrace along I the banks leading to Glynn Wye fissnrei > appear iv numbers and range m siza fron 1 three inches to a foot m width and o: I varied lengths. These also appear it 1 partß of the Percival riverbed m Hanmei 1 plains, but are not so long. \ In the Upper Waiau Gorge blnce Satur--1 day morning several new hot springs h*v< j appeared, principally m the flit belov I Jolle's Pasa, near the curative batha i Tbeße have not been effioted m thi i slightest. The buildinga round them hay, - remained intact. There has been con c siderable damage done m tbe Lowe: 1 AmurL The Ferry Hotel, olobo by thi 1 bridge, Is considerably dilapidated, ba i Mr Holmes, the proprietor has not founc ? it neaessary to leave, and is setting aboui repair, j At Leslie Hilh, on ' the north side o the river, * large a- one dwelling-house 1 built about t3& years ago, the propetty o i A. and D. Rutherford, is a completi 3 wreok A recent addition m wood ' • considerably shaken, all the plasterec walls having come down, Mr and Mr Duncan Rutherford and family h%va takei | refuge with a brother at Montrose. ; . fc Altogether the damage done m Amurl so far as Mr Low haa m»de out, amount j m the aggregate to several thouaan; pounds. Two slight shocks were felt to-day a1 ! ! 2 and 8.15 a.m. v The Cathedral chapter voted £5 t< t Anderson the ateeplekeeper for hi a bravery ia ascending the towe* and seonr a log the oroas immediately after the shook 3 The Hanmer Plains Springs on Saturda; 1 were greatly agitated .throwing up quanti 8 ties of mud and gas. The shoobs Beemei g to come from the weat and a oontinua D noise like distant thunder was heard a I short intervals on S.atarday and Sanday Some rents In the etrth have ocourred li several places In Hanmer Plains an< r Upper Walau. Gas la bubbling np fron i a number o' ihera. Huge rocks havi t rolled down bllluidea and several landslip 9 have taken place, and one oh the Walai 3 bridge outtlng. Mr Gunn, a Rabbi " Board . Inspector walked aoroßS thi Hanmer Plains from Bogerson to Waiac bridge on Saturday and says that th< whole plain seemed to be seething, gai 3 and water bubbling up m many place. ! The last shook experienced at Oulverdei t was at 8.15 this morning. Since ihet a everything aeema quiet. Mr Gunn ex--1 preeses the opinion th»t if the shooki 1 had been generally all as severe aa a< 9 Hanmer. plains no stone or bilok building ' oould have stood up. He says he wbb glac 1 to get dear away and thinks there ii great danger of an eruption if one has no already taken plaoe In the ranges lowardi t the west. j Hamner plains are still m aotive motion,

i , t Tho"Otago Daily Times" cays:— On 3 Saturday eveaiag a peculiar larid glare J wan observed m tha North-western nky. . It was noticeable till after midnight, and most people thought it was the refieotioa of a large fire.. It was, we are Informed, | noticed early m the evening by two gen< r tlemen who were shooting on the rangee > behind Monnt Flagstaff, and they state bo far as they could see it was not aaused ; by any fire. The sunset effects seen from t the hills by these gentlemen are deaoribed as most extraordinary, and together with this glare m the sky and the snow-covered ' ranges m the distance the effect was such ' that they gazed on it In almost speeohleai ? astonishment. The glare was notioeable again last evening, but it was not so pro- , minent* Itls somewhat singular that it should occur just after such a severe shook of earthquake as was ezperienoed . m some parts of the Colony on Saturday !• morning, and some are Inclined to connect ; the two together, remembering the 1 peculiar glow, whioh followed tha volcanic ' outbreak ot Krakatoa It is a coincidence worth noting that 1 the great earthquakes whioh deatroyad ihree-fonrths of the buildings m Charleston, North America, two years ago, I occurred late on the night of August 31, and at intervals during September 1 The effects of earthquakes on the underground water supply has frequently been noticed. This phenomenon was observed iq connection with Saturday's shook. At Fernside water- courses that were perfectly dry on Friday had runnlpg streams m them on the following morning ; and an artesian well at Woodend, which was giving a splendid flow on Friday, ceased 1 running after the shock, whilst another m ' the same locality, also previously flowing strongly, is now giving but a 'Molding supply. Professor Hutton In the oourie of an Interview with a representative of the "Lyttelton Times" saya that an earth" quake utencUng oyec & large tcea, i[k c

that of Saturday morning, la cover connected with volcanic eruptions, whloh ace accompanied by a large number of small earthquakes, due to explosions of steam at the base of the mountain, and these never extend farther than a few miles. Even iv volcanic districts, like the Andes region, when large earthquakes oooar, they are disconnected with vo!c >nio phenomena It la known nan that they are dan to crushes and strains m the earth. There can be no doubt that the cause nf oar Lot earthqtnke hau •ometh'ng to do with a strain on the rocks underlying the mountains. Some rooks have probably been either crushed or snapped through long continued tension or strain, which has thua been relieved. You know that when anything snaps, tbere' is always a certain amount of oonoustion.. The-, c mouasion from the breaking nf an Immense mass of rook will be tremendous. „ The centre of disturbance raiy have been but stnill, only a mile or bo In extent, or the rook which was split or crushed may have extended many miles, bo that the fracture may have stretched longitudinally, under the Alps for a great distance. It la impossible, however, In the absence of observations with proper instrumenti, to say what the nature of the disturbance OHARAOXBBMTIOB OJP B6IBMl0::l'0B0fc. ! r ■'.::'. "It doeß not follow, because a^ htge 1 amount of damage was done at the Banna *r Plaint, that therefore :the centre of the disturbance is situated near thereVT It' Ib, no doobtt some considerable d(atai)M» i! away. The movement; of the ; eartb < direotly over the centra of disturbance is vertical, the: force strikes directly .upwards, and m not ao likely to tbrow.dow.tv? t buildings as foroe exerted obliquely. It:] has been proved that an earthquake ..(tH most destrcotive where the am<le of emoraenoe of thn earth wave Is from forty-five to fifty-five degrees. In ijotfaerT; f ords, bu'ldiogs are more likely to be thrown down at places where the forae of the shock strikes them at an angle of from forty-five to fifty five degrees. As. the angle of emergence of the earth wave get* lees than forty five degrees, the Intensity of the force diminishes on aooount of the Increase m the distance from thp centres! disturbance. ' ; THB MYSTERIOUS SOUNDS. ' '"' "I confess I am unable to toooant for the noises whloh were heard at the flanmer Plains, It la, however, known that what ia known In geology aa a fiult, ' a fracture and slip of strata, extends along the base of the inland Kdkouraß.' | fault has been m movement m, Rodlogi~cally speaking, recent times, and whloh may be moving yet: The noise* may possibly have been caused by that fault, bat how I cannot say. I do not think the earthquake originated there, as it wat bo feebly felt m Wellington, whereas had ie started from the Katkouras, It would have been severely felt across ttie Straits, THE XISSUBES, ■" The fissures are only the secondary effects of the earthquake. They have occurred exactly where I should have expected them, on the banks and terraces along the river. The cause of their oocurrence m such a locality is simple enough. When the earthquake force strikes the mass of ground whloh terminates at the river, It drives the whole mass forward. When the wave has passed, the' mass returns to its former position. That portion of it whloh is next to the river, not being backed up by more land, does not return with the name momentum as the rest of the mass, from which ■ it consequently splits off This aacounts for the fissures m the river bank on the same side of the stream as the source of the earthquake wave. The fissures on the opposite bank, instead of being produced by the recoil of the wave, would be caused by Its onward motion, because the portion of the bank next to the stream would not be able to follow the great mass through not being backed up, and would, therefore, separate from it. A familiar illustration of the way m whloh earthquake fissures are formed m the banks and terraoea of rivers may b» seen if you strike one end of a row of billiard balls. The one,.at the other end rolls away because there. ls nothing. to, back it up and keep It m ha plaoe, while the others remain stationary. The fissures have nothing to do with any explosion underneath. They probably are not deeper than the level of the river bed. THE SEW SI'BIKGB. " I do not attach any importance •& all to the formation of new springs at the Hanmer Plaitis;' In a country like that any earthquake would probably unsettle the ground, and wherever the ground w«s broken a new^spriog would force its way to the surfaoe. l «; ; ■ 1 CHANGES OT RKOCRBBNCH, "I do not think that there Is any immediate ohanoe, of a recurrence of a shook like that of Saturday/ i?he r probability is that the disturbance which oaused it has relieved a' tension^ wlfoh HaY been going on -for a long' period. The! earthquake evidently reaohed its maximum In that shook. The araull shooks which are occurring now are due to the subsidence, of the disturbance, as those which preoeded the heavy one were dne to Its approach;"