THE EARTHQUAKE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1724, 15 April 1913, Page 6

THE EARTHQUAKE.

AKK.V AFFECTED A WTDE ONE.* , Saturday evening's earthquake did very, littlo damage iu Wellington, as far as can .Ijo ascertained. The two buildings which arc always regarded as "test" structures . in rcspect to earthquakes are the Wellington free Public Library, in Mercer and Victoria Streets, and the Government Lii'o Insurance Buildings, oil Customhouse Quay. The Public Library is built on floatiug foundations , resting on reclaimed, ground, and has already suffered a good deal by earthquake, notably' in tho big shock of 1901. Thereafter it was repaired and strengthened" nt considerable cost. 'When the earthquake camo at 7.15 p.m. on Saturday the public reading-room was l'airly full, and as soon as the earthtreinor shook the building tho crowd deserted the "illustrateds" and newspaper . tiles in double-quick time, and bolted out on the street. They stayed not upon the order .of their going, but went. Mr. Herbert Baillie (librarian) was in his loom at the time, and though there are hazardously-erected piles of. books on every hand, only one volumo'fcll to the . floor. As far as ho knew, no damage .whatever had been ,done to tho building. , ,' At the Government Life Insurance : buildings there is always , a chance of ■trouble," owing to weaknesses having been caused by previous "quakes." ■ Some ; cracks were pointed ont to a Dominion representative as new, but the openings seemed to the naked eye to be suspiciously dark with age and dust. ATOTAKI. ■ < Two very pronounced shocks of earthquake were experienced at-Otaki about 7.10 on Saturday evening. They wero the heaviest felt, locally,: for a number, of years. ' • LEVIN'S EXPERIENCE. . Oui; local correspondent states that a almrp earth-tremor Occurred at Levin nn Saturday night, about 7.10, followed by a severer one, which drove many residents out of doors. ' BOY STRUCK BY DEBRIS. • Our Masterton correspondent states that ■- li boy: named Lee, while returning to his home on Saturday evening at the tinio of the earthquake, was struck on the shoulder by failing debris, and narrowly es- ! caped serious injury., ' ' : THE MASTERTON FATALITY. MastJrton, April 14. . At an inquest 'held this "morning regarding the death of the Maori Ngawhiro, who was killed on Saturday (luring tho. earthquake, by an ornamental ball falling from the post office, a verdict of acci- ' dental death was returned. BUILDING CRACKED BIGHT DOWN. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Carterton, April 14. Saturday night's earthquake did no serious dnmngo about town. Tho now addition to the post office cracked from top to bottom. Tho country districts round Gladstono and Longbush suffered 'soverely.in chimneys, nearly every one of them requiring attention. Tanks on high stands were shifted, and in some cases split. There was a further slight ; shock at 3.4 p.m. on Sunday. ; ' SHOCKS AT HAWERA. Hawera, April 14. A slight earthquake was felt here at 7.10 p.m. on Saturday evening, and _ another more pronounced shock at 3.15 on Sunday afternoon. SEISMOGRAPH RECORD. ■■■■■•. Christchurch, April 14. The Masterton earthquakes were recorded on tho Christchurch seismograph as fellow April 12, beginning 7hr. 12.2min. pin.; large waves commenced 71ir. 13.1 li'in.; maximum motion at 7hr. ll.lmin., ;.ith complete booin amplitude of 1.0 millimetres. Further minute tremors oc--1 curred from 7hr. 38min. to 7hr. IDmin. p.m. April 1", beginning illir. 05.!) p.m.; in-t "<lir. 07.7; maximum . motion at 3hr, Vj.Gwin. Slight inovejneftt.