SHARP EARTHQUAKE SHOCK.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1979, 9 February 1914, Page 7

SHARP EARTHQUAKE SHOCK.

, ~ -« — ON SUNDAY MORMG. PUBLIC CLOCKS STOPPED. SCENES IN CHURCHES:. A very sharp sliock of earthquake was experienced in Wellington at 1]..3;3 a.nu yesterday, A few r.i'conds or so before the quake a slight lmt distinct oa.i'fcli-1roflror was felt, and scarcely had' people time to question one another as to whether it was an earthquake, when there followed 'a seven? shock, which lasted fully a couple of .seconds, its direction, as far as one could judge, bei. g from south to north. The jolt was accompanied by ii. loud rumbling sound of tt peculiarly a.wesonie kind. Indeed, ■tliore wero these on the move who did ' not feel the ipiake so acutely as they , heard the souird it made. Warm In tfts Churches. _At the-time of the shock the itioni'«s services were in progress. at tiro 1 c hirelies, and coiisi.dcra-ble consternation ; was caused in. S.«.me of them. lnnuir- . jcs_ showed that in. every case, a i'e\v qUiet w'o.rds troni tlio pfrjaeher sufficed ■ to arrest any incipient tendency to ; One positive result of tho earthtfualce was- tho stepping of a liuin- • nor of clocks, including that in .tho torer of the General I'o.st Office, and most of tho tramway cloaks in the cor,. \ tral parts of tho city, .Many pri-v-sU mocks were also .stopped, Tho ' fact that tho tramway clocks at onllving 1 stations like Sea'toim and Karori Were : not stopped indicates that tlio disturb-" ■ a nee wii.s less severe in. these areas. ■ So * nr 's known, no appreciable daai- ' age « as. do.no to buildings. One or , two chimneys ate reported to bo in a cracked but in these eases it ' is hot certain that the damage was due to the earthquake. In tho Churches. ~ In St. John's ih'esbyterian Clmteh ?J . hyiiin was being sung when tiie. carthquake. began, and the singing went on .. without interrHp.tipin Verv few peo- . pie went out during the .liyiiin. A .. small number loft the building after the singing h.a : d : concluded, but "the great bulk ol tho large cfi-iigregation reiiuiin. ctt. Just .after tlio tinging of tho ■ hyiii.li, the: Rov. Dr. Uibi,, jit a few ■ words, expressed his gratification at tlio tact that there line!. been absolutely , no paii.ie, .hiKl said further : secret of our peace is in knowing that wo ore continually in the hand of God." "«ie strViee t'lieii weiit on just as before. *■:. A. few people ran out of tho Basilica ■ in HUI Street when tho troiner was felt, bnt Father Ijickspu, who was pte.adhiiig ft tho tunc, told his auditors that tho . best tiling they could do was to keep ' their seats, and nca.ily all of them did so, .Ao damage to tlio building was discovered, except that a joint, over one Q'f tli? windows, opened slightly. At the Kent Cinireh ' many thought, the organ pipes , would fall for- ; ward'ont of their soeketß, snrii was tho { sway of the building,, and .a tall wiiido'.w- ---' pole_ (used for pp'en.ing and closing tliu windows), \vJiich lvas loaiiing at n gocd anglo m a westerly recess, dcscrihecl 'a ■: segment of a circle, and brought tip against th& eastern eoincr opposite., though, tlio /quake Scciirred whilst ' prayer was being; offered tip some of tho '. cougregation Jolt- their seats, fearing that wor.s'o was to 1 , folioiv, sonio of tho Glnldron-.began, to co r i and tji&'oi'ganiiit vacated Lts seat on .sco.iiig fe l>ig ninca 6vew.ipad Tn'..motion. , ' The cart'liquake made itself very plnir.- . Iv felt at. St. James's J'resbyterian Church., .and it was noticed, that tiro 1 hymn boards were shaken ' violently. | There was no panic, but one or two people, who suffer from weak hearts [ ■ Were taken, to the. manse te bo .at- ; tended In, As the scrvino resumed, tho Rev, W, Shircr remarked that tlro.s'o . poople who had stayed in bed instead of . . coming tfl church would no doubt feel the-sliock moni'soverelv.. •• . A serinnn was in progress at St. Mary's Chinch, m I!oul"ott Stiept, ! when tho .shock cainc. There was a , little alarm, 1 but tho uplifted hand <jf tho priest served to pacify the people. Tbc quake Was severely felt in St. I'aul's Tro-Caihedral ' i:i Mvilgrnva ' . ■ Street, the old timbers of which groaned eoiiiplainingly uiwer 'ti'ie. ii,riiiii. One lady in the eongiegatioii,' emitted a slight shriek of dismay, but (lie Viear 'Itev. A. M. .Tohnson) at once held up : his hand, which had tho desired effect nf caim.int; the troubled .miads of the .con' grogation. " In tho Hutt Valley. T»'o chimneys w«re shaken down in . Lower llutt by the earthquake, on« over the billiard-room of the Family Hotel, and ouo in the dwelling of Mr, t'\ L. .Simpstiii. In the latter ease so mo bricks dropped down the. chimney on to tho cooking-rango below., driving a tongue of flame across tlio kitchen.. Tiio bells of tho Hutt town clock • clcnged and several clocks were stopped ii: the Hutt Valley, including the , Pctone municipal clock, wliieii' stopped. :at 11.33, ' " ' A curious feature of the qnako waa ;; that wliilo most, clocks worn put out of . . action, one resident'of.l'etono says fliab . the shock started his clrirlc going for tlw : first tiiiie fo.r niawy 'months.. THE QUAKE AT PALMERSTON. (By T&legrap.li.—Sprcial GorrGsponcJont:) Palilicrston, February 8. A' very sharp earthquake was' experienced at 11.2.8 a.m., the quivers . lasting a full, minute, with rntubieij that were quite audible. A few articles were displaced from, their shelves, but no damage was done. At tho 1 : "Times" (lifei, the printing machine, Which had been shifted for.. 'insValtinfj •' linotypes, and had been levelled, awaii- '. iiig bolting di>>viiL, wars thrown qititc o.u.t of plunili by tluvoarth shock. • Opinions, varv as to lire severity of ' the .shock, soine considering it to n:\\« ' 'been the- most violent experienced for 1 inanv decades. The Pest Office advises. "The iollowing re]wri. has. been ie. ceivcd from the postmaster, l?nimerstou North:—Jseveic j-hock of cartlupiake at „ 11,2.8 a.m. to-day. It lasted fully a ininute. n:id in the opinion of some was v tho nfost e.ciilo felt. No damage was reported, V ALARM AT WANCANU!. (Dv Telocrnpli.—Pro pa A F.«oci : a.tt(in.:> | '' . Wanganul, February 8. A lengthy and severe earthquake shoeW , Wiis experienced'sit M'.inganiii at '11.31 to-day, Some, alarm was Caiisett in tlio eimreli.es, afrd pcojile cainc ?mt of their houses. No damage is retioi'ted.