SEVERE EARTHQUAKE SHOCK

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2275, 8 October 1914, Page 7

SEVERE EARTHQUAKE SHOCK

ALONG THE EAST COAST AND BAY,

OF PLENTY

CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE

MAN MISSING

(By ' Telegraph.—Press Association.) Glsbprno, October 7.. : An earthquake at 6.47 this morning Svas severely felt at Tokomaru Bay, • chimneys being thrown, down in all directions. • The Fanners' Co-operative Association estimates the damage to its store: at £300, and the damage at Oates Bros, amounts to £200. Gonsiderabledamage ■was done to the Wainia stores. From 50 to 60 chimneys fell. At the hotel the tanks burst, and bottles were- scattered about the floor. ; On the hillsides there appears to. he Several gaps. Buchanan's house is untenable. At Busby's a chimney came down through the ceiling of a bedroom,narrowly escaping ithe sleeping occupants. It is estimated that the shake lasted three minutes. In Gisborne the shock stopped clocks, but did no serious damage. ':'.■.-' Tolaga.Bay reports that all the stores suffered minor damage. Chimneys fell, at several station homesteads, and there was considerable loss, of crockery, throughout the township. There is a very big slip on the hill overlooking Cooks' Cove. V "'.■'.' ...'... "Waipiro reports that the shock was the severest known in the Waiapu district, but there was_ no serious damage, ■beyond fallen chimneys at eeveral places. ■ ■ . • A Man Missing. ■ Oape Runaway reports a big slip into the sea.- New.springs have been opened up. Mr. O. A..T. Jones, known as Percy Jones, was: mustering in a gully' when a slip,' the'result or tlie earthquake, occurred. . His dogs'returned home and two other men working in the. same country' were unable to< find any trace of him. It is believed he , has been buried in the debris from a big' slip .which came down into the ; gully. " '_ - The violence pf the earthquake is inanifested by many cracks oil the' surface of the country. . The fiver is unfordab'le. ~' . " ' ; • , White Island does not appear to be showing more steam than usual. . .FURTHER TREMORS. ClSborne, October 7. Tokomaru Bay reports further, tremors all day. There were two. strong shocks at noon, and.at 2 p.m. , The floor of the Farmers' Co-operative store was littered three feet deep with merchandise which- had fallen from the shelves. Bricks from the chimney, fell "through the ceiling to the office,, and the managers house is untenable. . A big? out opened in tho. ground between the Farmers' store and Burdett's boardinghousej for a distance, of 300 yards. •:••■' ... : Theearthquake was the severest felt in Gisborne for eighteen years,-but w.as of steady duration, and beyond.stoppingl ;the. town! clqok, and such minor accidents, caiised little damage. In the; country districts, however, the damage was very severe. ' ■ At Tokpmaru Bay the local bricklayer has already received orders.to build no fewer than 65 now chimneys to replace those Which .Ml down, during the 'quake, arid "several' 1 business nre badly damaged, notably tho Farmers' Co-operative Store, where it will take £700 to again make things ship-' shapejand J. I):'Kelly and Co.'s-build-ing; 'the whole of thVwindows of which' were torn out. windows were' smashed all over the township; end alarming fissures appeared in theroads, while there were at least two huge landslides,' -which brought down thousands of tons of earth. • ■ ■ It is the same in all the country districts, and hotel.bare suffered severely with, broken bottles, the contents 'of the 'shelves being thrown on to the floors.' -. ' : ' - ''"-. So-far no loss of life is reported, but it is feared that a man named G. A. Ti Jones, or'-'Percy" Jones, was engulfed by a land-slide at Cape Runaway. So far no reliable news has been' received from the Bay"of Plenty coast and the OpotiM district. ■ IN OTHER tiENTRES. (SHOOK FELT RIGHT ALONG , THE ■' -.;■ . EAST COAST. , . „ .Wsiroa, October 7. • '& prolonged and severe earthquake (Was. felt at 6.46 this morning,, its direcition being mainly east and west, and the duration over a minute. Beyond the town clock no damage is {reported. Napier, October 7. A severe earthquake was felt at 6.38 i&.in. .No.- damage is reported. ■ Auckland, October % '■' Light earth tremors were felt here at ;6.47 this morning. . " ' . ■ ■ Waihl, October 7. A severe earth -tremor lasting. twelve seconds was feltihere at 6.50 this morn.Mg. V Tauranga, Octobor 7. There were several slight earth tremors this , morning, and a prolonged and decided shake at 6.45. The vibrations lasted a minute, and their direction was ■in a direct line tmt-weon Tauranga and White Island. ■ • ' ! The earthquake at Whakatane caused ■the concrete bridge to crack at the • town end. Various chimneys were cracked also, and much damage was done. .'■.-■■'

Following Is a copy of a telegram from the Chief Postmaster, Gieborne, to the Acting-Secretary of the G.P.O.:— "Severe earthquake Gisborne district 6.46 a.m. The following ia from the postmaster, Port Awanui: 'Exception.ally'seveite shock' earthquake experienced here at 6.48 a.m. to-day. Chimneys in the post office building suffered severely, .two of them falling and damaging the roof. A third chimney is hanging at a. dangorous_ angle.'/No damage at Gisborne' Chief Post Offict» or other Departmental buildings in distriet.," The- earthquake was experienced in Wellington yesterday morning at 6547 n.m. It was a , prolonged shock, but Tvas not sevore.