SEVERE SHOCK OF EARTHQUAKE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2314, 23 November 1914, Page 6

SEVERE SHOCK OF EARTHQUAKE

A SUNDAY EVENING VISITATION CONSIDERABLE ALARM, BUT LITTLE DAMAGE General alarm was caused in tho City; and suburbs last evening by the severest shock of earthquake experienced here for many years. The - first shake, a fairly violent one, began at 7.46 p.m. Having lasted for about ton seconds it died away and became almost- imperceptible. But this period of calm was' followed by an extremely violent shake : which lasted for some fifteen seconds. Ihe whole duration of tho tremors wW about one mmuto or a little more • In most of tho City and suburban' churches the services were about to conclude when, the earthquake began and the members of the various congregations were naturally, considerably' alarmed. In St. Paul's Cathedral the last .verso of tho last hymn was beine sung. The building, an old one of wood, swayed and creaked, but tho congregation remained in their places until the tremors had ceased when, a few people went out quietly. One or two women, meantime, had fainted. There was a somewhat similar experience at tho Basilica in Hill Street. Father O'Coiinell,. who had- just concluded a sermon, came forward and spoke to the people, checking an incipient tendency to a stampede. The building appeared to be unSamaged. In the case of some of the smaller churches the people hurriedly decamped. The Post Office, clock, which was striking the quarter when the shako came, struck an additional peal and ; then stopped, marking 7.46. A number of tramway, and other clocks wero also stopped.

Little Damage Reported. Considering the violence of tie shock"' it is a matter for congratulation that bo little , damage was done. So far as could be learned last night, buildings in the City escaped practically unharmed.' •• In the Public - Library a -little plaster came down in a corner of one of the reference rooms upstairs and some fell also in one of the hew rooms recently added; There were about sixty people in the upstairs rooms when _ the "shake" began." They left in a hurry and only about a- third of their number returned afterwards. At the Town Hall a section of plaster about four feet square' fell, from 'the roof of the Cuba._ Street portico and the ceumg of, the main corridor was cracked ia several places. The custodian (Mr. lieslie) states that the . whole building rocked to and fro. and he considers that! it stood the strain remarkably well. In his opinion the direction of-the'earth-quake was from north to south. In the Government Life Insurance building three or four feet of plaster cornice fell in the upper oorridor, but no other damage was discovered last night. The General Post Office building was unharmed to all appearance,. save for the descent of a little plaster, m the old portion of the building. Sunday Evening Incidents.

■ People in' the various suburbs were agreed that the shock was the most violent they; had ever experienced. It was severely felt at Brooklyn, Wadestcwn, Island Bay, Hataitai, and elsewhere, but inquiries failed to disclose .that any houses had been damaged or chimneys thrown, down. . The Home of Compassion at. Island Bay escaped; scatheless^. ,;' ', ...,..•.- ~.'■ ' . '~-,' There was a fairly numerous audienceat the Social-Democratic meeting at the Old Opera House when, the earthquake took place, and as. the buildingi quivered and shook under 'the, influence, of the .uncanny earth-twist, the < au-; dienco'jumped to their feet, and several fled-through the doors into the street, fearing that worse was to follow, -but Mr. Holland, the speaker, warned the. crowd that 'it was foolish to rush, and the slight panic that ■threatened was averted.

When the. quake occurred there wero a number of people standing in the passage-way that halves Jamieson's Building in Manners Street,' and when the second shock-came, there was a crash of glass from somewhere within the building, and'. a wild rush was made to i the middle of the street. The audience at His Majesty's Theatre also felt the shake, .and though many stood 'up in alarm ready to make for the street, none left the theatre. The building ■ was quite undamaged. -. . The shake was responsible for the displacement of some of the jara in more than one chemist's shop in tli9 City, but no serious losses wero incurred. . . ' .;•'••■

It is anticipate/l that minor damago' will be found to have occurred in some of the shops and warehouses that stock fragile goods, but as they were : all closedT last evening there was no'means of ascertaining if this was the case. ./'■...'" People with swinging gas-or electrio fittings were soon made aware, of the shock. One gentleman reported that his gasolier .oscillated for ten minutes after the shake. ' Unfortunately the official seismograph, which is in charge of Mr. 0. Hogben, was temborarily out of action last evening, so that a valuable record has ;been' lost. '"'■'. Our Masterton correspondent reported last evening that the shake Be-, gan there, at ,7.'46 p.m., and lasted for fully a minute. People were badly frightened, and from one.church the, members of the congregation rushed, out into the street. Other people rah out of their houses. No damage to buildings or chimneys was reported. Many of the old residents of the Hntt Valley state that the earthquake felt last evening was'of a longer duration than any that can be remembered.' Very little damage is reported, however. Soyeral clocks stepped, stampedes in churches checked by a few words from speakers, and a few ladies fainted. Contrary to expectations, the Petone town clock, noted for its immediate stopping through past 'quakes, beyond a slight jingling of the chimes, took no notice whatever of tb« earthquake. ', Telephonic advice from Ckristchurcli stated that the shock was severe there and caused'excitement in the oity, but no damago was reported. HEAVY SHOCK AT GISBORNE. (By Teleeranli.—Press (Reo. November 23, 0.30 a.m.) Clsborne, Midnight: , Tho 'severest earthquake on record was felt'at'7.46 p.m. It is difficult to estimate the damage yet,. but .numbers of 'chimneys, windows, and crockery have been broken'in various parts of the town and suburbs.

Buildings swayed in a most alarming manner, and people in church were very niucli excited. Tho congregation: at Holy Trinity Church left the building in a body, and in other churches fainted, and had to bo carried out, while numbers rushed into the open. At Tokomam Bay and other coast districts tho shock was sovere. Tanks burst, chimneys camp down, and goods were damaged at Tokoniafu. Fortunately, no loss of life is reported. • Reports from surrounding districts are scanty owing to the foot that thero is no night telephone service,-.but as far as can be ascertained tho district will.como well out'of its severe shaking, and with no loss of life.' The "quake" lasted over a. minute, and was accompanied by an alarming noise.