EARTHQUAKES CONTINUE.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 19 November 1901, Page 4

EARTHQUAKES CONTINUE.

Severe Shock at Cheviot last Nigh

(pee press association.)

Chbistchubch, Nov 19,

It is impossible at present to even give an estimate of the enormous damage done by the earthquake in the Cheviot district. Every house has suffered, and some have been utterly wrecked. A, 0. Bellwood, storekeeper and general agent, estimates his loss at £3OO. His shop is twisted, the windows are gone and the stock ruined. James Jenkins had his Christmas stock on hand, and estimates the damage at between £3OO and £4OO. F. A. Cook's grocery store has been smashed most unmercifully. He estimates his damage at over £2OO. The damage to the Cheviot News Office amounts to about £2OO. M'Kenzie'a boarding house also suffered extensively and has been shifted from its foundations. Brownlee'a drapery store suffered to almost as great an extent, and Hubbard and Hall's premises were temporarily divorced from their foundations. There are dozens of other buildiugs which are in tbe like condition, but these comprise tbe most important businesses. In MeKenzie, the township of the district, the private residence of Jas. Butt and Dr Ingles (two of the best houses in Cheviot) are more or less ruined and un. inhabitable;

The stations north of Waiau seem to ha\ e suffered equally with the rest of the Cheviot country. The damage at Rutherford's fine homestead is estimated at over £2,000.

In addition to damage it has done to M'Kenzie, the earthquake has played some storage pranks with the land scape. A road in the vicinity has subsided 4 feet into a creek and is fissured. Townspeople are only now begining to recover from the demoralisation and to take an interest in their surroundings. The women and children are still camped *'n the gardens, but some attempts are being made to get the lat.st damaged of the houses into a habitable condition.

Yesterday afternoon, oatfidj tha post office, a solemn service of thanks-giving, conducted by the Anglican and Presbyterian Clergymen, was held, It was an impressive scene. The people, gathered bareheaded in the open street, and surrounded by ruins of their homes, offered up fervent and heartfelt thanksgivings to Almighty for the preservation of their ltvts.

A drive to Port Robinson from MacKonzie just now is only accomplished under peculiar and exciting condiiior s. On the Bluff road the upheaval has been stupendous, millions of feet of rock have b:ea hurled from the high bluffs above to the road below. The County Engineer estimates that it will take a year to clear the read againi

One cannot cease to marvel at the wonderful escapes from death which occurred on every hand. At Go: e Bay there was a most remarkable escape in an accommodation houae. "When the first shock took place the family, were at breakfast in the kitehen. A lined room with a tongued and grooved roo f , the chimney enshed teadlong into the room, smashing in the iron and splintering the lining to match wojd, and filling the room 3ft deep with galvanised iron, broken boarding, bricks and mortar, yet no ono was killed. Only one lad had his ankie bruised. After a survey it is even now almost incredible that anyone could have, escaped aHve from such a death trap," A letter from Waiau reports that cracks two feet wido have been made in a paddock and are full of water. The river presented a strange spectacle on Saturday morning. As the shock progressed great cracks opened in its bed, into which water poured. Presently the cracks closed suddenly and shot a volumo of water lOCft in the air.

Another slight shock of earthquake was feU here just before 8 o'clock last night. Hon Mr Hall-Jones arrived from the South lart night and will go on to Cheviot.

Rutherford's house and contonts as Mendip Hills were wrecked. The family are camping out in ten's. Mrs and Misses Rutherford had narrow escapes. Stanton River, in the vicinity of Mendip, was dammed by slips and has formed two large lakea. In some of the places the wbole hillsides slipped away andrpads jpe blocked for wheel traffic,

There is very little real cause for alarm at Hanmer Springs, but at Ada Valley (35 miles away) rocks were rolled down the hillsides among the men's tents. Eain set in this afternoon and still continnoi. It is very much needed. The editor of the Lyttelton Times telegraphed to W. T. Kobii 830, Cheviot, asking if a collection of funds for tho immediate relief of the sufferers by the earthquake would be accepted, and received the reply :—" Few cases urgently require help, and though wo shall do what we can locally, tho co-operarion of our Christchurch friends will be very acceptable. Some families lo3t their homes and practically all their belongings and are absolutely destitute. Government must of course assist in public work?, such as roads a- d bridges ; but that will not reach the whole of the distress. It is difficult at present to estimate the extent of the damage, but at least £3OOO will be required to restore means of traffic and communication. It is imperative that the port j road be put in order without a moment's unnecessary delay. There was a very large exodus of women and children to-day,, but, as far as we can understand, all arc going to friends." Welitngton, Nov 19. At a meeting of the Cabinet to-night, the question of the damage done at Cheviot was considered by Ministers, and it was decided to request Hon Mr Hall-Jones, who is at present in Christchurch, to proceed to Cheviot to morrow morning and investigate affairs. When his report is made Ministers will take action. It is probable that an extensive relief measure will be at once instituted by the Government.