HISTORIC EARTHQUAKES.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 4 December 1901, Page 4

HISTORIC EARTHQUAKES.

Mr Richardson Rae writes to the "Post" as follows :—-"In the list of memorable New Zealand earthpuakes quoted from the Chri-tchurch "Press" the great shock of the 17th October, 1848, at Wellington, is strangely omitted. On that day every wooden house in the city was rocked to and fro. All stone and brick buildings were seriously injured, and Barrack-Ser-geant Lovell and his two children were killed. On the 16th and 19th there were again continuous shocks. Settles slept in the bush, and everybody was panicstricken. All business was suspended. A solemn fast was ordered, and the churcho. (says Mr A. S. Thomson, in his History of New Zsaland) were filled with penitent sinners. Men thought Wellington was ruined for ever. Every single brick structure in the town was knocked down. The hospital was demolished and the patients were cared for in Government House to which place they had to be removed. Many colonists left New Zealand altogether after the experience and altogether property to the amount of J 925.000 was destroyed. These continuous earthquakes had for their centre the Wairau "Valley, and were confined to a space of about 300 miles, between Banks' Peninsula and white Island. Another of the great earthquakes nearly as severe as that of 1855, was the Hawke's Bay earthquake of 1860, which did extensive damage in all parts of the district, particularly at Napier, Waipawa, and Waipukurau."