THE EARTHQUAKE WAVES.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 900, 14 May 1877, Page 3

THE EARTHQUAKE WAVES.

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS,

At fvaiapoi, on Sat urday, there were at noon t wo additional waves in the river, and during the afternoon the river was agitated by a conflict of currents. The following are some further particulars of the phenomena as they were observed at Tinmru, Camara, and Port Chalmers; — TnrARTT. The Herald reports that there the wave was first noticed shortly after seven o’clock in t he morning, and from that hour tdl late in the afternoon the sea kept rising and falling rapidly. The rush of water at times was very heavy, and at high tide in the forenoon the sea, which was running high all day, kept breaking over the breastwork in front of the railway station. The vessels in the roadstead kept swinging round and round, their heads never pointing in the same direction for twenty minutes at a time. It was impossible to tell the exact rise and fall of the wave, but it appeared to be from about three to four feet. OAMARU. The Times reports that at Oamaru the water receded and flowed at intervals of about a quarter of an hour in the most extraordinary manner. For instance, at about low water time yesterday morning the sea rose suddenly, and in about ton minutes it was within a foot of high water mark. This flowing and receding of the tide continued all the morning, and was noticed by all the workmen at the Breakwater and a number of citizens. Moored at t he wharf was the barque William Gilford, loading produce for Auckland, while inside the Breakwater were also the brig Thomas and Henry, the brigantine Endeavor, the fore and aft schooner Richard and Mary, and the ketch Prince Rupert. At about 12 noon, the sea began to rush into the Bay with tremendous force, whole rollers pouring over the breakwater with great violence, causing the barque William Gilford to “range” very much and strain (he warps by which she was moored. These warps were some of the largest and strongest in the possession of the Harbor Board, but they could not withstand the strain long; one' bv one they carried away, as though only whip-cord, aiid at a few minutes past 12 o’clock the barque was carried clear away from the mooring posts, and rushing past the breakwater her starboard quarter came in contact with a large concrete block standing on the inside of the wall, bo violent was the shock that one of the men who were

aboard at the time states that he was almost thrown off his legs. As soon as the barque had cleared the end of the breakwater the water in the bay began to rush out to sea again with something like the force and rapidity of the River Wait aid, boiling, eddying, and whirling in a manner never seen before; in fact, for some minutes the sea from about the new wharf to some considerable distance out side the wharf seemed to resemble nothing so much as one continuous whirlpool. As soon as this current caught the vessels inside the wharf they began to drag their moorings, the ketch Prince Rupert coining into collision with the brigantine Endeavor. Meantime, the harbor-master, Captain Sewell, boarded the Gifford (Captain Rishop, her commander, being in town). The barque, as soon as she cleared the end of the breakwater, was driven by two or three heavy seas on the cast side of the Breakwater, and for a time it seemed certain that she would cither be washed on the rocks or right on to the Breakwater. While in this position the barque was struck by a heavy wave, and while in the trough of the sea she struck on the ground somewhat heavily. There being a light W.S.W. breeze at the time, and evident signs of its freshening, Captain Sewell had the topsails set. Eor a minute or two this had the effect of keeping the vessel off the rocks, but as soon as her bow reached the end of the Breakwater, it was caught in the current, and for the next five minutes the vessel was whirled round and round in the whirlpool at the end of the Breakwater. The wind then freshened, and Captain Sewell having hoisted the jib, the vessel canted and a few minutes afterwards she was standing to the N.E., and Captain Sewell brought the barque to an anchor at the outer anchorage, where Captain Bishop shortly afterwards .boarded her. At half-past twelve the current had ceased and the whirlpool disappeared. When the worst of the current had subsided, the Prince Rupert swung clear of the Endeavour, but shortly afterwards came into collision with the Richard and Mary, and from thence till about 2 p.m. the vessels were almost constantly at close quarters. The result of this was that the ketch’s mizen boom and stern rail were carried away, while the schooner lost her cutwater and damaged all her head gear. PORT CHALMERS. There the tidal disturbance was first noticed j about daybreak by fishermen, who observed the tide receding and flowing several feet on , the beach. Early in the forenoon the tide I was seen to suddenly rise and fall at the piers, i the rough measurement giving from 7 inches to 20 inches. This continued several hours. The disturbance of the tide rendered the water of the harbor quite turbid, and caused the vessels at anchor in the stream to swing across the flood tide, then running strong. It was blowing moderately fresh and puffy from the sea.