EARTHQUAKE AND FLOODS AT MARLBOROUGH.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIII, Issue 554, 24 February 1868, Page 3

EARTHQUAKE AND FLOODS AT MARLBOROUGH.

The feiiowing is taken from the Marlboroughl !Press, ot the loth February, wbich is published at: Pi'-'ton : | Within the last few clavs I'idon has been visited I 1 with the most destructive flood that has been (known to occur in the place. The ilrst indication ot atmospheric disturbance, was (riven on Saturday uiorniug last, when, about a.m., was heard the booniiii(f, mournful ruinhie which always pro.'cedes an eaathquake. Before the sound "of the approach had passed away, the earthquake was felt, coming from a S.W. direction, and the earth could, during its progress, he plainly seen to move. The oscillations of the houses, were visible to those who were outside, while those iuside were full, alive to the f-ict that something more than comimm was going on. Articles in the dilferent rooms appeaivd to be suddenly endowed with animation as they quitted their accustomed places, and tilings usually inert and motionless gave proof of the power of the dreaded agency by which the solid earth was moved. But little actual damage was done by the shock, beyond shaking down soimbags of flour in the store of (Messrs. Beauchamp and Co., and unstringing the nerves of the timid. The earthquake was the severest that has been felt in the province for some wars, and lasted a few seconds. About hl.bt) p.ni,, it began to rain, 'i'be result is thus noted in i’idon :

The water euiilinued to spread as the rain kept on, and logs and debris washed into the stream, came rushing down with a resistless force. At 7 a.m. (he foot-brnlgv, which connected (lie north and south parts of the town, was carried bodily away, and down to the sea, before anything could be done to save it. The fences round the ground bordering the river were the next to sutler: and as they acted as weirs iu stopping the various arti-j cles as they floated down the current, the water j had immense power against them, anil one after' the other followed the direction taken by the! bridge. About 9 a.m. the water began to make i its appearance round the south side"of the gaol,i quickly forcing the palisading before it. The; dam erected to confine the water from the cutting] and the new bridge was next forced, and the seething torrents were divided—one going the old course, and the other making a new course, and going under the recently-erected bridge. This gave another cutlet to the water, hut added considerably to the chance of causing great damage, as the logs coming down by the cutting were caught by tin; piles na which the bridge stands, ana ilia water was backed up for a long distance. It was seen that, unless sommliing was done, nothing could save the new bridge from following the fate of the old one ; and after a long and hazardous work, the danger which threatened it was tided over, and, for the time, it was safe. A large portion of the garden belonging to Mr. Jeffries was covered with several feet of earth.

The gardens along the course of the Waitohi are covered several feet by it deposit of mud. .Much property has beeu destroyed. At! communication being stopped, we are unable to stale how far the ravages of the storm have been felt; but we have received intelligence that tlie road as far as the llaif-wny House is quite impassable fo- vehicles or horses, and that tin* whole of the. bridges arc washed away. Several large landslips have taken place ; these, together w ith trees laying across the roads, will make it a mailer of impossibility to travel between I’ictim and Blenheim for some time.