A GREAT QUAKE.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 June 1926, Page 4

A GREAT QUAKE.

THE SOLOMON'S! SHAKEN. AUCKLAND. June !h An interesting report on the recent earthquakes in the Solomon [.-hinds is published in tn-uight’s “Star” from the genera! secretary of the .Melanesian Mission, Major 11. S. Bnhinson, who k at present vsiling these Pacific islands. The writer of the report is the Rev. Dr Fox, of the Melanesian Mi s--i. list.iti.mi at Pawn, on the island of Ugi.' Dr Fox stales: “The earthquake started on 'Monday. April 13, and < nnlinucd for ten days. During the hr-t seven days there were thirty-live brief shocks and many tremors, but none was so terrible as the first one. I lie awful violence of that filieen seconds is beyond words. I was thrown 'lean ' out. It was a dark night and raining There was a great roaring. Houses i danced like dervishes. A nut tree on I lop of the bill was thrown to the h.it- • tom, and my house was instantly in i flames. At Pawn all tanks brimful ol • water were thrown to the ground and • completely smashed. The back veran- ! dab collapsed to matchwood, and a • side ol the back room was wrenched ‘ out. Martin was down there with work i boys, .and on running out they were . all thrown to the ground. Inside a • big bookcase and a large fable met ai.d . Rcrapi>ed in the middle of the liner, and cupboards and cases played b.ittledoro and shuttlecock. In the hospital lour boys were on the beds and were all thrown to the middle of the room. " and there met the medicine cupboard. I Everything breakable broke. “Then came quiet- and we put out I the fire in my house with wet sacks. All night the island quivered and earthquakes came every three or four minutes till 3 a.in. On Tuesday they came at longer intervals, and so till Thursday .at 7.30 when the next big one arrived. This upset everyone, and .teachers and boys all went to their gardens for the night and I was left alone. On Tnesara no house was safe, so I spread my cape on the grass and lay there smoking all night. “Big shakes caine up every half-hour with a roar. You eottlil see the lulls swinging ns you swing your arm, and could see the hillsides falling. The liill by Abel’s garden fell into a gully, (treat fissures opened everywhere. Some of the boys vomited. Butcliurl’x house turned over at an angle of b"> degrees. My own place came through unhurt, thanks to your good wiring. In some houses the main posts wore wrenched out. A fissure opened across the floor of George’s bouse. Sonic of these fissures .ire fifty yards long. Fissures opened on the reef on both sides of tile point. Many natives’ houses fell and the stone church at Tawnrodo. “At Bio there was a Inigo wave, leaving lots of fish. At Langatila tanks fell, but the houses stood, although native houses went right oyer. At Three Sisters if was worse. The house was lifted lip and dropped on to the posts, which went right through the door. On San Cristoval it was milder. At Wuiai, after tho great shock, there were only tremors, hot the week of horror we had. bn' Friday I wentdown and slept in Rudgard s house, and that night there were only six earthquakes, and though the rocking of the liouse awoke me I did not have to leave the building. It was my fist . short sleep for that week. “From the lie of the fissures I am of . opinion that the shocks came from the north-east, and am confirmed in this by the more extensive damage done at Three Sisters Islands.

“The long-drawn-out waiting, always expecting a worse shock, tried all our nerves badly. At the big shake I did think that Ugi was going and all of us with it. Through it all [ would have given much for a eompinlon.”