’QUAKE AT SEA

Hokitika Guardian, 9 February 1931, Page 2

’QUAKE AT SEA

SHIPS IN DANGER. OCEAN BED lIFAYED I P THREE FATHOMS. VERONICA BELIEVED BADLY DAMAGED. AUCKLAND, February 6. A thrilling .tale of a .submarine upheaval was told by the officer and engineers of the motor ship Taranaki when she arrived at Auckland from Napier last evening. On several occas. sions the vessel was in a perilous posi lion apart from the experiences in tin roadstead at Napier. Another- submarine disturbance was felt at 11 a.m. yesterday while the ship was coining up the coast. Describing the latter incident an engineer said: “I was on the top deck talking to some of the refugees and nurses when suddenly the ship shivered. We on board who have got used to the vessel’s every movement knew that something unusual had happened but the disturbance was not noticed by the passengers. I was not the only one who felt it, and with others I wondered what was going to happen next-. “QUITE ENOUGH AT NAPIER,” “We had quite enough at Nspiel when the sea bed came towards the bottom of our ship. This time, instead of a distinct bumping, it was a I'fal shiver, There was no mistaking it, but it only lasted a few seconds, quite enough to give us a proper scare. From what I can gather we were not the only ship to feel it. I understand that the Northumberland, which was on her way from Napier to Wellington, also felt the shock. We men on board fully expected to hear on arrival here that there had been another severe earthquake ashore. “After all,” he continued, “our experiences, although they have been uncanny and weird, have l>cen nothing to those experienced by those poor people ashore at Napier. Believe me. thoi-e people want all the help and assistance possible, not only at present Imt afterwards. As a matter of fac ( things are pretty shipshape as far as relief is concerned, but when they begin to settle down a little later on that’s when practical sympathy will he much needed. You have no idea of what has happened.”

EARTHQUAKE AT SEA. From the story related of the earthquake at sea it, seems that it is an act of providence that the Taranaki is a floating ship to-day. “For some days we had been lying at anchor in the bay taking in frozen meat from the lighters.” said the engineer, “A strimr of IFhters bad just got alongside. m- . ••• *1 their freight at Port Ahum;. ’J\;i sb'p was anchored about three mile. Fiore in a line with the black buoy off Maria Rock and the entrance to the inner harbour. The sea was calm and I was sitting in my cabin writing. Suddenly there was a shudder throughout the whole ship. They were starting up r dynamo In the engine room and I thought something had happened to it. I rushed below and found everything all right.

“Then the real shocks came,” he continued. “The ship must have jumped fully a foot out of the water, not once but two or three times in quick succession. For some time there came other bumps from the bed of the ocean. I thought the ship would surely break her back or do some structural damage.

SHIPS PLOUGHS THROUGH MUD. “Soundings were immediately taken, and it was found that where we hau been lying in 42ft. of water there was only 24ft. The bottom of the ocean bed had risen bodily 18ft. We were practically on the mud and did not know what was going to happen next. Orders soon came to get under way. The anchor was hauled up and the engines started. We had practically to cut our way through mud to a place of safety nearly two miles out to sea. The propellers were simply ploughing th rough mud, and ic was fortunate that the ship’s bows were pointing seawards when the shook came, All the way out humps were felt till we got info deeper water. I can tell you J do not want another experience lik<it.” “The ship rattled like an old tin can,” said an officer who had lieon listening. “To say the least, it was uncanny. When we looked towards the filiore the Bluff Hill was falling seawards. Huge clouds of dust billowed up towards the heavens and hung like ; a pall. The lighters alongside did not wait for orders. They cast off and j made for the harbour entrance. We did not see what happened to them— j we were too busy with our own ship, which was trembling throughout. f

VERONICA IN TROUBLE. “Me could see the Veronica inside. Evidently the first shock carried away part of her aerials, because for some hours afterwards our wireless was relaying her messages. Our wireless onerator was on duty from that time till we left for Auckland last evening. The Veronica must have had a miracu. lons escape.

“From what we heard later,” lie added, “it appears that Commander Morgan had intended to berth his ship

further ahead than he did. For some reason he evidently changed his mind and decided to stay where he was. When the shocks came the place ahead of him collapsed, and, if his ship had been there, she would have been crushed. As it was, the waters in the inner harbour receded and left the sloop almost high and dry. Then she floated again. No ship could stand that treatment and we would not be surprised to hear that she had received very serious structural damage.” BREAKWATER SERIOUSLY DAMAGED. Just before the ship left her anchorage lor Auckland last evening there aas another big fall of earth on the bluff Hill. These on board stated that Napier’s breakwater harbour is also damaged to a considerable extent. Huge blocks of concrete, some weighing thirty and forty tons, which helped to make the breakwater, have disappeared altogether. There also appeared to be great gaps in the structure.

maitia lighthouse. Asked if they had sighted the Portland Island light at the end of Mahia Peninsula the northern end of Hawkes Bay, they said that when the Taranaki passed four miles off last night it was alight. It had been reported that no word had been received from the lightkeepers since the earthquake. The fact that the light was operating indicated that there was nothing seriously wrong ashore. Passing White Island yesterday morning they saw huge volumes of steam and sulphur rising. Even to the naked eye there, appeared to he much thermal activity on the island.