SATURDAY’S QUAKE

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1931, Page 6

SATURDAY’S QUAKE

SEISMOLOGIST’S OPINION. , WELLINGTON. July 25. A fairly prolonged ’quake was experienced in Wellington at 1.34 this morning. A slight shook followed at 1.45 a.m. The Government Seismologist places the origin at about 69 miles distant from Wellington, apparently in the Nelson region. The intensity of the main ’quake was four on the Rossi Forel scale. Reports received by the Dominion Observatory from the chief postmasters in the Marlborough and Nelson, districts indicate that, the earthquake was quite a substantial one, but caused no damage. At. Nelson the main shake occurred at 1.35, and was severe, being followed at 1.45 by a slight, tremor. Blenheim experienced a sharp shock at 1.39, preceded by a rumbling noise, and a slight one at 1.55. I.akaka had a heavy and prolonged earthquake at 1.32, the intensity being 6 on the Rossi-Forcl scale, and Aloteuka also Jiad a heavy vsbpckj a,LL36THE ROSSI-FOREL SCALE. The llossi-Forel scale of earthquake intensities is as follows:—• (1) Shock felt by an experienced observer. (2) Extremely feeble shock; felt by a number of persons at rest. (3) Very feeble shock, felt by several persons at rest; strong enough lor direction or duration to be appreciable. 1 (4) Feeble shock; felt by several persons in motion; disturbances of movable objects, doors, windows; creaking of floors. (5) Shock of moderate intensity, felt generally by everyone; disturbance of furniture, beds, etc; ringing of some bells. (6) Fairly strong shock; general awakening of those asleep; general ringing of bells; oscillation of chandeliers; stopping of clocks; visible disturbance of trees and .shrubs; some startled persons leave their dwellings. (7) Strong shock; overthrow of movable objects; fall of plaster; ringing of church bells; general panic, without damage to buildings. (8) Very strong shock; fall of chimneys; cracks in \va 1! s of buildings. (9) Extremely strong shock, partial or total destruction of sonic buildings. (10) Shock of extreme intensity; great disaster; buildings mined; disturbance of strata; fissures in the ground; rock-falls from mountains.