SEVERE QUAKE

Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1932, Page 5

SEVERE QUAKE

IN COOK STRAIT

,FELT IN MANY LOCALITIES.

(Per Press Association — Copyright.) NEW PLYMOUTH, July 20. V

An earthquake was experienced at ■New Plymouth 'this afternoon. It was startlingly severe. Several chimnSj'fe were shaken down.

One plate glass window vas broken and in many cases 'ornaments were tmiible'd down from their shelves.

The damage, however, was on the whole, very flight. , A chimn.y at 'the Jubilee Boarding 'H’ofise crashed tiirorgh the skylight ‘Ttito the bathroom and a bcdrocm. One . moment before a lodger had change:* his; mind .about , having a bath, and ..had washed hi- hands and left the : • « room. h, .j

Immediately that ‘the shake came 1 the brickia crashed into the bath.

;;; r The earthquake sent : most people flying into ‘the open, but after a let mihutes, tbe town again presented a normal apeparancc. The shake is compared by many ?vfciljh that pf February 3rd last year/ the day of the Hawke’s Bay dii.as't.r, out there Is ho doubt, that the literal movement was no't bo great.

IN THE NELSON DISTRICT,

NELSON, July 20. •- There was a severe earthquake this afternoon in the province of Nelson. The time was 4.23 o’clock. l ' The shock was experienced «s a mild on 4 at Murchison. It was more seven] at Takaka, where its strength was between 6 and 7 on the Rossi Fore! s.cale. The earthquake was felt also at the' French Pass. No damage is reported to have been done. ‘ Telegraphed advice was received that the shock was strong! at Takaka, ‘involving, the overthrow of movable objects and the fall of plaster, but without material damage to buildings.

SEVERE SHAKE IN TARANAKI.

' NEW PLYMOUTH, July 20

Elsewhere in Taranaki the earthquake was apparently not so severe asj it was at New Plymouth. The visitors at the Stratford Mountain House, however, declared that the shake was more severe than that' felt when Napier was damaged. . A driver on the Main North Road says that his car swayed dangerously across the road. .

The cars standing in the streets >wero rock©&in.i i*« ■

, At Inglewood some .stock was shaken fom the.shelves hi the shops, and at ■ Stratford the bells in the clock Vower clanged. y " The shake was sharp at Elthnm, and but no daroaga is’ reported DAMAGE DONE IN WANGANUI.

WANGANUI, July 20,

An earthquake that was comparable in its intensity to the shock that was feii here at the time of the disastrous fetajwke’s Bay shake, alarmed the residents at 4.22 this afternoon, and it caused a general rush for the streets, Blaster fell? from waits in some of the buildings, and 'the tops of several chimneys in private residences were brought down, :

\ Hie greatest damage was done at Wanganui East, although bricks also "fell from the , chimneys at Colville and along the foot of St. John’s Hill. However, the damage is estimated at,’only a email amount and. no personal ■ damage resulted. The quake had several /periods of intensity. It wae preceded by a long ■reverberation, and it quickened suddenly. Etecome les« intense, it paused 'slightly, but a few seconds later it jiecame heavier again. Over a dozen chimneys fell at Patea where the shake was apparently more severe than at Wanganui.

At Taihape no damage was done, and the shake was not severe, while at Raetilu it was felt even less.

EXPERIENCED IN WELLINGTON

j ' WELLINGTON, July 20. .■* it Wellington the shock was less thkn at either New Plymouth or Takaka. f but it caused floors and doors ~to • creak. i The shook was particularly noticeable at Wellington Public Library, which is on a floating foundation. The occupants left the building quickly

There was no rush to get out of the doors, in’ Wellington,'hut many person,-:, showing curiosity, came mto the streets.

A message received here from Nelson states that a severe quake was experienced 'there, but .up damage was caused. *!, .

SHOCK IN THE FAR NORTH

AUCKLAND, July 20,

Slight earthquake shocks were experienced in Auckland City and suburban areas at 4.20 this T.ftcrncon. Residents at St Heliers and. at Epsom, as well as m the city proper, stated that tho earth tremor, though slight was quite. discernible. It was not of long duration. One suburban resident stated that he experienced three distinct tremors. 7 As there is no official seismograph in 1 the city it is difficult to gauge the exeat of tho shock-

The quake was not felt at Whanga-

CENTRE OF DISTURBANCE^

, It, WELLINGTON, .July 20. The preliminary opinions formed by the staff of the Dominion Observatory as to the earthquake which was felt at 4.22 p.m, to-day, wore that the centre of the, disturbance was 110 miles from Wellington, and in Cook Strait, between Farewell Spit and Cape Egmont.

810 SHOCK AT WESTPORT.

WESTPORT, July 20. A big earthquake was felt here just on 4.30 p.m. to-day. It had a long, swaying motion, similar to that exerienced here when the disaster occurred in Hawke’s Bay. No damage has been reported. '-(i - •