THE EATHQUAKES IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 181, 26 June 1869, Page 6

THE EATHQUAKES IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Between four and five o’clock on Saturday morning, June sth, a loud subterranean noise was heard, 'which continued for upwards of a minute, and was accompanied by a slight tremor of the earth. At five seconds past eight o’clock a severe shock was experienced, its direction being from south to north, and the vibration continuing for fully twenty seconds. Great alarm was caused in the more populous thoroughfares, and especially in the vicinity of stone buildings. While houses were still shaking, and chimneys falling in all directions, men, women, and children, were rushing terrorstricken into the open air. Several slight disturbances were noticed at later periods during the day. The damage to property was fortunately confined to the former, and there are quarters in Christchurch in which evidences of the shock are absent. In most cases, however, the damage is confined to rent or fallen chimneys. The Government Buildings, more especially the new Council Chamber, have perhaps suffered most. The tops of the two old chimneys have fallen down; the coping over the main entrance to the Council Chamer, and the apex stone of the gable over the retiring room, are shaken back. One stone in the arch over the Bellamy staircase is displaced, and there are a few fractures in the plastering. The new offices of the New Zealand Insurance Company, in Hereford-street have sustained damage, and so have the offices belonging to Messrs. Matteson and Co., close by. The offices of the New Zealand Trust and Loan Company, also in Hereford-street, are damaged, and one side of a small brick house on the town reserves, standing in a road running between Madras and Manchcs-ter-streets north, has been shaken completely out. The spire of St. John’s Church has been damaged, and the new Supreme Court buildings, now in course of erection, are somewhat shaken. Few private houses have altogether escaped. Some of the shopkeepers, particularly those in the china and glass trade, have been heavy losers. Messrs. Weir Brothers, in Colorabo-street, china and glass merchants, estimate their loss at £IOO. Most of the chemists and druggists are losers to some extent, Messrs. Cook and Boss being the greatest. In several hotel bars the bottles fell from the shelves in a perfect shower, causing a considerable loss. Mr. F. J. Garrick’s chimney fell through the roof, breaking several pier-glasses, and Mr. Henhah, Avonside, is a very heavy loser. Most of the bakers had their ovens rendered temporarily useless. Three more shocks were felt at 9.30 a.m. 12.30 p.m,, and 7.30 p.m. on the same day. The heavy shock of 8 a.m., was felt at Lyttelton, and also at Wellington, On Sunday, the 6th, another shock of earthquake was felt at Christchurch, at 11 p.m., and again on Wednesday, June 9th, another smart shock occurred, but no further damage is reported.—Lyttelton Times ,