EARTHQUAKES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3970, 11 July 1929, Page 3

EARTHQUAKES.

FOXTON’S EXPERIENCE IN 1881. The recent severe earthquake in •the .South Island recalls Foxton’s severest shake which was experienced in 1881. The earthquake occurred at 5.19 a.m. on Sunday, June 26th, 1881, and was particularly violent. A rumbling roar preceded the shake hut was drowned in crash of chimneys that followed. After the main shake a succession of smaller shakes was experienced (for several hours. At dawn .a scene of general destruc-

tion presented itself locally. Chimneys were down on eyery hand and in spline cases they had been wrenched completely round. The hotels fared very badly, scarcely a bottle being left intact in the bars while the stores scarcely fared any better. The Ready Money Store, now known as tire Community (Stores, suffered the most. Crockery, bottles, fruit, glassware and goods of all descriptions, were scattered ■in a confused mass over the floors. Mr. Fitzgerald’s chemist shop, which had just been opened, was wrecked. The railway works suffered severely. The whole of the embankment between the wharf and the cutting leading into Lady’s Mile sunk, in some plaices as much as two feet, while the goods shed dropped nine inches on the river side. The line, of rails between the goods shed (which is still in use at the station) and the river bank dropped 12 inches below their normal level. The {railway line between Foxton and Oroua Bridge (now known as Rangiotuj was twisted about in a singular fashion. About a mile and three quarters north of Foxton the line was turned about in a snake-like mapnier. The Jane Douglas and Tim which were moored to the wharf at the time of the shake were badly bumped about. Many large fissures appeared in the ground and between Motuiti and opitiki fissures several inches wide extended for thiree miles. About, the centre of the fissure there was evidence of a quantity of sand having been thrown up, forming' an oval mass about 20 feet in diameter and 12 inches thick. At this point, however, the fissure was completely 'covered up and it was impossible to ascertain exactly frotm. whence the sand had come. At Waiatapia there was a large fissure three feet wide. In the Carnarvon district the earthquake was felt with great violence. Several fissures extended between Bainesse and Carnarvon. A Bainesse resident reported .that a well on has property, which had previously contained six foot of water could not de depthied the following morning with a 40 foot line and that when inspected after the shake the water was still bubbling up.

The lagoons to the north-west of Foxitpn on 'Mr. Robinson’s property overflowed their banks on all sides for a couple of chains. Numerous cracks and fissures appeared on the ridges nearby and a deep drain was brought level to the surface. The Manawatu Herald Office was severely shaken and the machinery shifted several inches off its foundations. - A piano in the late Mr. A. S. Easton’s residence was hurled over and sent across the floor while the chimneys of the Bank of Australasia were wrenched completely round. -The coach road along- the beach showed signs of having been disturbed and in many places there were indications of water having “boiled up.” The shake was felt most severely between Foxton and -the Rangitikei River. Over £2OOO worth of damage was done in Foxton.