THE TIDAL WAVE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 112, 14 May 1877, Page 2

THE TIDAL WAVE.

[ We take from the Post of Friday the' following reports of the strange tidal pheI nomenon thafc occurred on the east coast of New Zealand on that day, and, as reported in our telegrams, was also ea-perienced in Australia: — k This morning, shortly before 7 o'clock, when the tide was a little more than threequarters ebb, a considerable commotion was caused among the shipping, and general . amazement on the part of all who were about at the time, by the sudden rush of so vast a volume of water into the bay that in about a quarter of an hour, the tide had risen above the usual high-water mark. It then receded with equal rapidity, and low-water mark was reached within another 15 minutes. From this time the tide continued to ebb and flow afc intervals gradually decreasing from 7*45 a.m. to 9*40 a.m., the amount of rise and fall diminishing proportionately. At 8 a.m. the difference was nearly sft, which by 10 had decreased to 2ffc. Afc noon the, intervals of", ebb and flow were only seven minutes, ahdthe rise about a foot. At the corner of the old reclaimed land, by the rear of the Lion Foundry, where the opening is left between, the piles of the new reclamation sea wall, the tidal wave rushed in and out with terrific force and the speed of a mill-race, as* may be imagined when it is recollected that the whole area of the water enclosed within the sea wall had to be raised from 4ft to sft, and then lowered to the same extent within a period of about 15 minutes. When the rush was at its strongest, the mass of water rolled in as a big wave between the piles, running at the rate of fully seven or eight knots. The impetus of the outflow carried ifc far beyond the Queen ? s Wharf, past which a volume of turbid and discolored water rushed until checked by the next incoming tide. Thus the surface of the harbor was a series of eccentric eddies and whirls, which in several cases had the appearance of being caused by an actual upheaval. The disturbances have continued all day, and the ordinary tides were quite at a discount, high and low water each having occurred some 20 times between 7 n.u. and 3 p.m. Several times when boats or small craft moving about were caughfc in these tides they were rendered quite unmanageable, and several accidents were narrowly escaped. Lyttelton, llth, 9 a.m.— Rush of wave in and out of the harbor at 7 a.m. Napier, llth, 9 a.m.— Tidal disturbance occurred this morning. High water proper was at 4 a.m., when there was an exfcremeiy high tide. At 7 a.m. the tide commenced to rise rapidly, and at 7*15 was as high as good spriug tides. It fell as rapidly, after which the tide immediately commenced to rise again, and at eight o'clock was as high as ordinary neap tides. It then again feli rapidly, and is now rising again. Poverty Bay, II fch, 9-10 a.m.— Strange phenomena occurred in the tides this morning. At three-quarters ebb the water rushed in to past the usual high water mark, .'then receded, and a second rush in took place, but not quite so much as the first. Port Chalmers, llth, 11*35 a.m.—Extraordinary fluctuations of tide are now going on here. At 10*30 a.m. to-day the flood tide rose five inches in seven minutes, and fell immediately afterwards two inches in three minutes. Oamaru, llth, 11*30 a.m.-There has been an extraordinary sea commotion since midnight Tidalor volcanic waves are coming from the north-eastward, and are ebbing and flowing Bft to 10ft. No damage has been done to the shipping as yet.

7Bluff;ilth,.l2-15 p.m —Tidal waves have been rushing in and out . every hour since 9 a.m. The rise and fall is 4fttosf fc ; Napier, llth, 12*30 p.m.— The following special telegram has een received by the Napier Telegraph :—" Great tidal disturbances ..occurred aU throughUast night at Gisborne and this morning, at tliree o'clock, the tide' being about three-quarters ebb, a tidal wave came over the bay, and rose eight feefc above the top of the hull of the s.s. Goahead. The men on board had to fiy to the rigging to save their lives. -The wave struck the bar, which partially broke it, but ifc nevertheless caused a sudden rise in the river from three to four feet, overflowing the banks of the low-lying portions, Afc 9*30, another heavy wave ran up the river, causing great alarm. At 945 .there was auother, and almost immediately 'afterwards ajfourth. The weather is fine, with a fresh breeze blowing. The water in the bay is much agitated. The cause is supposed to be some subterranean upheaval."