New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 336, 18 October 1848, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN.

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tion of Providence. From Monday morning last up to this morning (Wednesday), a succession' of earthquakes more or less vio- _ lent have occurred which have occasioned a great destiuction of property, and produced a very general feeling of alarm. In relating the occurrences of the last few days, we shall best discharge our duty by giving a plain statement of facts and' thus counteract 1 the circulation of incorrect and exaggerated reports. Before -describing the effects of these convulsions of nature however, it may be necessary to say a few* words on the previous state of the weather. During .Monday the 9th instant, there, was a strong south-easter accompanied by very heavy rain, and though towards the middle of the_ week there intervened a few days of fine calm weather, on „ Saturday last another south-easter occurred of equal violence with the former one which continued the two following days accompanied also by very heavy rain, so much so that the quantity of rain which has fallen during the last week amounted to ten inches, or more than three times the quantity of the whole of the previous month. At about twenty minutes to two o'clock on Monday morning, a most severe shock of an earthquake was experienced which lasted for the space of nearly a minute ; the direction of the shock appeared to be north and south, the motion was horizontal and undulatory until towards the conclusion, when it seemed to have an upheaving or vertical motion; this was followed at an interval of half an hour by another shock not so intense as the first, and during the subsequent nineteen minutes a succession of severe shocks* occurred with lesser ones at intervals, in fact during the whole of this period, the ground appeared to be in a state of oscillation. Nearly the whole of the night the south-easter prevailed, so that the fury of the wind added its force to. the destructive agencies at work. When it was daylight it was found that several of the brick buildings at Te Arc- and in other parts n f +V"»-tnw-»" ,Kad l>ccn seriously injured, fcy_ the first shock which had caused the greatest amount of damage ; among the buildings which had suffered most was the Wesleyan Chapel, this building was of brick and cemented ; the north elevation consisted of four pilasters with a central doorway and a large window on either side, the pilasters were surmounted by an entablature and pediment, the weight of which acted as a lever in bending forwards the wall when in motion from the earthquake, separating it from the roof and causing it to overhang so much as to render it necessary to be immediately taken down. The greater part of the chimnies in different part of the town were also either thrown down or so much cracked and twisted as to render it necessary to take them down. The damage was almost entirely occasioned by the first shock which was the most severe that had been experienced in this settlement. The ships in the harbour equally felt its influence ; the sensation experienced on board H.M. Fly, is described to have been as though the vessel had suddenly grounded/ the shock was felt most in the fore part of the ship and all" the men ran up on deck. During Monday a succession of smart shocks occurred, one at a to six in the morning-, another at 1 2 o'clock, and another about £ past three p.m., during the night some lighter shocks were felt, and on the following morning a severe shock at about half-past seven, while during the whole of this time a continuous tremulous motion of the earth was distinctly perceptible. On Monday the wind moderated, and during the afternoon and night* and on Tuesday it became perfectly calm. On the afternoon of that day (yesterday) at twenty minutes to four a severe shock occurred, followed in quick succession by another of about half a minute's duration ; this last was as severe as that on Monday** morning, but more destructive in its effects, the motion appearing to be more vertical. This completed the damage occasioned by the former shocks, very few brick buildings its dp*f sa *^M*||jpiicts. The build-

either thrown down altogether, or rent in differeut directions, and thrust out from the perpendicular. All those buildings that had been injured by the former shocks were quite destroyed, while those which had previously escaped were now reduced to the same ruin. Among the latter is the Colonial Hospital, M^hich had only been recently completed, and which was so injured as to render it necessary immediately to remove the patients, who were taken to Government House, where they will be [accommodated for the present. The wall i of the gaol also, and of a large building at Thorndon, used as a Barrack for soldiers, are so much cracked as to be no longei}- habitable. Nearly all the chinames wtoiph had previously escaped were now either thrown down, or more or less twitted and injured. The walls of the Wesleyan Chapel were split in every direction, so as completely to destroy the building. A man who was employed in nailing fcpfiome boards against the end of the roof, •whjch was open by palling down the pediment, was in imminent danger of being throwu <,o the ground ; he was, however, providentially enabled to preserve his hold until the shock was over, when a ladder was placed against the building, by means of which he descended from his perilous situation. We regret to have to add to this destruction of property the loss of life. Barrack Serjeant Lovel and his two children, who were passing down Farish-street from the Government store at the time were buried by a mass of falling wall, one of the children, a girl of eight years, was killed on the spot, the other, abGy about four years old, received so many severe injuries that he died about eleven o'clock last night. Serjeant Lovell himself was also very much bruised, his left leg being very much injured. Two severe shocks were experienced in the night, one at a quarter to eight o'clock, the other at twenty minutes to one this morning, will -t > ;ral slighter shocks at intervals, the last wj- at ten minutes to two" this afternoon N 7 eaily alljhe shocks -were immediaUjiy i iceded by a hollow rumbling noise. Tlii* mcuing the tide rose to an unusual height, overflowing part of Lambton Quay and all'those sections at the head of the Bay fronting- the water and immediately adjoining the swamp. During Monday and Tuesday night a long streak of pale light was observed by several persons, it appeared to be settled, \X a very great distance, and in a <Northeri f direction. The efects of the earthquake appear to have been most violent at Te Aro and Thorndon, and on brick buildings of two stories. With the exception of the chimnies, the buildings along Lambton-quay ' have not suffered so severely, those also which are on more elevated ground appear to have escaped with less injury, and several brick buildings of only one story in height have been either but slightly damaged or are quit'j sound, while all the wooden building* are perfectly uninjured. The preceding • account has only reference to the town of Wellington, but we understand tbat the earthquake was as severely feit at the Hutt and Porirua, nearly all the chimneys being thrown down at the ftutf, while the stone barracks recently erected f t Porirua have been so shaken as to bfe qu le uninhabitable. We .nnot conclude this hasty and imperfeft sketch without acknowledging in this Visitation the finger of God. — " It is theLcrr |t s doing, and is marvellous in our eyes." It is a calamity against which no prudence could guard, and to which, as Christians, we must submit with becoming resignation, having deep cause for thankfulness that amidst this destruction of property, whether occurring, as at first, in the dead of the night, or yet later, in the face of day , ,£ has not bj&n attended with greater k>Bs*bf jife. '. ' r m

Spectator has }M hour to~if^

ternoon by the violence of the shock of the earthquake.

The ministers of the Evangelical Alliance in Wellington have called a meeting of the inhabitants this evening, at six o'clock, in the Scotch Church, for the purpose of joining in prayer to Almighty God to avert, in his mercy and goodness, the awful calamity with which we have been so severely visited.

In consequence of the damage sustained by the Military Hospital, the patients were removed yesterday evening to the Barracks at Mount Cook. The building was of clay, and the walls were broken in every direction.

An Inquest was held this day at the " Ship Hotel," before Dr. Fitzgerald, Coroner, on the bodies of the two children of Sergeant Lovel, to whose death we have previously alluded. A verdict was returned of " Accidental Death."