THE VISITATION IN WESTPORT

Shannon News, 5 July 1929, Page 3

THE VISITATION IN WESTPORT

IMPRESSIONS OP AN EX-SHANNON RESIDENT. Vivid impressions of the earthquake of Monday, July 17th are contained in a letter written to a friend in. Shannon by Mrs Thomas, wife of Mr C. Thoma's, formerly stationmaster at Shannon and now in the district office at Westpoit. She describes the shake as "awful," and states that .it tlu». time of Avriting—a week laterpeople's nerves were still in a 'bad state. When the shake started she was-standing in front of . the house, and she immediately ran to rescue her little boy, who was in a shed. After picking him up, she had to,hold on to a fence to keep her footing. Two of their chimneys came down; one double one fell clear of the house, but the kitchen chimney fell on the roof over the bathroom, cracking the ceiling. Their fence adjoined the Post Office, of which the clock tower fell and the ! rest of the building was practically ! ruined. Children from the school were running home crying with fright. One little girl tripped as she was going out of the school and the chimney fell on her, with- the result that she sustained a broken leg and a fracture of the skull. "The quakes kept comiu'g," Mrs Thomas says, "so we put on our _ coats and v went out. We kept walking about till nearly dark, as the shakes did not seem to bad while Ave were moving. "On Saturday we thought things were going to improve, but during the night Ve had two awful earthquakes, and the Post Office recorded 21 for the eight hours. On Sunday we had about half a dozen, and the same to-day (Monday). To-night we are having a lovely thunderstorm. We have slept in our big . shed ever since the big shake; it is safer than the house, as we'ai'C' not sure about the other chimney. We have not been undressed for a week. "There is no water except what we can get from wells or catch from the roof when it rains. One blessing, we have the gas. Some of the meals I cook outside, when fine enough, but itis all stews and soups. It may be Aveeks before the chimneys, arc fixed There are very faw sho'ps open yet —just the grocers', butchers' and bakers'. Nearly every shop AvindoAv is broken."