HEAVY SHOCKS OF EARTHQUAKE AT MOUNT EARTITQUAKE.

Southland Times, Issue 585, 31 October 1866, Page 3

HEAVY SHOCKS OF EARTHQUAKE AT MOUNT EARTITQUAKE.

The following account ot an earthquake in the Mount Edecumbe district has been kindly handed to us (Taranaki Herald) by Dr Hector. It ia an extract from a letter by W. Mair, Esq., E.M., of Taupo, received by the last mail from the Js T orth :— I have just returned from an exploring expedition up the Eangitaiki Eiver. I was anxious to ascertain how far it was navigable for boats, and find that there is plenty of water till Mount Edgecumbe bears west, and there the rapids commence and the river is confined between high rocky walls. "While I was in the Eaugitaiki Oorge we experienced a severe shock of an earthquake ; it took place about 6.40 p.m. on the 22nd September, and lasted about fifteen seconds. The pumice gravel cliffs, 40 or 50 feet high on the river banks, all crumbled down, the earth, opened leaving fissures 5 or 6 inches wide and 5 or 6 feet deep, and terrible thunder issued from Mount Edgecumbe, which was followed by a slight shock in 7 minutes, and 2 minutes after there was a severe shock' which lasted for 20 seconds. By 11 p.m. there had been 12 shocks none of which were as strong as the Ist and 3rd, varying in duration from Ito 10 seconds. Towards the morning of the 23rd there were some slight shocks, and at 6.30 p.m. a pretty strong one. A canoe was capsized on the first shock, and painful to relate, we lost half-a-dozen of beer by the accident but the natives consoled me by frying that they would find it in the summer. All the shocks came from S.E., and were preceded by rumblings, and during the first shock loud reports were heard from S.S.W., the direction of Turyanui. The strongest shocks were felt at Te A.wa 0 Te Atua entrance, and were just perceptible to a few people at Maketu, but no one took notes of them at either of those places. The Eangitaiki natives report that it is the first earthquake they have felt for many years, and they have never felt anything so severe in these parts ; but about 30 years ago a cliff called Kotukopeka at the "Whaiti (about 25 miles S.E. from Mount Edgecumbe) was shaken down and a hut containing 3 casks of gunpowder was buried to such a depth that they could not recover the powder which, in those days, was very valuable. I am going to To Tarawera in a few days and probably Mr Spencer will have something to tell me about the the shocks of the 22nd.