Prolonged Earthquake.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 47, 24 February 1913, Page 5

Prolonged Earthquake.

AN ALARMING EXPERIENCE. DAMAGE AT WESTPORT. A terrible prolonged earthquake shock at 12.36 p.m. caused great excitement and alarm. The whole population rushed from the houses to the streets. Considerable damage was done. The new brick post office was cracked, and much crockery and glassware smashed in Hanson’s, Gothard’s and Martin’s three shops. The plaster in Lawson’s shop came down. All the chemists suffered, bottles being shaken from the shelves, as well as many other business places. It was the most alarming quake ever experienced here. ACCOUNTS OF HEAVY LOSSES. Tho big earthquake experience at about 12.35 p.m. to-day has been succeeded by a series of minor shocks, one at 3 p.m. being accompanied by a loud cannon-like explosion. The first was the most severe and disastrous in the history of Westport. Business places suffered considerable damage, and few houses escaped without something in the nature of crockery, pictures, flower vases or clocks being broken. Numerous chimneys were also partially destroyed, bub the chief damage was done in the business centre. The recently-erected large brick post and telegraph office got a severe shaking, and is cracked in all directions and the southern wing, about a foot from its base, has been bodily shifted about half an inch. A metal down pipe on the back of this portion of the building was bent with the moving building. Inside, almost all the gas mantles were destroyed, and a good deal of plaster work on the ceilings and walls came down. The post and telegraph staff got a great fright, and speedily made their exit on to the road.

The principal sufferers in the main street are Hansen and Co. (warehousemen), estimated damage £SO; Sinclair (chemist), £4O to £SO; N. H. Gothard (ironmonger), £3O to £4O; McDonagh (grocers), £2O to £3O; Shilton and Jones (grocers), £2O to £3O; G. and \V. Martin (ironmongers), £25 to £3O; McWilliam (picture-framer and fancy goods store, including a large plateglass window), £2O; Shaw (hotelkeeper), £ls to £2O; J. J. Lawson (boot and shoe depot), £ls to £2O; M. Dunn (chemist), £10; R. Mullan (chemist), £lO to £ls. Mr Sinclair describes the scene in his shop as representing a hailstorm of bottles, and considers lie was lucky to get out uninjured.

j Along the Bullcr road a good deal I of loose rock and earth is impeding the progress of the motor and coach services. Considering the severity of the shock, it is rather remarkable that no loss of life occurred. Some buildings must have been close on the collapsing stage, and thousands of pounds’ worth of goods on shelves were just hanging in the balance when tfye shock ended. The business people are generally of the opinion that things might have been very much worse, and are taking their losses philosophically. Reports from the country show that the shocks were severely felt there, but the damage appears to be conlincd mainly to collapsing chimneys. HOUSEHOLD DAMAGE. EXTRAORDINARY TIDES. Westport, February 23. Reports round the town show that in some houses almost all the crockery and glassware was broken, while others close beside them escaped with but slight damage. The tops of many chimneys were broken off, the bricks in several cases falling down inside the buildings and doing damage to the ranges. Some households suffered the Joss of almost all their season’s jam, .through the bottles being thrown violently off the shelves on to the floor. The shocks were felt in the surrounding districts more or less severely, with accompanying breakages in the houses, but Westport seems to have fared the worst. Quakes have continued through the night and right up to 5.30 this (Sunday) afternoon. They have been about fourteen in number, but of lessening severity. The highest tides for some years are reported at Karamea, and a parte camped on the North Beach, at Westport, were compelled to shift theii quarters hitherto considered safe from the encroachment of the sea. NOISE LIKE CANNONADING. SHOCKS BUT NO FURTHER DAMAGE. Westport, February 24. The earthquake shocks were particularly continuous from 12.36 on Saturday till 8 a.m. to-day. There were pronounced shakes at 3.30 a.m., 7.30 a.m., 7.15, and were accompanied by a noise similar to cannonading. \ hero has been no damage since the first big shock. The women and younger portion of the population are in a state of apprehension. GROUND FISSURES AND TOMBSTONES, In three or four places in the district narrow fissures opened in the ground, mostly in “made” ground. Some of the headstones were displaced in the .cemetery. Scores of gas mantles were broken in town, and quite] a “sea.” raged in the river. All hands! who were below on the steamer Karorij rushed on deck. Arriving steamers j report no disturbance at sea. It is impossible to account for the! number of chimneys damaged, and]

nearly every household in the district has articles thrown down, with extensive breakages in many places. •the shock underground. The men inside the collieries report a terrifying experience. It seemed as if a general collapse was imminent, hut there was no actual damage to the mines. The chimney losses run into hundreds of pounds, and household breakages are also a costly feature. A NUKUALOFA HURRICANE. WRECK OF THE AMERICAN SCHOONER BOREALIS. CREW’S MARVELLOUS ESCAPE. Auckland, February 24. j The island steamer Atua, which arrived from the Pacific Islands last evening, brought news of a severe hurri-i cane which swept down on the Tongan group on the morning of February! 10th without scarcely three minutes’ j warning. The hurricane was accompanied by torrential rain and burst upon Nukualofa. The American schooner Borealis had arrived at the Island port three days previously from Colum-. bia River, and was discharging a cargo of lumber. Captain F. Clintborn was aboard, with ten officers and men, and strenuous efforts were made when the storm burst to securely moor the vessel, but when that was found impossible, an attempt was made to take her out of the harbour. 1

The schooner’s moorings were unlashed, but no sooner had the ropes been loosened than the vessel was lifted by tremendous seas and swept on to the reef, which runs parallel with the Nukualofa wharf. Her stern struck the reef with tremendous force, her rudder being driven upwards right through the hull. A mountainous sea again lifted the vessel, and stern-on drove her back against the wharf. The impact was sufficient to smash into atoms several feet of ferro-concrete on the structure, and the stern of the vessel for twelve feet was broken clean away.

At this stage the crew were inclined to give themselves up as lost, but the captain ordered them to jump just as the vessel was being lifted by another big sea, and they sprang on to the wharf. The remaining men were, fortunately, given another chance to reach safety, for ' the wind again drove the vessel against the wharf, and before the sea had time to take her on the reef again, they managed to scramble on to the wharf just in

time as the vessel was being swept past heading for the reef. Theschooner was 4-11611 driven on to the reef. Flames were seen about 4 a.m. issuing from the forecastle, where several oil lamps, which had |jeen left burning by the crew, set fire to the ship. The flames secured a good hold, and the vessel was burned to the water’s edge whilst resting on a rugged reef. By daylight, practically nothing could be seen of the schooner and she subsequently broke up.