SEVERE EARTHQUAKE IN CHRISTCHURCH. Cathedral Spire Damaged.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 296, 5 September 1888, Page 5

SEVERE EARTHQUAKE IN CHRISTCHURCH. Cathedral Spire Damaged.

The severest &hocks of earthquake ever fel in Christeluicch commenced this morning, at a few minutes after 4 o'clock. The first shook occurred at four minutes past fom\ It was of a most violent character, and awoke everyone in the city. It lasted sevcial seconds, and caused all buildings .to rock in a most alarming manner. Wall pictures were dashed to the Hoor^ loose articles of all kinds were upset, and glass windows broken. ,Tne worst, damage knoun co tar has happened to the Cathedral spiie. At the first shock, which was the seveiest, about 26 -feet of the spire wa«> shaken { off and fell on the pavement in Cathedral Square. It knocked laige holes in the pavement, and a mass, of stone was scattered over the street and much of it ground to powder. The centre of the top of the spire was supported or built round an iron rod at the top of which was a large iron cross. The bottom of the rod held, and the cross and topmost ston are now hanging oy this rod down the side of the spire. Small pieces of stone continue to fall, and it is quite unsafe to pass by. Just before the first shock came H is said that large flashes of light were seen in the direction of Ilanme r Plains Hot Springs. Five distinct shocks were felt in Christchurch, and extended over the space Of j half-an-hour. The first and fifth were the j sharpest. i The Normal School has suffered considerably. Two of its chimneys are thrown I down and all are more or less damaged. | The south wing of the building is also injured, and the ceilings of the upstair class-rooms are split. The shock was felt with great intensity at Amber ley, north of Christchurch, an" also at Lyttelton. At neither of these places was there much damage done. On the High Bluffs on the Sumner Road near Lyttelton, blocks of rock ten tons in weight gave way and went into the harbour with a great crash, carrying fences and other obstructions before them. The steamer "Rotorua, which arrived in Lyttelton this morning, felt the shock when off Kaikoura.

A RENEWED SHOCK. Another shock was felt in Christchurc at a few minutes to 11 this morning.

(IJY TELE(.RAI'H — IRES 1 ? ASSOCIATION.) Christchurch, September 1. A very severe earthquake was felt at 4.10 this morning. Twenty-six feet was broke" off the top of the Cathedral spire, and a tew chimneys were thrown down. The party wall of a house in Madrasstreet was shaken down. So far as known, no person was hurt. There was great destruction of glass and crockery wave, especially in shop windows. The direction was apparently northeast and southwest. The duration is estimated at fully a minute. Nothing so severe has been felt since a shock of 1869. The earthquake cau&ed great commotion .here. People left their houses in numbers, but returned when they found the shaking had ceased. A considerable crowd collected around Lhe Cathedi'al, stones from the spire of which were scattered over the pavement for several yards. One piece narrovyly missed a man named Ross, who was passing m the road-way at the time. Some slates were knocked off the roof by the debris, but the building otherwise is uninjured. It has been decided, however, not to hold service there to-morrow. A small portion of the stonework on the Durham-street Wesleyan Church has been displaced, and the services to-morrow will be held in the theatre instead of the church. A quantity of plaster is down in the Normal School. The chimneys fell at the Eafet Christchurch School and a few private houses, particularly in Victoria-street. Generally, however, the damage is les& than was expected. In the suburbs a few chimney have fallen or been cracked. No injury to life or limb is reported.