THE TAUPO SHAKES.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 June 1922, Page 4

THE TAUPO SHAKES.

SCIENTIST REVIEWS POSITION. CONTINUITY OF OUTBURSTS. DAMAGE NOT SERIOUS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Professor Marsden returned from Taupo to-day, leaving two observers still at work. He says there is not enough evidence to show whether there is a prospect of a dangerous upheaval, but the situation is not alarming. The fissures reported at Oruanui and elsewhere are unimportant, as they were in loose soil which yielded readily to shaking. The most notable feature is neither the violence of the shakes nor the damage, but their continuity. A number of slips have occcurred, but not more than might be expected. The damage is not great—a few chimneys cracked and one or two old ones knocked down, and some shelves in hotels cleared of bottles. The outbursts were getting shorter, but the individual shocks were rather more severe. Between 1 and 9 a.m. on Sunday, 57 shocks were counted. Those on the previous Sunday were more terrifying, as the 1 ground seemed at times to be continually in motion, with definite upward bumping. Some of the noises resembled gunfire, but seemed to come from the air, whereas the deeper rumblings sounded underground. The general thermal activity had slightly increased, and one or two new s teamholes were reported. The ’quakes had a nervous effect on the residents, who generally have became remarkably to shocks which newcomers cannot detect. SEAT OF TROUBLE LOCATED. Palmerston North, June 28. Interviewed by a Standard representative to-day, Professor Marsden made interesting references to the Taupo earthquakes, stating that he had located the seat of the disturbances. He said that he had ascertained they came from four or five miles below’ the surface. This was sufficiently deep to allay •the fear of a blow-out. The indications generally, too, served to show that the apprehensions in the country were unfounded.