Severe Earthquate.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 131, 21 November 1901, Page 1

Severe Earthquate.

Wellington, November 19. The postmaster at Cheviot telegraphed at 7.30 to-night ;—“ I regret to report; two of the severest shocks since Saturday morning. The people are in a statfe of deep depression, ami have again takeh to tents.”

At a meeting of the Cabinet to night, the qne-tinn of the damage done at Cheviot considered by Ministers. It was decided to request the Hon Mr HallJones, who is at present in Christchurch, to proceed *o Chevio r to-morrow rooming and invest iga*e affairs. "When his report is made Ministers will take action. It i'S probable that extensive relief measured will be at once instituted by the Government.

Yeate.rday afte-nonn, outside the pose office, a solemn thanksgiving service, conducted by the Anglican and Presbyterian 'clergymen, was held. It

wss an impres-ive scene. People pat,befeil bareheaded in the open street, anrl surrounded by the ruins of their homes, offered fervent and hea-tfiil thanksgiving to the Almighty for the preservation of their lives throughout the mighty struggle between the forces of nature beneath and around them.

A ‘"drive to Port Robinson from Me Kenzio just now is bnly accomplished under pemilhrand exciting conditions. On the P.luff nad the upheaval has been stupendous. Millions of feet of rock have been hurhd from the high bluffs above to the roads below, burying it beneath 40ft of debris. The county engineer estimates that it will be a year before the road is e’ear again.

Settlers from Waiau report that there are two cracks two feet wide full of water in the paddocks, The river presented a strange spectacle on Saturday morning. As the shock progressed, great cracks opened up in its bed, into which the water poured, Presently the cracks closed no suddenly, and shot a vo’ume of water a hundred feet iu the

Mr Hoghen, Inspector-General ol Schools, w’ho i« in charge of one of the two sensitive seismological instruments imported by the Government, has examined the record taken by the machine. He states that the seat of the disturbance appears to havn been in the Lake Sumner district. The maximnm vibrations lasted two ininutes. The shock began without any warning at 7.47£ a.n s The solid block ot stone on which the seismometer stands was slightly tilted towards the west, and Mr Hogben says that if the tilt were general througout the colony, which he thinks improbable, it would mean that the west coast would sink G inches and that the east coast would be raised 3 inches. One of the clearest personal narrativefe is that of a settler who lives in a whare about a mile from the township. He says:—“ The first thing that made ine aware of the shock was my clock falling oil the shelf, and on my picking if up the main shock came with terrific force* ai companied by a loud roar, which app-ared to come from the bowels of the 'earth. My sod chimney was dashed to ground, and the bird cages hanging out. side wore shaken off the hooks. T.

immediately went outside, and the sight that met my gaze was peculiar. The next door reighbour’s chimneys werb both down, and on looking down ort. McKenzie township from my elevated position on the hill I could not see one chimney standing, and the whole valley was enveloped in clouds of dust, the wavy nr-tion making the valley have th 6 appearance of a huge carpet being shaken and clouds of dust rising therefrom. Along the road in front of me an old man was bringing in the cows for the morning milking. I raw him fall to the ground; and no sooner did he regain his feet than he was down flat again on the ground-, I could see the people down at the township running here and there, and horses rushing about the place. One harnessed horse galloped past my wharer, neighing in a pitiful manner. It was a painful sight to watch the terror stricken faces of many of the people among th 6 crowd that watched our departure. I’m afraid there will be much hardship there yet, as all the bakers’ ovens arh wrecked.”

A shearer at ISpottswood, who returned to hia home at Rangiora on Sunday* stated that “ when the shock occurred on Saturday morning all bands were busily employed on the shearing board. Therfi wae at once a scramble for the door leaving the sheep half or partially shorn’ to escape as chose. Standing out 1 side the shed, and wondering what wait going to happen next, they could distinc’ly see the ground open and closet the fences twist, and the buildings move in all directions. This was accompanied with a 1 swishing ’ sound, such as is madrt by water falling, but instead of water they plainly saw sand thrown up wherri the fissures were made. Those whose nerves were most steady saw slips falling from the sides of the bills* and olouds o t dust hid the usual view of Parnate as Station from them.' They could also the water in the river Waiau, close by, agitated* and flowing ove" stretches of the river bed over m hioh no water bai flowed for some tin* previously.’ 1