THE LATE EARTHQUAKE IN TARANAKI.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 401, 12 November 1868, Page 2

THE LATE EARTHQUAKE IN TARANAKI.

The late earthquake seems to have been felt much more severely at Taranaki than in any other part of the colony, and several persons were heavy losers by the accidents it caused. Messrs Humphries and Son, chemists, had all their bottles smashed; and through the different fluids mixing, it was doubt ul, at one time, whether the

place would take fire or not. Mr Hood is a, great loser ; most of his stock ot' wines and spirits, which he had rscently bottled* were smashed to atoms, besides his shop windows, crockery) &c, being destroyed. Mr GKluiour lias Buffered considerably from breakage and goods spoilt. Mr Callaghan has had a large amount of crockery and glassware knocked down and broken) and his oven cracked ; but to enumerate loss would occupy pages; there was no one who was not a sufferer more or less. As tor chimneys, there is scarcely one that is not down or considerably damaged ; one gentleman's chimney fell in on him and his wife while in bed ; and another, who is an invalid, had his bed shifted fully six inches by the first shock) and immediately after a large picture fell, which was hanging over his head, and but for the movemei.t of the bedstead must have been instantanteous death to him. In Brougham-street a stone house fell in, almost burying the wife and child of a soldier named Kegan. They were, however, providentially rescued from the debris.

During the whole of Monday, and Monday night, an almost constant pulsation of the earth was felt, with shocks more or less severe at intervals. From Monday night at 10 o'clock till Tuesday morning at 8, we believe twelve distinct shocks of earthquake were counted ; the earth's surface, in the interim, being convulsed by a continual palpitation, plainly perceptible when lying down. During the whole of Tuesday shocks were felt; and on Wednesday morning at about 7 a.m., a smart one was noticed, bringing down one or two chimneys that had suffered by the heavy shock of Monday morning.

There have been several landslips in different parts of the province caused by the earthquake, aud on Mount M'Cormick, where the observatory stands, the earth has cracked in three or four places. £3OOO, we fear, will not cover the entire loss.