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THE EARTH TREMOR.
GENERAL THROUGHOUT TAS-
MANIA.
SENSATIONAL INCIDENTS.
FALL OF A CHIMNEY AT THE
HOSPITAL.
MR A. B. BIGG'S REPORT.
"Did you hear the earth tremor this
morning ?' was the question heard on all
sides yesterday, and with the exception of
some half-dozen somnolent souls, all those
to whom the query was put replied in the
affirmative. The natural excitement and
fatigue resulting from the procession and
sports of the Anniversary Day left a doubt
in the minds of a few residents of the city
as to the cause of their being aroused from
their peaceful slumber in the wee sma'
hours of the morning; but even these
were cognisant of the fact that something
unusual had occurred. It is a peculiarity
of the more marked earth disturbances
experienced in Tasmania that they have
occurred an times when the respectable
citizens have been in the land of dreams,
anid therefore the reports of their natual
feelings have been a trifle exaggerated.
For instance, a gentleman informed us
yesterday that he was awakened by a
" loud rattling noise, as of distant heavy
artillery. Springing to his knees in bed
he clutched madly at the blankets in the
endeavour to save himself from being pre-
cipitated to the floor. The attempt, how-
ever, was futile, for in a few seconds the
house swayed and rolled, the clocks in the
house struck, glasses jingled, crockery fell
to the floor with a loud crash, and in the
midst of this din he was pitched head fore-
most into the centre of the room, where
he lay in an almost dazed condition
until a second shock, more severe
than the first, came. Then dim visions of
Pompeii, Lisbon, and Japan floated through
his brain, and he sank into a state of un-
consciousness, from which he was restored
through the medium of the contents of the
water jug, he having in his rapid transit
from bed to floor overturned that article of
bedroom furniture." This gentleman is
not agitating his mind concerniug the
point of the origination of the shocks, but
was inclined to believe when he had
sufliciently recovered to believe any-
thing, that it was the committee-
booth on the Cricket Ground, where
he had during the preceding after-
noon yielded too frequently to the
persistent invitations of his eight hour
friends to "have a little more." Despite
exaggeration, however, it has been acknow-
ledged by competent authorities that the
shocks were almost as severe as those of
July 13, 1884, and May 13, 1885, though
some think they were more so. The time
of the cocurrence was 2.48½ a.m., and it
lasted for about a minute. There were
many rumours of damage sustained at
various places in the city, but on enquiry
yesterday it was ascertained that beyond
the fact that the majority of residents ex-
periencod a considerable amount of nervous
excitement, and especially the members of
the weaker sex, the actual results were not
serious. The greatest amount of damage
done was at the General Hospital. One of
the chimneys in the central portion of the
building fell with a loud crash. Bricks and
pieces of cement from 30 to nearly 100lb in
weight rattled on the verandahs in the
front and rear of the institution, loosening
the slates, which fell to the ground. The
noise which accompanied the tremor, and
that caused by the falling debris--which
leas heard by residents within a quarter of
a mile of the building—naturally had the
effect of startling the inmates of the hospi-
tal, and some of the nurses who were not
on duty rushed into the yard in their robes
de nuit. The alarm, however, soon sub-
sided, and even those who were ill have
not been made worse by the occurrence.
The chimney was right above a room occu-
pied by Dr. Jermyn, and a number of
bricks fell through into his room, consider-
ably startling the doctor. The shocks
were felt more severely by residents of the
hills, who all concur in the opinion that
they were nearly or quite equal to those
of 1884 and 1885. The foot-step
in front of Mr Richard Gee's house
Cataract Hill, was split ; and plaster fell
from the walls of other places. A valuable
vase fell in one of the rooms of Mr A. J.
Hall's house, St. John-street, and was
smashed, and several persons report similar
incidents. A party of eight gentlemen, who
have been engaged at the Exhibition, and
whose non-return from a shooting trip at
Barnard's Creek, gave rise to some anxiety,
felt the shock some distance down the
Tamar. The boat had run on a mud bank,
and they all went to sleep. During the
time they were sleeping the boat had
drifted off with the rising tide, and they
were awakened by feeling the little vessel
lifted underneath them and pitched back
ashore. The party returned safely to town
yesterday.
The following facts supplied by Mr A. B.
Biggs will be read with interest:—It is
pretty well known that I am generally
peculiarly insensitive to earth-tremors, but
that of yesterday morning was sufficiently
violent to arouse me and all my family out
of a sound sleep. I first became aware of a
violent rattling of my window, and then of
a considerable shaking of the bed.
On turning up the light I read the time by
chronometer, which, after correcting for
error, I made to be 2.49½ a.m. for the
termination of the shock. I reckon the
shock lasted a full minute at least, so that
it commenced at 2.48½. I consider it to
have been one of the strongest shocks we
have experienced. I am unable to give
any instrumental record, as owing to the
almost total cessation of the tremors during
the last two or three years my apparatus
has fallen into disuse. From all I can
learn the shock has left no record of
violence at all equal to those of July 1,
1884, and May 13, 1885. A drain-pipe
chimney-pot, which appears to have rested
loosely on the top of a chimney of the
ruined house next to Mr Gurr's, in Lower
Charles-street, was thrown down and
smashed. The house bells were rung
at Mr Arthur Green's, and Mr R.
L. Parker's, both on Windmill Hill. Mr
Parker informed me that he observed
the motion to be at first horizontal
then changing to a jerky, up-and-
down one. A second and slighter
shock oeourred a quarter of an hour
after the first, namely at 3 3 a.m. I
would take this opportunity of urging upon
all informants the primary importance of
preciseness as to their time reports. Their
impressions as to the direction may be of
interest so far as they go, but long obser-
vation has proved to me that these impres-
sions are not only unreliable, but even if
locally correct are of little or no value in
determining the main question, vis, the real
direotion of progression, and the position of
the focus of disturbance. The degree of
certainty with which this may be ascer-
tained depends entirely on the correctness
of the times given. The following plan
should be adopted :—Read the time
immediately by the best clock or watch at
hand; and then take the earliest oppor-
tunity of comparing this with the standard
time at the nearest telegraph station; or,
otherwise, finish your telegraphic message
by quoting your time at the moment for
comparison with the clock at the main
station. The error can then be
allowed for in making use of the in-
formation. I trust the Telegraph Depart-
ment will be willing to assist so far.
At the recent meeting of the Science Asso-
ciation, a general committee was appointed
for seismological observations on a
systematic and uniform plan throughout
the colonies, the members for this colony
being Captain Shortt and myself. Printed
forms will shortly be circulated in the
different centres, to be filled up on a very
simple plan, and forwarded, post free, to
the head office. Either of us would be glad
to receive the names of persons in the
different localities who would be willing to
co-oporate. I have just received a commu-
nication from Mr W. J. Hingeton of Creasy,
who reports the shock as having been pre-
ceeded by a rumbling noise like thunder.
The house was shaken considerably, and the
neighbours were frightened from the trees.
I was informed by two or three persons of
he appearance of a reddish fiery-looking
light in sky to the south and west on the
night of Tuesday. As the period of sun-
spot maximum is approaching, and from
the observed relationship beteween solar
disturbances and our magnetic and auroral
phenomena, I think the appearance referred
to very probably auroral, more especially
as there are at present on the sun's face
numerous groups of sun-spots. I cannot
say whether these phenomena have any
connection with our earth-shocks.
Hobart.—At about three o'clock this
morning a shock of earthquake was felt by
many residents of Hobart. The shock
lasted some seconds, being preceded by a
rumbling noise, ending with a fierce gust
of wind. The following information was
obtained from the Government Meteoro-
logist's Department : —"The shock was felt
at St. Mary's, Scottsdale, Boobyalla, and
along the West Coast. The earth tremors
were the severest ever felt at Swansea. The
earthquake was acompanied by a loud rush-
ing noise, and afterwards a short shock, in
one case there being an interval of 16
minutes. The direction of the shock varied
in different localities; at Boobyalla a heavy
surf broke on the bar when the shock took
place. Several residents of Hobart report
the shock as very severe."
GOULD's CONTRY.—A very severe
earth tremor was felt at 2.50 this morning,
the severest ever felt here, followed by a
slighter shock about 5 minutes later.
OAKS—A very severe shock of earth
tremor was felt this morning at ten minutes
past three o'clock, lasting nearly a minute.
It seemed to be travelling from east to
west. It woke all on the place.
ST. MARY's.—At 2.50 a.m. an earthquake
tremor of considerable severity, lasting for
nearly one minute, was experienced, fol-
lowed by a slight shock of much less
duration in both instance, preceded by a
heavy, dull, rumbling sound. Window
frames and slight articles were violently
shaken.
FINGAL.—The severest earth tremor
experienced in the district occurred at 2 50
this morning, the whole of the inhabitants
being greatly alarmed, many rushing into
the streets, lights appearing in all houses.
Reports reached me of clocks stopping, and
clocks started that have been stopped for
months, bells ringing and plaster shaking
from walls. A second slight shock occurred
at 3 a.m. The course of the wave appeared
to be from the north-east, with a long con-
tinuous rumbling. It is admitted by all
that this shock was greater than the one
of July 13, 1881.
AVOCA.—This morning (Wednesday) at
2.45 a very severe earth tremor, lasting
about 25 seconds, was felt, accompanied by
a loud rumbling; the room perceptibly
shook, a loose brick falling from a chimney.
The course was east to west. There was
another slight one at three, with rumbling
noise. Mr Briggs informs me that when
working at the mine in the Ben Lomond
vicinity, about 1900ft above level of sea,
he felt the tremor very distinctly.
BRANXHOLM.—A very sharp shock of
earthquake was felt here at 2 50 a m. to-
day, and followed by a slighter one exactly
ten minutes after. Several here state it was
the most severe they ever felt, others say
they felt one slightly more one Sunday
afternoon some few years back.
SCOTTSDALE.—By far the strongest earth
tremor ever felt in this district occurred
this morning at 2 50, lasting considerably
over half a minute. So strong was it that
I fully expected to see some damage done.
Apparently it came from north to south,
and some ten minutes afterwards a long,
low, and distant rumbling noise was heard.
This is the first we have had for a long
time.
EVANDALE.—A sharp earth tremor was
felt here this morning a few minutes before
three o'clock. The furniture rocked to and
fro, and many thought the house was going
to come down upon them. The event is the
topic of conversation all over the township.
BEACONSFIELD.—A severe earth tremor
was felt here this morning at 2 30. The
shock caused the houses to shake and creak
and was accompanied by a noise like that
of a strong whirlwind coming in contact
with a building. The tremor lasted about
10 seconds. People who were sleeping
soundly were woke by the trembling and
noise. The shook seemed to come from the
east. The wave was evidently travelling
west and reminded me of a shock felt just
previous to the last outbreak in New
Zealand.
CAMPBELL TOWN.—A very sharp earth
tremor was felt here between 2.47 and 2.48
this morning. It was very severe indeed.
I could not be certain of direction, but
think it was from S.E. to N.W.
CARRICK.—A very severe earth tremor
was felt here at 10 minutes to three this
morning. It awoke nearly all the inhabi-
tants, and was accompanied by a peculiar
rumbling sound resembling the noise made
by heavily laden waggons on a metal road.
The houses swayed and doors and windows
rattled to an alarming extent. The noise
continued for a short time after the tremor
ceased to be felt. In 10 minutes after
another very slight tremor occurred.
NORTHDOWN.—An earth tremor, the
most severe known here, occurred at three
o'clock this morning. The disturbance
lasted over 30 seconds, and was followed
by a rumbling noise like distant thunder.
ROKEBY, MACQUARIE RIVER.—There was
a very sharp earth tremor at about 2.45
this morning, lasting about two minutes,
and ten minutes later there was another
slight one, lasting only about 10 seconds.
LONGFORD.—Two earth tremors were
felt here early this morning, a rather
severe one at 2.50, and a slight one, lasting
only a few seconds, at about three o'clock.
Many persons were awoke by the vibra-
tion, and at the police station a clock was
stopped, and the watch-hour bell set ring-
ink for a short time.
DELORAINE .—The earth tremor was felt
here at 2.50 a.m., the strongest for many
years.
KAROOLA.—A severe shock of earthquake
was felt here this morning at 54 minutes
past 2 a.m., it lasting fully 60 seconds.
Buildings were skaken like leaves, the
direction apparently being north-east by
south-west. A second shock of a light
nature passed in the same direction at four
minutes past 3 a.m.
WESTBURY.— A smart shock of earth-
quake, lasting about 90 seconds, occurred
early this morning, simultaneous with the
time recorded in your columns of to-day's
issue. No damage reported in any
quarter. The shock was sharp and con-
tinuous in action.
TARLETON—A sharp shock of an
earthquake was felt at about 2.50 this
morning. Of seven in a house six were
awoke with the shock and had time to
wonder what was happening before the
shock passed, the seventh being awake and
the first to recognise the cause of the
phenomenon.
EAST DEVONPORT.—A very sharp earth
tremor was experienced here at 2.50 a.m.
to-day. It appeared to come from the
N.W. and passed N.E. The vibration was
so distinct as to awaken many of the in-
habitants. It was preceded by a deep
rumbling noise. I have not heard of any
damage done.
ULVERSTONE.—A shock of earthquake or
tremor was felt here this morning about
three o'clock. House windows rattled and
persons were awakened out of their sleep.
PENGUIN.—Early this morning, about
three o'clock, nearly every one that I have
seen up to date was awakened in their
beds by being violently shaken by one of
the most violent earth tremors ever ex-
perienced here. It was only the one shock
as far as I have heard at present.
STANLEY.—A strong earth tremor was
experienced at half past two this morning.
At the Union Hotel a regular panic oc-
curred, and it was some time before the
inmates recovered from the alarm. The
shock lasted but a few seconds, and was
not repeated.
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