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Severe Earth Tremor
'QUAKE AFFECTS WHOLE OF TASMANIA
PROPERTY DAMAGED IN LAUNCESTON
Shaking Buildings Cause Mild Scare
Buildings visibly shook on Saturday morning when
an earth tremor of unusual intensity, which was felt
throughout Tasmania, swept across Launceston.
Reports from many, centres throughout the state
indicate that the shock was felt everywhere practically
at the same time-11.25 a.m.-and lasted from 15 to
30 seconds at various places.
Several buildings in Launceston suffered damage,
the most serious being at the Public Hospital, where
a block of concrete coping weighing about three
hundredweight was dislodged from a chimney and fell
on the roof of the operating theatre, damaging it
badly. Portion of a chimney over the laboratory also
fell. The effect of the tremor upon the patients was
one of the most serious aspects of the visitation.
Several other buildings were affected, and many
people rushed from their homes and shops as they
felt them shaking. Practically every place in the city
caught its force, the line of advance being from the
north-west.
The shock was recorded by the seismograph at
Hobart, where in one case the vibration caused by the
shaking of a house was estimated to have lasted two
minutes. The superintendent of the Weather Bureau
(Mr. J. Foley) states that the tremor was of geological
origin.
The curator of the Queen Victoria Museum (Mr.
H. H. Scott) said yesterday that in point of force the
earthquake, spoken of in terms of New Zealand ratio,
was fully equal to the worst manifestations observable
when Tongariro suddenly burst into life after days
of quietude. Nothing equal to this had been noted here
for many years.
The shock was recorded at Launces-
ton at 11.28. Owing to the severe
nature of the disturbance it is not
easy to state accurately the real per-
iod of the duration, but from ten to
fifteen seconds is possibly the correct
estimate, although people's agitation
would result in a longer estimate.
An ornamental piece of masonry, on
a small spire at St. Andrew's Church,
in Paterson-street, was dislodged, and
a chimney toppled on to the roof of
C. G. Croft and Son's premises, George
Street.
In shops and offices, especially on
the higher storeys, the 'quake caused
a scare, and the employees of many
places rushed outside. Its effect on
the patients in the hospitals was par-
ticularly noticeable.
Museum Affected
Mr. H. H. Scott stated that the
Queen Victoria Museum was right in
the path of the seismic wave, and
strongly built though the museum is,
every part was under visible strain,
walls moving and floors trembling to
such an extent that the numerous
visitors converged en masse to the
main hall.
No damage was noted in the lower
floors, but skyward, where the full
swing of the building came, the line of
force was written in material form.
Every picture was swept from the ver-
tical, the lighter furniture shifted, and
ornaments were thrown to the ground.
One exceedingly heavy square based
pillar, oriented north-north-east, was
moved round for nearly a quadrant,
thus marking the trend of the curve.
At Other Centres.
Reports from Flinders Island state
that slight damage was caused there
by the tremor. The shock is said to
have lasted two minutes at St. Helens,
where the people ran outside into the
pouring rain when the buildings rock-
ed. Several cracks were noticeable in
Macmichael's shop there.
The earthquake was general, reports,
from the North-East, North-West, and
West Coasts indicating that it was
the most severe felt for many years.
In a number of places heavy furniture
was moved from its position, and other
articles fell from shelves.
A piece of masonry about the size
of a bucket which stood on a tower on
the Balfour-street side of the Mar-
garet-street Methodist Church was
shaken down, but fortunately did not
fall on the roof. " It hit the cement be-
low, and, bounding off, rolled into the
street.
The clock at the Christian Mission
Church was put out of order by the
'quake.
The last general 'quake reported in
Tasmania was that on January 18,
1928, although a slight disturbance was
reported from Mount Nelson and Cam-
bridge on June 27, 1938. The first was
not of a very violent nature, but was
particularly noticeable in the Mid-
lands. Such tremors are very infre-
quent, and not a great number have
been experienced in Tasmania during
the last ten years.
At Hobart
The tremor was experienced in many
parts of Hobart and surrounding dis-
tricts about 11.25 a.m. While in a
number of places the shaking was not
very apparent, in others it was very
noticeable. In one instance a number
of articles were shaken off a top shelf
to the floor, and liquid in glasses was
spilled. The disturbance consisted of
slight rumblings and trembling of the
ground, and was of only a few seconds
duration. In several cases windows of
houses rattled and walls shook.
The clerks working in the upstairs
rooms of the stone buildings which
house the railway office staff felt a
very distinct tremor, and all those in
one section hastily left the upper
storeys.
A curious happening took place at a
Sandy Bay residence. It was noticed
that a clock on the mantelpiece had
stopped at 11.31 a.m. exactly, and as
the timepiece was a few minutes fast,
this would make the time of stoppage
coincide with the earth tremor. The
clock was not run down, as when pick-
ed up and the key slightly turned it
commenced going once more.
The barograph, one of the very sensi-
tive instruments in use at the meteor-
ological bureau, showed distinctly a
mark on the paper, which indicated
that the wall had been shaken very
violently.
A report received by the bureau from
Emita, the wireless station at Flinders
Island, stated that the shock there
lasted some two or three minutes, and
caused slight damage. No actual de-
tails were given.
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