Wellington Pliilosophical Society. 493. 



Abstract. 

 The author, after alluding to the fact that the comparative immunity 

 from destructive earthquakes enjoyed by the colony since 1855 had caused 

 a general feeling of security, pointed out that no spot on the face of the 

 earth is absolutely safe from earthquakes. When it was remembered that 

 the most violent of all our New Zealand shakes happened in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Wellington only about thirty-three years ago, and that a large 

 portion of the Te Aro district in this city could probably not have been 

 built over if that convulsion had not raised it several feet, one was inclined 

 to wonder sometimes at the apathetic coolness of the inhabitants, and 

 especially of the professional and municipal authorities. He was sur- 

 prised to find that in the building by-laws of the City Council there was 

 not, with one small exception relating to chimneys (which seemed to be 

 a dead-letter), a word to indicate that any danger to life or property is to 

 be feared from earthquakes. The Council seemed to have had a thorough 

 dread of fires, but none of earthquakes. The City Surveyor had power to 

 pull down chimneys built previously to the passing of the by-law if they 

 caused " reasonable danger of fire," or from being built contrary to the 

 provisions of the law; but no mention was made of earthquakes. All 

 sorts of "architectural projections" were permitted on the outside of 

 buildings, if approved by the City Surveyor, provided only they were 

 placed high enough above the street. Professor Slilne, of Japan, probably 

 the highest living authority on the subject, had laid down the following 

 principal rules to be kept in view in building stone or brick buildings in 

 an earthquake country : (1.) So arrange the openings in a wall that for 

 horizontal stresses the wall shall be of equal strength for all sections at 

 right angles. (The meaning of this he took to be that it is better in 

 buildings of several stories not to have the windows all arranged in 

 regular vertical lines.) (2.) Avoid heavy-topped roofs and chimneys. 

 (3.) Let archways curve into their abutments (" archways " here seeming 

 to include window-openings). (4.) Place lintels over flat arches of brick 

 or stone. (Seemingly, Professor Milne's suggestion was that these lintels 

 should be of iron or timber.) Professor IMilne also suggested that "to 

 build high houses would be to erect structures for the first earthquake to 

 make sport of." On the other hand, although there seemed to be nothing 

 positively asserted as to foundations and solidity, it would appear 

 that heavy solid buildings on deep foundations had less safety than light 

 buildings on loose foundations. Criticizing some of the principal brick 

 and stone buildings of Wellington in the light of the principles thus laid 

 down, Mr. ]\Iaskell found that almost all these points appear to be 

 neglected in at least the greater part of them. For example, in the Post- 

 office, a building which looked as if designed to show how many windows 

 could be arranged in the least space, the openings were placed in numerous 

 vertical rows, their arches springing sharply from their abutments, and 

 there was a heavy cornice runniiig on the top of the somewhat thin walls. 

 The large building of the National Mutual Insurance Company had also 

 a lieavy cornice, numbers of external ornamental projections, windows in 

 vertical rows, and with arches not curved to the abutments. A building 

 now in course of erection near the wharf had the brick partitions between 

 the windows seemingly designed only to resist vertical pressure, and with 

 little strength horizontally. The stupendous ugliness of the new Govern- 

 ment Printmg Office was such that perhaps even an earthquake might 

 disdain to touch it : here again were vertical rows of windows with sharp- 

 cornered arches, and a heavy pediment on each side. He understood, 

 also, that this was a heavy, solid building, standing on very deep and 

 strong foundations. Llessrs. Harcourt's warehouse had the usual kind of 

 windows, and would seem to the uninstructed eye to be dangerously lofty. 

 In street buildings the openings, mostly very large on the ground-floors 

 for shop-windows, had above them several others, generally so arranged 

 as to give a weak appearance to the fronts. And in many cases imitation. 



