III.— GEOLOGY, 



Art. XXXVII. — The Nelson Earthquake of the 12th of 

 February, 1893. 



By George Hogben. 



[Bead before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 5th July, 1893.] 



Plate XLI. 



The earthquake was felt more strongly at Nelson than any- 

 where else. Considerable damage was done in the town 

 and neighbom'hood, and it was estimated that the total loss 

 would not fall far short of £4,000. Many chimneys were 

 brought down, others were twisted out of position, and, 

 according to the Colonist of the 13th February, over one 

 hundred were injured. In several buildings ceilings and 

 plaster were shaken down, and walls were cracked. The 

 spire of the Cathedral was estimated by the City Surveyor to 

 have been 3ft. out of plumb after the earthquake. Clocks 

 were stopped, water overflowed in jugs north and south, a 

 large amount of crockery and some statuary were broken in 

 private houses and in shops, and in one or two instances 

 plate-glass windows were broken. Careful observations of the 

 direction with compass bearings seem to have been taken, and 

 these appear to show that the chief line of movement was from 

 south by west to north by east. In connection with this, we 

 may note one fact recorded — viz., that the north wall of a 

 massive stone malt-kiln was thrown aw^ay from the ends of 

 the east and w^est walls, and from the floor of the upper story, 

 to such an extent that the malt poured down upon the lower 

 floor through the aperture caused. 



The time given by the oflicers of the Post and Telegraph 

 Department was 8.2 (checked by New Zealand Mean Time) ; 

 another good observation was 8.1. I have therefore taken 

 8.1|- as the actual time of the beginning of the shock at 

 Nelson. 



