Islands Earthquakes
A Woman’s Experiences in the Solomon Islands Earthquakes
Written for The Pacific Islands Monthly by Mrs. Kathleen D . Bignell, of Fulakora, Ysabel, B.S.I.
THE earthquakes which have dis turbed the equilibrium of the Solomons lately were felt more severely in some places than others.
The mainland newspapers doubt less have been full of the news and we, who are actually in the islands, will not hear many details until the next Mataram returns from Sydney.
The newspapers will be sure to de scribe wharves being destroyed, vil lages swept away, stores damaged, etc., but the more intimate details of every day life wall be overlooked.
I would like to describe to you how it actually and personally affect ed me, an ordinary woman house holder on Ysabel, owner of all the little household gods that help to make our lives happy and pleasant down here.
We live on a hill, overlooking the sea on three sides, with bush and plantation on the fourth. The house is large and rambling, and built of fibro-cement walls, leaf roof, and European wood floors; kitchen and
bathroom of iron, with cement floors and large iron water-tanks outside.
The household consists of my hus band, myself, my daughter of 15, and a lady visitor and child.
On Saturday, October 3, my hus band intended leaving for Tulagi at noon in our small launch “Raja.”
Tulagi is 60 miles away, and it was necessary to go for mail and stores.
We were about to sit down to lunch, which was ready laid. I was hur riedly finishing off a letter at my desk, my husband was in his office, and the others elsewhere in the house. It was an ordinary day of light wind and sunshine, though ex cessively hot, with a white mist hang ing low.
All of a sudden the house gave a lurch, then shook violently. We all rushed outside onto the lawn. Mar garet, my daughter, who had been in the kitchen, picked up the cook’s little girl of 2½ years and joined us.
We could barely stand upright.
The house was being heaved about and the noise of falling articles and furniture was appalling. I could see, through the window, the silver and glass falling off the table onto the floor —crash, crash and rattle! It was impossible even to think.
The sound of rushing water puzzled us for a minute. Then we realised it must be our water-tanks breaking open. All this time we ware stagger ing about on the law, like drunken people. The two cooks were lying on the ground, vomiting.
The most wonderful sight of all was to see the great trees below us, twisting and bending and crashing down, from no apparent cause.
That first shock must have lasted one and a half minutes. Then we
gingerly entered the house. It is im possible to adequately describe the chaos. Not a thing standing.
Cupboard doors had opened and cap sized all their contents onto the floor.
China and broken glass, jardinieres, flowers, water, ornaments, lamps, etc., all lay in a muddled heap. We gathered up what was left.
I was too frightened to feel sorrow at the time. I was positively numb from the feeling of calamity. All my treasures and collections of years ruthlessly destroyed in one and a half minutes, and through no fault of mine.
The kitchen was worse than the house, because all the store-cupboard supplies had joined the general me lee. Basins, jugs, tins of sago and tea capsized and strewn everywhere.
We would pick up a few things; then another tremor would come and we’d all rush outside; and so on, till 12.30 p.m. Then, as business must proceed as usual, we ate a counter lunch, and we went down to the
beach to see my husband and the “Raja” off. I had mixed feelings at being left on a rocking island, but, as Margaret said, it was more than a compliment to our bravery and in telligence. So I braced my shoulders and returned to our poor house.
The quakes continued, and we be gan to feel rather panicky once more; so we decided to leave the house to rock, and visit our neighbour, three miles away, and see how he fared.
We changed into riding kit between shakes, got the ponies, who were wild with fright, and rode down.
Our neighbour had left his house also, and was writing in his leaf built office, the idea being that leaf houses cannot fall. We were all pleased to see one another and ex changed “calamities.” We asked him to return with us, as a man about the house, in an earthquake, is some what of a comfort. He rode back with us and fell off twice. I don’t know if the earthquakes were re sponsible, but it caused a laugh and, being a wonderfully good sport, he laughed with us and rode again. That evening we sat around our one and only lamp, left from the wreck, until dawn lightened the sky. It was hope less to try and sleep.
From Saturday till Tuesday we had 69 quakes—two severe ones at the start and one very severe one on Tuesday. Luckily, I still had my few belongings on the floor, so nothing more was broken. The damage to house and property works out at about £70 to £100. As Kipling sug gests, we will have to “stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools.”
The charming interior of the bungalow on Ysabel Island, B.S.I., wherein occurred the earthquake damage as described in the accompanying article by Mrs. Bignell.