Hebrides Earthquakes

serious Damage, Odd effects In New Hebrides Earthquakes

New Hebrideans caught fish ith their bare hands in Santo i August 11 and 12 when a

Ties of underwater earthquakes

►reed the tide out for hundreds : yards. Fish left stranded in

>ral pools were pounced on by

e locals.

EPICENTRE of the earthquakes A was a few miles off Santo, uring the quakes the tide con mally retreated for 300 to 400 rds, and then returned.

“It was quite amazing,” said one tness, Mr. Barry Badger, a PIM presentative, who was visiting nto from Sydney. “You could e the ocean retreating at a con mt pace for about five minutes, len at the same pace it would come .ck to the shore. This went on all £ time in front of Luganville.”

During this period, the Caledonien, lich had disembarked tourists at nto wharf, blew emergency blasts i her siren for passengers to return the ship. The ship hurriedly left on afterwards.

Wharf Drops

The tremors, which were strength yen, caused the centre of the big nto overseas wharf to drop about foot below the concrete wharf cing. A new public toilet only cently built on the wharf, after any requests for it, cracked down £ centre. Total damage to the larf —the main damage in the wn —is estimated at £25,000.

In the town, several stores were yerely cracked and damaged. One linese shop under construction was irtu a 11 y demolished. Shelves llapsed in some stores, including irns Philp’s, and stock was lashed. Water pipes broke and the iter was off in town for frequent riods. The town was also blacked it on occasions.

On August 12 a rumour went und the town that a tidal wave 3uld hit Santo during the night, id the town was quickly deserted, any people slept in the open on gh ground and on the airstrip.