✨ Earthquake Report
NEW ZEALAND
GOVERNMENT GAZETTE
EXTRAORDINARY.
PROVince OF NEW ULSTER.
Published by Authority.
All Public Notifications which appear in this Gazette, with any Official Signature thereunto annexed, are to be considered as Official Communications made to those Persons to whom they may relate.
By His Excellency's Command,
ANDREW SINCLAIR, Colonial Secretary.
VOL. I. AUCKLAND, MONDAY, NOV. 13, 1848. No. 27.
Civil Secretary's Office,
Auckland, 13th November, 1848.
His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief has been pleased to direct the publication of the following despatches, from Lieutenant-Governor Eyre, relative to the late calamitous visitation at Wellington, for general information.
By His Excellency's command,
C. A. DILLON,
Civil Secretary.
Government House,
Wellington, 19th October, 1848.
Sir,
It is my most painful duty to inform your Excellency that a terrible calamity has overtaken this Province: an earthquake has occurred, and the town of Wellington is in ruins.
On the morning of Monday, the 16th October, about twenty minutes to two A.M., the first shock occurred, and was sufficiently strong to throw down or injure most of the chimnies in the town, and to crack the walls of very many of the brick buildings.
Considerable loss of property was sustained by breakages in the houses, and a good deal of alarm excited in the minds of the inhabitants. During the whole of Monday shocks and tremblings of the earth were from time to time experienced, but of a slighter character than the first.
On Tuesday, the 17th October, about four o'clock, A.M., another rather smart shock was felt, and again at eight, A.M. Lighter ones continued at intervals during the day, until, at twenty minutes to four o'clock in the afternoon, when a sudden and much more violent shock took place—by this chimnies previously remaining up were for the most part cast down. The Native Hospital, the Gaol, many of the large brick stores, and the higher brick walls, were either very much rent or wholly thrown down; immense destruction of property took place, and, I regret to add, a melancholy loss of life.
Barrack-Serjeant Lovell and two of his children were thrown down and buried by falling ruins. Upon being extricated one of the children was found dead, and the other so seriously injured, that it died a few hours afterwards. The Serjeant himself was much hurt, and now lies in a precarious state.*
During the remainder of Tuesday and the succeeding night slight shocks only were felt; but about five, A.M. on Wednesday morning, a stronger one occurred, and another about eight, A.M. Minor shocks continued at intervals during the remainder of the day and evening, until the morning of Thursday, the 19th, at ten minutes past five, A.M., when a most violent and awful shock took place; every building was rocked to and fro in a fearful manner; and, with the exception of the wooden dwellings, most of the houses and stores were seriously shattered or fell in. The whole population
*Since dead.
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New Ulster Gazette 1848, No 27
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
🏛️ Report on Earthquake in Wellington
🏛️ Governance & Central Administration13 November 1848
Earthquake, Wellington, Calamity, Destruction, Loss of Life
- Barrack-Serjeant Lovell, Injured in earthquake
- Lovell, Child killed in earthquake
- Lovell, Child injured in earthquake
- Andrew Sinclair, Colonial Secretary
- C. A. Dillon, Civil Secretary