The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-02-25
a eorresnondeut at Waialua on this Island

under date of Monday last writes as follows
Sat 1Oh. ION. yesterday Sunday P, NJ, our, at
tention was called TO q tremulous motion, as OF a
heavy body moving rapidly over the ground. growing
in intensity each moment, until the whole house vi
brated and this was Immediately followed by hve
waves of motion, at intervals Of i second apart each'
causing a feeling as of q ship laboring in a short sea.
The timber of the house cracked and strained with
each passing wave, and all felt a slight nausea as
the motion ceased. The j~afring, rumbling feeling
was quite distinct from that produced by the follow
ing wave. A single slight throb finished the per-
formance as far as we were concerned. l judge from
S. Z. to n. w., and that the shock was more severe
s. W.. of US at Mokuieis. and in the direction OF Wal
amaze. The thermometer stood Mt 6S degrees, sky
much overcast all day, very light dewfsii.
Hawaii.
Marshal Parke writes fiom Kawuihae that the
shocks were very severe at that place and IN
North Kona, but nothing more serious is reported
than stone walls overturned.
On MeIokal,
Stone walls were thrown down in every direc-
ton, a newly erected frame house thrown down,
and walls of stone houses badly cracked. In
several places near Pukoo, the earth opened to n
considerable extent.
= On Kauai,
The earthquake is described as having been the
most severe ever experienced there-no damage
reported. ~fs~
At Wailuku, some buildings were cracked, bat
no serious damage is reported.
The experience reported is similar to that of
Honolulu. From Capt. Makee's plantation We
hear that while the shock was pretty severe, the
only damage done was to a train of sugar kettles,
shook from their foundations. Chimneys and
water cisterns remained intact. AT Makawao the
earthquake is reported slight. We subjoin inter
esting letters from correspondents at Lahainaluna
and Lahaina
"LAHAINALUNA, Feb y, 1871.
"EDIToR ADvERTIsER-The earthquake of Sunday
evening was severe at this place. My house is shaken
literally to pieces, although the pieces have not all
come down. The end walls are started clear, and
part of the north wall has fallen, also the whole south
wall Of the kitchen. To jump out of bed with your
house thrashing itself to pieces, thoroughly dispels
all ones past calm serenity in earthquakes.
The direction of the wave was evidently from south
to north, or perhaps northeast. The chimney was
twisted northeast. Fence walls all fell north. Crock
cry and medicines on shelves lying north and south
were undisturbed. The contents of shelves lying east
and west were thrown out. Clocks stopped ut a
quarter past ten.
Mr.. Andrews house has the northwest corner
opened out. I leave Lahaina people to report for
themselves. They look as if they had been through a
bombardment. S. E. BIsHoP.'
"LAHAINA, Feb. %, 1871.
"MR. EDIroR-The 4th day of February 1871,
and the 18th day of February 1871, are days ever to
be remembered in Lahaina- The first was the occa-
sion of a free fight. before mentioned, and the other
the great earthquake. at 10 O'Clock 10 minutes p NJ.
on Sunday. 1t came as near from the s. Z. ss you
could have made it. We heard the noise like distant
thunder, long before we received the shock, and when
it did come, it came good. There is not an adobe or
adobe aud stone, or a stone house but what is cracked,
aud some shattered so bad that it is dangerous to live
in them. The old mission church is damaged, the
walls are all cracked. Also the fine stone building of
Col Spalding is damaged. Then as you come along
the main road, that is cracked open for many feet.
Then along the Court House, which is damaged, and
will need repairing. So you may go the whole length
Of Lahaina, and see the effects, until you get to the
end, where the road and other places are all cracked
open. We must have fire near us somewhere, or why
should the ground be cracked, unless it was to let the
gases out. Both sugar mills in Lahaina have iron
chimneys and they are well braced, so that there was
no damage done in that direction. Since Sunday
night, we have had repeated shocks, but light. |
cannot find out by any one that the sea was affected,
every one was too much frightened to take any no
tee. In some of the stores, you could see that the
goods principally on the south side were thrown off,
but those that were on the north side were thrown
| against the wall. When the shock came, it was with
q sudden jerk, then trembling, and ending with roll
ing as if you were on board of a vessel. Our sc Moral
Town , has had such q shaking, that no one remem-
bers the like before. But all is quiet in the front
We have had cloudy weather since Sunday, but al
yet no rain. The mills are hard ct work and turning
out plenty of sugar as well as a beautiful quality.
Respectfully yours, &C.,