Descriptive Report.
53
At the Hythe Railway Station chimneys were thrown
down, and at the Gas Works the large gas-holders were seen
to oscillate, hut no important damage has been reported.
To the west of Colchester, as already stated, the damage
was but slight. The Water-tower, a massive structure about
140 feet high, supporting a tank capable of holding a quarter
of a million gallons, and standing on Balkerne Hill, the
highest part of the town, at the junction of North Hill, Head
Street, and High Street, was seen to oscillate but sustained
no damage.28
Head Street.—At the Post-office the ceilings in some of the
rooms were cracked, and a clock swinging W. 10° S.—E. 10°
N. was stopped. At Head Gate the " Elephant and Castle "
was much cracked in front, the cracks running irregularly and
in opposite directions along lines of weakness in the mortar.
A gap about an inch wide appeared between the inn and Mr.
Fuller's auction-rooms adjoining. The latter, an almost new
house, was but little injured. At the house of Mrs. Johnson
(No. 40) a clock (Austrian regulator) was stopped ; plane of
vibration of pendulum W. 8° S.—E. 3° N.
St. Mary's Rectory.—Two clocks stopped, one swinging E.
and W. and the other N. and S.; also a clock which had not
been going for months, and of which the plane of vibration
was N. and S. was started into action. A mantelpiece (loose
before) against a wall standing E. and W. was thrown down,
and a china ornament on a mantelpiece against a wall having
a similar direction was thrown forwards (towards the N.) and
broken. A candlestick standing back on another mantelpiece
(also E. and W.) was moved forwards towards the S., so as to
project over the edge of the mantelpiece. The house rocked
considerably and all the bells rang, the sound accompanying
the disturbance appearing to approach from the S.W. The
Rev. J. W. Irvine, who kindly supplied the above information
to Dr. Alexander Wallace, further stated that the mistress of
St. Mary's School informed him " that the floor at the south
28 Mr. H. Laver informs me it has since been discovered that there is a
slight vertical crack in the central upper part of each arch.