Descriptive Report.
75
describing how he saw women run screaming from houses to
N. or N.E. of him, at the instant that he first felt the shock."
At Orleans Cottage and many other houses the chimneys
were either thrown down or dislocated at the base and twisted.
The Hall and Brick House were reported to have been
considerably damaged. At the " White Hart " Inn chimneys
were thrown down and part of the brickwork from the gable;
one stack was left in such a shaky condition that it was con-
sidered unsafe for us to remain in the upper room of the inn
during the strong gale which was blowing at the time of our
visit. A clock in the bar was stopped at 9.18; pendulum
swinging N.W.—S.E. Glasses standing on a table in the bar
were tilted off. Mr. Larman informed me, that at the time
of the shock he was looking south-eastward, towards the
" White Hart," when he saw this house apparently lifted
bodily up, and the chimneys thrown over. At the row of
coastguard cottages, facing S.S.W., the shock was severely
felt, but no damage was done, and not a clock was stopped.
Mr. Larman stated that it appeared to him as if there were
two reports, the first being the more violent, then the shock was
felt, and was followed by a second weaker report and shock.
The water of the yard well (30 feet in depth) at the coastguard
station was rendered turbid by the disturbance, and did not
become clear for some days afterwards. Mr. Larman and
some of the sailors about the neighbourhood were closely
questioned as to the occurrence of any tidal phenomena
attending the earthquake, but no unusual wave movement
was observed, although the shock was felt strongly by boats
in the estuary, the boatmen affirming that the direction was
from the N.N.E. A man hoeing in a field near the " White
Hart " felt the twisting motion of the earth and had the hoe
jerked up in his hand. The National School and the school-
master's house were much damaged. School was being
carried on at the time, and about 140 children were in the
room, when one of the chimneys broke through the roof, the
brickwork fortunately falling to the side of the room away
from the benches occupied by the scholars. A panic was
caused, but the schoolmaster (Mr. Thorpe) had the presence