Canterbury District.

Waikari.—Two chimneys were overthrown.

Amberley.—No damage reported.

Rangiora.—A few bricks were thrown from the top of a chimney. Some crockery was thrown down and broken.

Kaiapoi.—The tops of two or three very old chimneys were thrown down. The woollen-factory chimney was uninjured.

Christchurch.—The most noticeable damage was to the Cathedral spire, the upper 26ft., with the cross, having been shaken down. An eye-witness says that his attention was called to the spire by the ringing of the bells (which had been set overnight for ringing); he then saw three or four stones shoot out, after which the top part of the spire swayed for a second or two; and then, after the chief violence of the shock was over, the top, with the cross, fell to the north. No other injury was done to the Cathedral, nor to the spire below the 26ft. that fell. The cross, which was of solid iron, was fastened to an iron bolt which passed through 18ft. of solid masonry, and had an iron plate a foot square at the bottom, the whole weighing not less than 60 tons. Below this the spire was hollow, and from the iron plate four iron stays 16ft. long were carried down inside the spire and secured to iron plates fastened in the masonry. The top of the cross was 210ft. above the ground. It is generally thought that the spire would not have been damaged if the top had not been solid, and if it had not been so firmly tied down.

In the Normal School the top of one of the chimneys was shaken down, and four others were split. The East Christ-church school had some of the chimney-tops much shaken, and some chimney-heads fell. The Wesleyan Church was much shaken, and some of the stones moved out of their places. Three chimneys in private houses also fell. A few other buildings were slightly damaged. None of the factory-chimneys were damaged, although that of Scott and Co. is about 80ft. high, and has an iron railing weighing 2 tons on the top. Very little, if any, glass or crockery appears to have been broken. None of the specimens in the Museum were hurt. In the East Belt the main sewer was cracked; but it here passes through a quicksand, and great difficulty was experienced in making it. At Avonside Church the stone cross on the northern gable of the transept was thrown down. A few chimneys were also injured at Avonside, Heathcote, and Linwood.

Lyttelton.—No damage was done. The water in the harbour was not disturbed.

Ashburton.—The roof of the Borough School was split, and the plaster shaken down.

No damage is reported from other parts of Canterbury.