Bourne Comment

EARTHQUAKES PAST AND PRESENT

The earthquake which affected Bourne on Wednesday night was a reminder of the feeble grasp we have on events for although this was a minor occurrence in the litany of geological disasters, it served as a warning that nature can have a far more devastating effect on our lives than anything man can inflict.

Perhaps the most frightening aspect of the experience was the complete lack of control we had over the situation, unable to prevent it happening or predict the outcome. Unexpected occurrences, especially at night, catch us off guard and we are unable to react as calmly as we would otherwise do. This seismic shock, therefore, sent us off around the house checking that all was well, that cracks had not appeared in the walls or that gas and water had started to leak from fractured pipes. At the same time, the reality of the disastrous earthquakes around the world that have made headline news in the past suddenly took on a new meaning and we were humbled by being so concerned at such a slight tremor.

Earthquakes are not unknown in Bourne but they are of sufficient rarity to unsettle the populace and frighten the dogs which is what happened on Wednesday night. I was at my computer in my study upstairs and my wife downstairs in the lounge reading when soon after 10 pm she called out that the sofa had moved and that this eerie occurrence had been accompanied by a loud rushing sound as though a heavy lorry has just driven past.

Within minutes, the social media was at work on the Internet spreading the message that Bourne had been hit by an earthquake and although small by comparison with the devastations in Alaska, Chile or Japan, a chart posted by the British Geological Survey indicated that the tremor had a magnitude of 3.8 on the Richter scale which is enough to cause consternation in the shires. Other messages on Twitter revealed the extent of the event with one lady claiming to have been thrown out of bed while other contributors said that their houses had shaken and items dislodged from the shelves. One lady, Sally Smart, wrote: “Earthquake wow that was a biggen! Thought a truck was coming through the house. Adrenaline pumping.”

As the story unfolded, it was revealed that the tremor had occurred at 10.22 pm and had lasted for about ten seconds, affecting a large area of the East Midlands with an epicentre at Cottesmore, near Stamford, and although many people were shaken by the event, no one was hurt and there was no damage to property.

This was a similar scenario to the last earthquake in Bourne which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday 27th February 2008, the biggest in England for a quarter of a century which shook homes across many areas but as the British Geological Survey recorded a magnitude of 5.3 on the Richter scale with an epicentre at Market Rasen in Lincolnshire, only forty miles away, the effects were quite evident here in Bourne although no serious harm was done except to our sense of security and well-being, a widespread symptom which prompted more than 200 distress calls to the county police force.

We were woken that morning around 1 am by a loud rushing noise as though an express train were thundering past the front window, followed by the walls shuddering, pictures and ornaments vibrating, and were overcome by the unreality of the situation which I had not experienced since the enemy bombing raids during World War Two, but we were unscathed by the experience. Elsewhere in the region, houses were damaged by cracks and collapsed chimneys and one man was taken to hospital with leg injuries when brickwork fell through the roof into his bedroom.

When daylight came, we shrugged off the events of the night and laughed nervously at even being concerned that it had happened, yet anxiously scanning the news bulletins to find mention of a possible recurrence but happily, we were told that it was unlikely to happen again for another 25 years, the last major tremor occurring in 1984 with a magnitude of 5.4 which was also felt here in Bourne.

The most serious damage was caused to the slim and elegant spire of St Andrew’s church at Haconby where a large crack appeared in in stonework. Architects who made an inspection decided that it had been rendered unsafe and scaffolding was erected because there was a serious risk that the 14th century steeple might collapse. The top 18 feet of masonry was therefore shored up with wooded battens and the weathercock removed until repair work could begin later in the year. The church and graveyard were also closed to the public and the fortnightly Sunday service transferred to local houses for the time being.

There was another casualty and that was the Red Hall in Bourne where a later inspection revealed that the stone pinnacles on the gable ends were damaged. Builders arrived a few weeks later to carry out repairs using a 12-ton cherry picker to reach the roof sixty feet up and each of the limestone pinnacles was removed and then cemented back into place.

In spite of these occurrences, earthquakes are relatively rare in this area although there have been at least four in past times, two of them serious. The first recorded tremor occurred soon after midday on Sunday 30th September 1750 and the shock was so severe that it was felt not only in Bourne and the surrounding area, but also across the county borders in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.

John Moore, the historian, wrote in his Collections of the Hundred of Aveland in 1809: "The houses tottered, plates and glasses fell from the shelves, and slates, tiles and some chimneys fell from the houses; but happily, no great mischief was done. In some churches where services were not over, the people ran from their devotions in the utmost consternation. The shock was attended with a rumbling noise." Elsewhere in the town, people who were preparing their Sunday dinners rushed into the streets believing that they were about to be swallowed up.

The second tremor occurred on 24th February 1792 and was felt in Bourne and neighbouring villages but again there was no serious damage. There was a third tremor in 1896 but this was less severe. The Stamford Mercury reported on Friday 25th December: "A slight shock of earthquake was felt in Bourne about half past five on Thursday morning. Many townspeople noticed the earth tremor and in Bourne Fen, the shock was distinctly felt, several people being awakened by the rocking of their beds."

A fourth tremor occurred on Friday 14th January 1916 which the newspaper described as "a seismic disturbance". Their report said: "For some seconds, a very distinct shock was felt as windows rattled violently and furniture and crockery rocked in many homes. At Rippingale, chairs and tables were moved, pots and pans on shelves danced, doors were opened. In Bourne, members of the Volunteer Training Corps were in the Congregational schoolroom for shooting practice when a lamp suspended from an iron rod near the ceiling danced as though the rod had been shaken. There was also a rumbling noise which was heard by several people. Youngsters in bed complained of having their beds moved. Happily, the disturbance was a very mild one and no personal or material damage was caused."

Earthquakes, therefore, remain occasional disturbances in our lives, along with thunderstorms, gales and heat waves, which always bear witness to a force far greater than anything we can control and may become manifest at any time and without warning and it is there beneath our feet, something we call Mother Earth.

They are also a reminder of the feeble grasp we have on events for although this week’s tremor was a minor occurrence in the litany of geological disasters, it serves as a warning that nature can have a far more devastating effect on our lives than anything man can inflict.

Note: This article was published by the Bourne web site on 31st January 2015