DAMAGE VERY BAD

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 261, 3 August 1942, Page 6

DAMAGE VERY BAD

Wellington City Buildings ENGINEER’S ESTIMATE “The damage is definitely very bad in Wellington,” said the city engineer, Mr. K. E. Luke, yesterday, after a preliminary survey of the situation. He added that the cost might conceivably run into hundreds of thousands of pounds after all the damaged buildings in the city had been restored to normal condition and adequate precautions taken to minimize future

dangers. It was obvious that another campaign would have to be undertaken for the removal of parapets aud that the necessary authority to force action in this direction ■would have to be obtained. Some of the parapets severely damaged by this earthquake had been the subject of notices served on building owners years ago, advising their removal.

Following on the heavy June earthquake, said Mr. Luke, 150 business places had been reported as damaged, and of those about 100 had required urgent repairs. Only a few of these works had been started, but fortunately one or two of the most serious had been developed to a stage where the buildings were made reasonably safe. However, the damage to others had increased many fold, and treble the number of business premises were now damaged as compared with the first earthquake. It was estimated after the last quake

that 10,000 to 12,000 chimneys were damaged in Wellington. This number would now be greatly increased. The Town Hall, said Mr. Luke, had had a severe wracking, but was quite safe, and city services had come • '•ough the visitation really well. Three joints had been sprung- in the pipe bringing the city water supply from Wainui, but it was not broken, and the leaks had been repaired. One or two small mains in the city had fractured.

Tlie crack in the northern approach to the Kelburn viaduct, had widened, but it was merely a.slight road subsidence.

Commenting on the closing of Manners Street to traffic, Mr. Luke said the duration of this would depend on how long it took to make safe some dangerous parapets there, and even after that for a period I rathe, apart from the trams, would probably be restricted to that concerned solely with services to businesses in the street. Oite or two places had temporarily been evacuated.

LITTLE WANGANUI DAMAGE Dominion Special Service. WANGANUI, August 2. Wanganui and district, were rocked violently by a sharp earthquake at 12.37 a.m. today, but only minor damage, including some cracked chimneys, is reported. An earlier shock occurred at 4.-15 p.m. on Saturday, but it: was less violent.