THE NURSES' HOME

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 30, 5 February 1931, Page 13

THE NURSES' HOME

L TWO STOICAL GIRLS THE UPHEAVAL AT THE PORT

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) \ PALMERSTON N, This Day. Mr. W.; Girling, of Napier, who.'arrived in Palmerston North yesterday afternoon,.stated that he sp#nt the night in the,open in the Botanical Gardens, after working; all day on the nurses' home and hospital, assistirig to extricate nurses and others who had been trapped. The nurses' home, a ferroconcrete building, collapsed like a pack of cards. As far as was known ther* were sixteen nurses in it, besides the office staff, consisting of two young men and a young woman. Three of th« latter wereiin a hopeless position, being buried ' under the whole three storeys. The nurses, however, were ia. a slightly better position. Sis were extricated alive from the debris, more or less severely hurt. One of the nursei ■was pinned under a big concrete slal> which had been part of a wall, and it was found necessary to use crowbars, sledge hammers, and levers. Navy men. assisted at this work, which took a dozen nicn three hours before the nurs* was finally freed. Behind her another girl was trapped under a stairway, and sho could not get free until her mats got out. The two girls stoically endured the long suspense, crouched in.discomfort and pain. When 'the sledge hammers got to work the girls suffered severely, but'relief was given by using levers. , '■..>.• '....-. '. Three members of the staff had not been got out '"at 8.30 o'clock -yesterday morning! One 'of these was Mr, Shirley, a well-known musician. His lady assistant, Miss , Thorn-George, was among those reported in the list of dead. , ' , Mr. Girling, who is a member of the staff of Robjohns, Hindmarsh, and Co., was unloading a lorry on the wharf at Port Ahuriri when the upheaval occurred., The sensation was that of a terrific upthrust from underneath, which lifted boats about to the level of the wharf and threw the Harboui; Boards' shed over on to the lorry. Mr. Girling sprinted along the wharf ou to the road, and just missed being buried. The wharves, all the way along, arc in a terrible state, being cracked and out of plumb, and sunk in places. The boats have all cleared .out into the bay, with the exception of H.M.S. Veronica, which stuck to her post and did noble service. A fire started in the upstairs portiom of Robjolms, Hindmarsh, and Co.'s two* storey building at Port Ahuriri. Tha front and side had fallen out, and tha wreck was soon a blazing furnace. The fire spread rapidly and consumed all in its path. All wholesale premises were destroyed, besides several wool stores, the Post Office, and the oil depots! Next morning tho wind wa« blowing in the opposite direction, fanning the names into renewed activity, and placing the residential portion ia grave danger. In Napier a high wind developed from the west, and the Cosmopolitan Club, one of the few remaining buildings in the stricken are* caught fire and burnt fiercely. Trinity Methodist Church, oue of the oldest buildingi. in Napier, is still standing, and did not appear to have sutfercd much damage. Mr. Girling stated that between 8 p.m, and 5 a.m. there were no fewer than 55 shocks and tremors. Those were recorded in a novel manner by a boy, who was camped in the park. Every time ;v shake occurred he put a knot in a piece of string, and by 5 o'clock' ho ran out of string. Other shakes folLowed during the morning, including' lihrco very severe ones.