ONLY FOUR LIVES LOST

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 33, 9 February 1931, Page 10

ONLY FOUR LIVES LOST

MUCH DAMAGE TO PROPERTY

" A first-hand account of the severity of the earthquake and its effects at Wairoa was given to a "Post" representative to-day by Mr. H. U. Tennent, manager of tho Hawkes Bay Motor Company at Wairoa. Mr. Tennent arrived in' Wellington last night from Wairoa, via Hastings, by aeropUtfie, and after having conferred this inoming with the Railway Department, Transport Department, Health, Department, and other officials, left Bongotai Aerodrome on the return trip by/ aeroplane this afternoon. '■ Mr. Tennent said that, so *far as ho knew, only four lives had been'lost at Wairoa, but considerable damage had been done to property by ■ the earth- | quake, which, judging from tho scenes of devastation, had been equally severe as in Napier, although, of course, at Wairoa there were lesn bii.ek premises than in Napier. "Fortunately - for us," said Mr. Tehnenfc, ''the shock occurred at an hour of the day when very few people were about in the streets. Tho bulk of the shop fronts of concrete and brick buildings in the town, feJl out into the .etretjt; in fact, from what I saw, all ibrick buildings collapsed. : Some of ;the wooden buildings close to the waterfront collapsed also. The bridge at Wairoa was 'pinched,' and col)apsed, arid the shake that occurred there yesterday has made it impassable." WATER BEING CARTED. I The jvater/service, said Mr. Tennent, was disorganised. After the first shock some of the mains were connected again,. but with little success, for water ooied up out of the ground in many places, and at present the Hawkes Bay Motor Company was keeping the town supplied with water, drawn from wells in the borough and distributed in tanks on the company's lorries. When he left for Wellington the company was carting about 7000 gallons of water daily, and as the tanks that had standing ran dry, more would 'be required. They were now bringing North Clyde into the water scheme also. ->,-. Mr. Tenncut said that splendid work was being done by Mr. M'Leod, health officer at Wairoa, who had been working night and day. • Ho had also boeu very ably assisted by a- number of others. FOOD SUPPLY. Questioned about the food supply, Mr.: Tennent stated that as far as lie had been able to judge < there was sufficient in the {own to last $ week or a fortnight. Road communication, however, was available with Gisborne and Eotorua, and negotiations were now in train for the establishment of a ferry service over the Wairoa River that wbuld accommodate two loaded lorries, or two or three motor-cars. 'Before he left for Wellington Mr. Tennent said .that the electrical system had- been restored to some extent. A small quantity of electric power was available, and some people were able to do their cooking with it. There had been one serious !firc which had destroyed the freezing works, and as a result there were now about 200 men out of work in addition to the 160 or 180 who had previously been on the rolls. One or two houses had also;been destroyed by fire, but the collapse of the bridge and the consequent snapping of the electrical communications had undoubtedly prevented more fires breaking out. "I should say," concluded Mr. Tennent, "that the principal upheaval occurred between Napier and Wairoa— somewhere north of Napier. There does not seem to be much prospect of direct road communication between Napier and Wairoa'being restored for some months to come." Efforts, however, were being made to' arrange for railway communication to Putorino, and it would be possible for the Hawkes Bay Motor.Company to make connection with the trains near there. RAILWAY DEPARTMENT ACTION. , ..An ollieial of the .Railway Department said that the Hawkes Bay Motor Company was linking up with the Department to run a daily service to and from Wairao, leaving at.6 a.m., via Eotorua and Waikareuioana. Thatwasthe best route available at tho present time. Arrangements had also been made for a daily service from Wairoa to Mo* haka, and there, was a possibility of the line'between N.ipier and Putorino being reconditioned. An investigation was being made in that eonenction by the General Manager (Mi\ 11. H. Sterliug) 'mid departmental engineers. The railway lino was being reconditioned, between Waikokopu and Wairoa, and that would enable food supplies to come in by boat. / It was pointed out that the road from liotorua to Wairoa, via Waikarcmoana, was new and was in excellent condition, only one slip haying come down, on it as a result of the earthquake.. "In addition to the "services mentioned, a daily motor service was also being maintained from Wairoa to Gisborne. ' ' i

WATER BEING CARTED