TAKAKA EXPERIENCES

Hokitika Guardian, 24 June 1929, Page 5

TAKAKA EXPERIENCES

Writing On June 18th to his father, Hev. J. W. Hayawrd, from Takaka, Mr I lines Hayward states:—

We have been through a clay and a night of horror and looking hack now it seems weeks ago. On Sunday night we had three earthquakes and yesterday morning one at 7.24. Naturally when we arrived at work we commented on the frequency of them, especially as we knew a Nelson man had prophesied a big earthquake for the 18th. to-day. We had very little warning of the terrific earthquake which occurred at 10.18 a.m. Tt did not taice more' than a second or two to realise what we were in for. I leapt out of the counter box and was immediately thrown to the floor, hut it was nfft more than a second before T was up and outside. Books were falling everywhere and with the terrific heaving 1 didn’t think a fellow would get outside. The sight that met our eyes when we landed on the street I will never forget. It looked as though every building was going to crumble up. Shop windows were cracking, chimneys falling and a most frightful roaring noise on top of it.' Next and worst of all 1 think was the road cracking everywhere beneath our feet. Water came up everywhere and in places was spouting like geysers. It seemed a terrible time until it more or less stopped and then we made ifor the bank to lock the cash up and get out. No sooner would we set foot inside than off she would go again. The manager said we were not to risk going in so we made for the street. Everybody I think without an exception, was for some minutes speechless. The shops suffered frightfully and only two shops in the main street had their windows left. In no shop was anything left on the shelves and the hotels were very heavy losers—one hotelkeeper losing £BOO apiece.' .1 started off for home at dinner time hut nothing was left in the pantry. In the kitchen the table was over, pictures badly smashed and chairs everywhere. My bedding was upside down and clothes on the floor everywhere. I then went up the road where several dozen people were gathered having lunch. r l hey managed to get teapots from the store and we made the best of a miserable day. Things slackened off somewhat alfter dinner and for a couple of hours between the shakes we finished off our day’s work. You have probably heard that a M.r Stubbs, engineer at the G.B. cement works, was killed by the stone that came rolling down the hills on top of the power house. Thousands of tons of stone came down and as he made for the door he was jammed in and killed. It was a miracle that 60 or 70 of the G.B. Cement Coy workers were not killed. Eight motor cars are under the tons of stone that came down upon the works. At night I went up to a fellow’s place and listened to the wireless accounts. I waited for a couple of hours to trv and ring you up hut could not get through. To . make matters worse last- night we had earthquakes every few minutes. I made one attempt to go to heel and try and forget earthquakes, but no sooner had 1 got into lied than the shakes come on and with it onr chimney came down. That was enough for me. I and again went up the town at 11.55 p.m. and paraded the streets all night. People were sleeping in cars, some walking the streets quite hysterical, and the other houses all had lamps and candles burning. It was a terrible night and I liope I never experience another such night again in my life. Stones ueie rolling down the hills all night and no pen could ever give a true account of the day and night- of hell wo experi- . enced. I did not feel so bad to-day, but sincerely hope we get a quiet night to-night. The roads have big fissures in places and water is still bubbling up in places. We have no bricklayers in , Takaka and we have to boil the kettle outside as all the chimneys are down.