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Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1931, Page 4

Mrc, hire details available last night regarding the serious earthquake visitation in the North Island were sufficiently alarming in themselves to cause the greatest anxiety as to the full toll of the damage. Napier appears to have been ahe chief centre and suffered greatly in the short duration of the earthquake. An authentic report received by the .secretary of the G. P. 0. indicates that five rows of buildings around the Masonic Hotel, which fronts the Main Parade, for which the city has a special reputation, has been razed to the ground. It was reported that the destroyed buildings includes the recently opened Post, Office, all the stories of which, excepting the ground floor, collapsed. In the sudden wreckage were so many fine buildings. A serious loss of life lias occurred and particulars will be anxiously awaited. It was fortunelte that warships wore at hand to resist, while the Government did all that was possible yesterday to rush imnmdii-f.e aid to the stricken city. Napier is quite a model town and well cared for by the civic authorities in every respect. Tim citizens took Che greatest pride in the n r >_ of the town and every year raised funds for the beautification of the city. The town had all the amenities for a busy and ooulenf confr". Tim disaster is a very unfortunate one in every wav. Its sudden visitation with (Path and dostruei ion in -train, lias been a blow to the whole Dominion. end the greatest svmonthy and consideration will be extended to the sufferers. West Coasters will recall gratefully the help rendered some twenty months ago when a like visitation was experienced along the Const. New Zealand will respond now ns then and all that can be done humanelv in the wav of immediate succour will be in-npvitlv performed. As the particulars come to band ifho magnitude of the disaster will he realised and all will he grateful that shinning was at band tn do so m’-r-h to relieve the tension. In the crisis of the rhsrmtev. the Government and civic authorities yendilv co-onnrated +0 help in the overwhelming event. This appears to be the greej'e.st. disaster of the kind o\-l-mneimed in New Zealand, d"o to the fact that the main centre of activity v-ns in a nonnlo”s citv. with manv high buildings. From Napier the damage radiated to all the neighbours" towns thus adding greatly to the full lis 1 of damage recorded. It will take some time to ascertain the full particulars, but with the ships and aeroplanes operating in concert, and reads lv»ing generallv open for motor ti- n ffic. fhe worst sho’dd soon he known. From all n"counts the full sforv will bp one of ffhn saddest pages in the historv of tho Dominion and to all who suffered, and are suffering, evorv sympathy wD ho felt, while tliP’-e )>e ready help forthcoming from all sides.