QUAKE DISASTER

Hokitika Guardian, 12 February 1931, Page 6

QUAKE DISASTER

ROADSTEAD LIFTED BY SEVEN FEET. HARBOUR WORKABLE. (By Telegraph—Ter Press Association) NAPIER, February 11. Captain White-Parsons. Napier Harbourmaster, has issued the followin'* report on the condition oi the harbour: —‘‘The whole roadstead is shallower by seven feet than previously. The Inner Harbour Lagoon has emptied out, leaving the high water ■depth’ as fourteen feet. Vessels of twelve feet draft can enter at high tide. The entrance to the breakwater has a depth of thirty-one feet at low tide, with about twenty-iive feet at the Glasgow wharf. If the soundings remain as at present, vessels with a draught up to twenty-two feet can berth at the breakwater at low tide.” ROADS AND BRIDGES. ALL CAN BE REPAIRED. WELLINGTON. February 11. The Chief Engineer of Public Works, Mr Fnrkett, who returned from the devnsted area to-day. was most optimistic regarding the reconstruction of all the damaged roads and the big works in the Napier district. “None of the damage is irreparable,” he said. "‘lt is merely a. matter of money.” A few of the bridges had been badly damaged he continued, and some hardly at all. The matter of repairs would he a fairly easy tone. There was no question at present of replacing the damaged wooden structures by reinforced concrete ones. Temporary repairs only would be made to enable the bridges to carry traffic safely. ‘‘There is no doubt,” he said, “reinforced concrete has come wonderfully well out of it.” ‘‘We should have all the streets in both towns cleaned up in a month.” concluded Mr Eurkert.

CONTROL RETAIN EL* HASTINGS, February 11. A suggestion that the Hastings Municipal authorities should take over from the Emergency Committee the civil control of the town, was deferred by the Hastings Borough Council at a special meeting. The Emergency Committee had already considered going out of existence, feeling that Lite banding over of control itself to the Borough Council would restore confidence among the people. The Committee Tias now modified its suggestion to the extent of deciding to carry on with a reduced personnel, and in the meantime it will continue to function ns the authority with full control of the Borough. The Borough Treasurer said the Council had seven or eight thousand pounds in hand, and this amount would be sufficient to enable them to carry on for some time. The ten per cent, addition to the unpaid rates will be held over till Parliament meets. The Borough elections have been postponed. A case of pilfering came before Justices at Hastings to-day, when a man named Kiddle, in business hero as a fruiterer at the time of the quake, was fined £ls, or in default three months’ imprisonment, for stealing books from the Library ruins. He was caught coming away with hooks at 12..'10 this morning.

ROTORUA’S HELP. ROTORUA, February 11. The Mayor of Rotorua yesterday handed a pilot of Rotorua Airways Ltd., a sum of £2OO cash for immediate distribution to the sufferers m the earthquake area. The pilot, on arriving at Hastings, located the Mayor at a meeting with the Prime Minister, together with other members of the Cabinet, and handed over the envelope. The Mayor, on opening it, expressed delight at the action of the Rotorua people. SEVERE SHOCKS LAST EVENING. NAPIER, February 11. The weather remains fine, and the sea is moderately rough, while the temperature is cool and the wind a light easterly.

Two fairly severe shakes have occurred since three o’clock. There have been no minor ones. It was reported Miss Eunice Heath, was among the dead, but she is safe and well, excepting for slight injuries. The official list 'does not include Miss’ Heath, although her death was currecently reported on last Wednesday. QUAKE WEDDING. NAPIER, February It. Two young Napier persons were married at the Presbyterian Manse in Vigor Blown Street on Saturday night. They were George T. Harvey, second son of Mr and Mrs F. G. Harvey, o Ashley Gorge, Canterbury, and Miss Dorothy Helen Flam, of Shakespeare Terrace. Th© ceremony was performed by Rev. H. A. Gould. CAR THIEVES AT NAPIER. NAPIER, February 11. Two men have been arrested for stealing cars. These are the only men to be detained since the quake.

LEAVER BTG SHOCKS. LAST NIGHT’S NAP! LIT REPORT. NAPIER, February LI. This afternoon and evening there have been no major shocks since those reported this morning. The weather is fine. The wind is a light easterly breeze. The sea is slightly heavier. BUSINESS RFSF.AIPTJON. Wonderful work is being done by the demolition bands, and temporary premises are springing up. Habitable business premises passed as safe an: being reoetmpied. It- is stated the loss of securities in the legal offices is no! so severe as was feared, the fire in some cases, not being able to secure a hold inside i lie partly opened doors and strong rooms. 'lhe ‘‘Daily Telegraph” announces it is getting under way, and will resume publication to-morrow. NAPIER HEALTH POSITION GOOD. No compulsion is to lie used in connection with the innneiilation against, typhoid but those offering will be treated with T.A.B. The fact of there being no compulsion is indicative ol the splendid position of the town from a health standpoint. P. AND T. SERYICF FOCAL TO RUSH. The Telegraph Department are now masters of the rush of telegrams and mails, which are being disposed ol with satisfaction, except parcels, which cannot be sorted, chiefly owing to lack of space. SCHOOL ON MONDAY. The one school undamaged in Napier opens on Monday. It is expected all the children in Napier will bo able to attend. NAPIER DEAD. NAPIER. Febrtiary 11. The Napier total of dead as now 133. including twenty-three unidentified. Two identified bodies and one unidentified one were buried in a common grave yesterday afternoon.

The identified bodies were those ol Stanley George Venables, aged sixteen of Clive, who was found in the X-Rav department-of the public Hospital : and George Frederick Bennett, aged thirtyseven, of the. Provincial Hotel; together with the unidentified remains D of a male inmate of Park Island. Some fifteen benzine cases, containing charred remains, are lying at the Courthouse which is Ireing used as a morgue. The body of Kyle has definitely 'teen identified. MORE REFUGEKS. NAPIER, February 11. The mail train from Napier to AA el iington is running about an boar laic. It lias aboard refugees numbering 390. Their destinations are: Main I rank M 8 Taranaki 28. Palmerston North 38. Wellington 102, South Island 7AVairarapa 7. The balance are for intermediate stations. There are no cot eases. CINEMA AT NAPIER. “GAIETY” MACHINE RECOVERED. NAPIER. February If. The New Zealand Film Exchange, in conjunction with Gaiety Theatre, lias arranged to screen silent films at Nelson Park nightly. A special screen is being fitted up. The machine from the Gaiety Theatre, which has been re-

covered, is being used. Although the building containing the Municipal Bath is badly knocked about, the pool is intact, and the hath is now being filled with sea water, lor bathing purposes.

STATE LOTTERY PROPOSED. PALMERSTON N., February 10. The Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce is forwarding to the Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, a suggestion that a State lottery, similar to that conducted in Ireland recently, be organised to secure money to rehabilitate the stricken towns of the earthquake area. NO WORK FOR AUSTRALIANS. WELLINGTON, February IT As the result of the earthquake, a considerable number of people have been thrown out of employment, whil© in addition many other workmen in the Dominion are seeking employment. Many of these men are qimlilied carpenters. builders and artisans. The Prime Minister states that preference of employment will be given to those who have unfortunately been thrown out of work by the earthquake, and there is no likelihood ol any labour shortage. Australian workmen are strongly advised against making the trip to New Zealand with any expectation of securing employment in the damaged area.

LIEUT. EIGHT’S FUNERAL. DAXNEVIRKE, February 11. The funeral of the late Flight Lieut:. L. Eight, who was killed at V airoa last Sunday, held at Daiiiievirke this afternoon, was one of the longest known here, the procession being over a. mile in length, representative of the whole professional and business community, and residents of town and country. The Rev. G. B. Stephenson, who conducted the service, paid a tribute to the deceased, remarking that his first act after the earthquake was to bring those dear to him to a place of safety, and he then returned to render service to the whole community. “It i s good,” he said, ‘‘that we have j in our country in times of trial men who know no fear.”

REBUILDING THE TOAYN. COM.MISSION SUGGFSTFD. AY ELLINGTON, February !>. The opinion that there should be no criticism of any one class of building material in the devastated area until an independent enquiry has been carried out. and that the Government should set nil a Commission to investigate, was expressed to-day by Mr IT. F. Butcher. City Town-Planner, and a member of the Institute of Architects. in an interview. Mr Butcher has just returned to AA'ellington with Air A. S. Mitcheli. consulting engineer and architect, alter an inspection of the ruins.

‘■.lf is the duty of the Government.” said Mr Butcher, “to set up a Commission to make investigations immediately on the spot, and to go into the question of building material and methods of construction. Mr Mitchell and I are members of the Earthquake Committee of the Institute of Architects. and we took the opportunity of getting away to compare the damaged buildings with those we saw in the Nelson and Murchison area alter the earthquake on the West Coast in 1920. The visit was well worth while.

‘‘From my own point of view and from a town-planning point ol view,” continued Mr Butcher. “I think that before any rebuilding or reconstruction work' is attempted the authorities would lie well advised to go into the question of the layout of the business section of Nattier. 1 know Napier pretty well, and before the earthquake it had its traffic problems. AA’itli regard to the setting mi of a Commission, as I have suggested, that was done in the (‘astern part of United States of America, where there is now a national building code." SAFER BUILDING. Mr Mitchell said there was no such thing as an earthquake-proof building, but there were earthquake-resisting buildings. From the inspection he had made, ho had noticed that lime mortar had been used in the construction of some of the later brick buildings, and it had caused him some surprise. Tn some of the modern structures there was evidence of the workmanship not being what it might have been. Tn places, for instance, he bad observed inadequate, “tying” of hollow walls.

Mr Butcher referred to the Boys' High School buildings, which, lie said, had been built on sand Oft. in depth. It was no place for buildings of their character. .Air Butcher said. He bad noticed many damaged wooden buildings, and there were brick buildings in the residential area that were absolutely intact. NO SUGGESTION OF LEAVING NAPIER

In Ids opinion there was no comparison between the intensity of the earthquake in Napier and the one that occurred in Murchison and surrounding district s. although flint: statement might have to he modified because in Napier a considerably larger business area had been affected than in Alureliison. “There should be tin suggestion of leaving Napier for good.” said Mr Butcher. “That must not be considered for one moment. The services there—-si reot w iring, underground services. tramway lines etc. may he worth many thousands of pounds, and for that reason alone a proper scheme of reconstruction should he got. out forthwith, and rebuilding commenced, after the findings of a special Commission.”

Air Butcher has seen the results of three big earthquakes. In addition to those at Napier and on the AA'est Coast, he was in Santa Barbara shortly after the big shock in 1925.

CENTRAL COMMITTEE. V ESTER i>AY’S DKCISM>X. WELLINGTON. February 11. Preliminary steps to relievo the distress caused by last week’s earthquake | were taken at to-day’s meeting of the I Central Committee set up to adtrinist-

I ci- the funds subscribed for that pur- ! pose. After many hours discussion the j Committee, which was meeting for the i firs; time, adjourned until called to- | gethor again. The preparation of a statement, selling out what had been done was left, to flit 1 Public Trustee, but this was not. available for publication this evening. Seen after the meeting, the Prime Minister, who presided < stated that a series of resolutions had been carried. I Local Committees are to be set up in Napier, Hastings, Wairoa and in the country districts of central Hawkcs Bay, said Mr Forbefc. ’Hie Committees will consist of a representative of public institutions of business men. with whom the Public Trustee will be associated. The re-building of chimneys and the making of houses habitable is be-: ing put in hand by the Public Works Depart men t, which is also going into the question of clearing away the debris in those, cases in which the people are not able to do it themselves. Everv expedition is being used. Prior to the meeting of the Hawkcs Bay Central Committee. Mr Forbes

presided at a meeting of the Central Committee set up to administer the funds subscribed to assist those who suffered as the result of the earthquake on the West Coat on June 17. 1929. When asked had any decision been reached on a proposal that the balance in the West Coast funds should be transferred to the Hawkes Ray fund, lie said that there were several important matters that yet required further going over tor a Infer meeting of the West Coast Commitfee.