The Guardian corporated the West Coast Time's And Evening Star, with which is in- MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1932. FRIDAY’S QUAKE.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 September 1932, Page 4

The Guardian corporated the West Coast Time's And Evening Star, with which is in - MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1932. FRIDAY’S QUAKE.

If was hoped that afti it the two recent diJfietrous earthquake visitations at Murchison and Nap hr, there would be a- quiet spell fri hi such serious afflictions,, but New i jealand has. been again upset with tfe'e disastrous upheaval in the vioiiiity of Gisborne and Waircia on the,’East Coast of the North Islands, It .As gratifying to find that on thisi 1 occasion there has been no loss of life reported while the damage though severe has not been of .such a. disastrous nature as the other two visitations refen-ed to. The people of tire district will have the deep sympathy; of the whole of the residents of. the remaining portion of tlie Dominion, : who will sympathise with them-in the very unsettling and unnerving experifer.ee that they have suffered from. It woaild appear that the main seat of \ the disturbance was some distance at sv:a off the coast between the two important towns that appear to have been - the main, sufferers on this occasion. On other occasions, : following fiVes have enured most, of the destruc.'ion, that, followed an upheaval, mlrdnly because- of the destruction of the. water supply mains.- In this preserit' instance this feature was lucidly : tfecen t and for that, the laffl feted p>o bleare no doubt thankful. The horror of the uncanny sensation is quite sufficient to unnerve most people withoutany additional worry , such as an out-hveak of fire can causey with - the fire appliances out of action. There appears to be no possible way of gauging when theSb visitations are *comiu'g. According to Hi*. Farr of Ghristbliureh there is no certainty, that becbuse u place had bsw>n vi&lt&d by iW'i earthquake it would, not ba similarly* affected again. Nor was there any guarantee that a. place would not be -shaken again, no matter what period In Id elapsed since the previous earthqu ike. Such disturbances miglit occur -at any time without a/uiytomia. being able to tell when. It warn impossible to predict them, nor could anyone say with certainty that they would not occur. Research was at present being earned out with a. view to enabling predictions to be made, a short time ahead on these lines, but the progress made so far was not great. In the circumstances, therefore, all that people could do was to build in such, a way as to minimise the risk of buildings collapsing, in'addition to, which every endeavour should be made to provide fire-breaks. As stated above, lankily there were no outbreaks of fire following the shocks, and therefore wie. were saved a. disaster that would have .assumed much larger dimensions, had such been the case, for which there will he heartfelt relief. It is to be hoped that then® will be no further recurrence, and that the residents will not be reminded of their plight by a further Tenewal of disturbances, even of a lighter nature. As in previous disasters if it is found necessary to roaike a. public appeal for assistance there can be m j doubt that such an appaeal will receive a prompt lieply from those fortunate enough not to be living in the unfortunate district.