A QUIET DAY

Hokitika Guardian, 22 September 1932, Page 6

A QUIET DAY

NO FUR,THEIR QUAKES REPORTED THE POSITION INSPECTED. (Per Press Association — Copyright.) WAIROA, September 21. No shakes work experienced hone throughout, the day. The report as to a house disappearing at Puketoi, is not yet confirmed. A visiting architect, interviewed today, stated a number of buildings had been badly shaken and others severely fractured. A large portion of the business area, reconstructed since the 1931 quake have withstood the shock reasonably well. He attributed the chief cause in damage as due to the nature of foundations, which were built on subsoil of a silty nature, which caused settlements in places during the swaying, of the buildings. The nature bf the formation of the foundations should not cause further anxiety to property owners. Questioned. concerning the report that the buildings on the Marine Parade had moved towards the river, the architect stated a survey of the frontage shows the buildings are on their corrdot alignments. Fissures observed in the soil at the. frontages also occur at the back, and have been cans-, ed by tlie rocking of the structure?, v Gratification is being expressed generally ,at the already fine response- tithe appeal for financial assistance.: From Napier, over £250 having been acknowledged from that centre. It is hoped to hare a second ferry service in operation to-morrow. This will be used in transporting children and adglt foot passengers across the river. It is absolutely necessary, owing to the present congestion of traffic;, i .' •

COLLAPSE OF THE NEW BRIDGE. IS THE MOST SERIOUS EFFECT GISBORNE,; September 22. J Commenting on the Wairoa damage Mr F. W. Furket engineer-in-chief, stated that the collapse of the new bridge sections was the most serious effect of-, the quake. The question now arose whether the reconstruction of the bridge should proceed before the earth movements had definitely ceased. The reconstruction will represent a difficult task owing to the character of the under-water structure, and the necessity of ascertaining the damage to the. piles which are sgnk for seventy feet in the riverbed. ;.

The town water supply is seriously damaged and it will take a long - time to restore it, hut the effects of .thequakes are otherwise surprisingly .limited, though private losses are extensive.

Mr ,+Furket > .spoke favourably of o the establishment, of a. pontoon bridge for foot traffic, recommending the use of the railway bridge adjacent to. the town for wheeled transport.

FURTHER SHOCK lIL VICTORIA. iMUCH DAMAGE RESULTS. this day at 10.25 a.mh SYDNEY, September 22. Residents of Benalla were terrified by another earth tremor of great force, buildings being , badly damaged and crockery and, ornaments smashed. People were even thrown from their seats. Sdm'e dwellings were shifted, and others showed large cracks in the brick walls, while several, chimneys toppled. # The shock appeared to occur only, in the centre of the town for it was not felt outside the radius of a quarter of a mile, and it'lasted only, for a few seconds, r.ik:r-u