Return of the principal Houses injured.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 259, 22 November 1848, Page 5

Return of the principal Houses injured.

Wellington Terrace. Mr. King, Solicitor — Clay house, partly faced with brick, posts in the walls, the clay •walls strengthened with slips of wood nailed across the posts about nine inches apart, the brick facing all down, and great part of the clay woik fallen out, or much shattered. Mr. Cridland — clay walls built with upright posts same as preceding with slips of -nood nailed to the posts, the claying all thoroughly loosened. Capt. Sharpe — clay with strong posts about two feet apart, 12 inch walls, very substantially built, slips of wood nailed to the posts, the clay completely shattered throughout. Mr. Bethune — a brick house, severey cracked in several places. Mr. O'Reilly — clay house, very substantial, the north half very much injured, the south half slightly, Mr. T. FitzGrerald supeiintended the building of this house, the walls very thick. Mr. Strang — clay house, faced leccntly with brick, completely shattered, now being cleared away for rebuilding.

Te Aro Fl<yt. Mr. Vincent, printer — clay walls, very substantial, being replaced with timber. Mr. Plimmer — very strong clay walls with posts paitly faced with brick, the Walls severely injured, must be replaced, Mr. Lowe — clay walls, 15 inches, built in a most substantial manner, the gables down, and the remainder much separated. Mr. Henry — 12 inch clay Avails, severely shattered. Mr. Hawkins — same as last, partly down. Mr. Foster — ditto ditto Mr. Permy — brick house, 2 stories, very much rent, and two of the sides much bilged out. Mr. Gooder — brick house, greater part down. Mr. Stutiield — brick house, much shatteied. Mr. Master — substantial clay house, mostly down. Mr. Mudgway — clay, with posts in the walls slips of a\ ood nailed between the posts, ruined. Mr. Bennett — same as last. Mr. Jas. May — substantial clay house, rent throughout. Mr. Ashdown — clay house, with posts, slightly injuied. Mr. Mills — clay house, with posts, ruined. Mr. Ford, clay house, ruined, an inferior house. Mr. Gerard — clay house, much injured and paitly clown.

LUTTON HOW. Old Military Hospital, completely ruined. Mr. Quin's houses, all clay, ruined. Mr. Viller's houses, some clay and .some brick, will have to be rebuilt.

Dixon Street. I l>arlesHowe — frame house, brick knogged, the bricks partially displaced, and one gable partly down. Mr Wateis — Mercers' shop, clay fallen in, nou rebuilding "with wood. Mr. Stoddart — biick, severely shattered and part down. Mr. Blyth — substantial clay house, faced with brick, highly furnished, a total ruin. Mr. Catchpool — steam flour mill, brick, thoroughly shattered.

WILLIS OTREKT. Mr. Crouther, tailor — buck, front down, and back down, side Avails much injured. Mr. Wilkinson — clay house, severely shattered and gables down. Several smaller houses equally injured.

Manners Streei\ Wesleyan Chapel — mined and level. Rhode's bonded store, brick, leveled. Hickson's bonded and private stores, substantial buck building, shattered to pieces.

Allens Commercial Room, the brick work shattered vpry much, part fallen down. Allens Public House, fiame woik and hick knogged, very little damaged if any. Bethune & Iluntci's sfoio, a wooden building, se\erely injuied from the shifting of tho goods Molcntly. Fitzhcrbeit's bonded store, and private stou^ in a uiinous state. Oidnance Stoic — biiclc houpe of two stone 0 hoth gables fallen outwaids, the bide walls \oty htlle injured. Loxley's brick store, both gables seriously injured, the side walls very little, this house r. vciy near and runs paiallel with the Oidnant^Stoic. Bank Safe — brick, seriously in the aich.

Herhf.rt Sirfct. Langdon's store, brick in a minous slate. Han&aid's house, m ruins, a tno stoiy buck house, ivell finished. Squib — btiong clay house, shattered, housecontiguous, biick knoggcd, the most of tho blicks fallen out.

Bhach. Smith & Wallace, large brick store, the new front falling away. Plimmer's brick house, late Government Offices, slightly cracked. Christian's stoic, brick, slightly injured. Mr. Swinbourn — brick house, seriously iiw jured. Mr. Hoit's brick knoggcd store, uninjured ; a two story house, substantial clay walls, in rear of Mr. Ilort's store slightly injured. Mr. Armstrong, saddler — brick house, not dangerously injured. Mr, Tnglis' brick stoie, slightly injmed. Mr. Johnston's back store, much shattered- 1 Mr. Young's Hotel, seriously shattered. Mr. Grace's buck house, shattered throughout. Mr. Tonics' back house, front shattered. Mr. Alsdotf's public house, taken down. Mr. Stallbid, tailoi — brick, very little in- t j-ired. Mr. Brandon's office, severely injured. Mr. Cook, tailor — ditto ditto

Tuoundon Flat. Hornbrook's store, shook to pieces, and tho brick house adjoining. Dr. FitzGerald's clay house seriously injured.. Major Richmond's, biick knogged hoiuet Very much loosened, ill built at fir^t. New Zealand C nnpany's Oifices, mined. Cliffoid's brick house, slighty injuied. Cooper's brick two story house at Kai Wai a. seriously injured. Independent Chapel, seriously damaged. Swallow — clay house, levelled. Methodist Chapel — levelled. Colonial Hospital — ruined. Gaol. Mount Cook — ruined. Mr. Cole's house, very seriously injured. Mr. Ilort's dwelling hou c and Mr. Hick" son's ditto, on Te Aio flat, aie uninjured except the chimneys. Mr. Hort's store on the beach is brick kno^ged and uninjuted. Mr. Taine's brick store is uninjured. Mr. Ross 1 duelling house, brick, uninjuredThe above not to be accounted for from any principles in the nature of the buildings W. Mills, Scigeant of Police..

Mm. — The foregoing are the principal buildings which have suffered injury ; many otheis are slightly injured, and perhaps some may have more than is appaient, but the greater part of those now enumerated, will have to be rebuilt. Clay buildings have suffered equally with brick ones, but it does not appear that there is so much danger to be appiehendecl from their falling, the clay will stick together, when in the same circumstances the bricks would crumble or tumble down ; that can be accounted for, from the unyielding quality of a brick wall, when compared with the adhesive nature of clay material. Clay houses built ivith posts are the least dangeious of the two, as the posts will support the fabric under any circumstances, but the house is always requiring repairs, as the clay is continually .separating from the wood, even those which have slips of wood across from post to post , are very little more secure than the otheis, as the clay is not so adhesive, but it gues way under the iufluence of the weather, or of the smait shocks of earthquakes, such as are frequently experienced in this part of the conn ry, and plaster will always appear cr c\zd opposite the posts. The woodfii buildings even of tta poorest description have suffeied no injury ; the reason is obvious, for when one part yields from the shock, the part opposite naist follow, and

llicy will ict urn in the .same mannei,all being lied together For a dwelling house, good sound wood flaming, cither weather boaided, with lath and plaster inside, or buck-knoggod wilh lath and plaster, would appear to be the most suitable, there being no chance of danger fiomthem under circumstances similar to the picscnt. For stoics, strong frame woik, similar to that of the Chinch lately elected on To Aid, would be very suitable, not to be highei than two sloiiis, the heavy weights to be placed only on Ihe lower floor, with lath and plaski inside, the heat would not be greater than that of a buck house, the spaces between the wealher-uoaiding and lathing being vacant. These remaiks arc only applicable, supposing the country should be subjected to iicMjiienL letunis of the .same accidents as have iccently visited it. Te Aro seems to have sulkied most; the same description of buildings which on Thorndon Flat and on the Ten ace, have suffered little or no nijuiy, are in nuns on Te Aio. The Colonial Hospital on Thomdon Flat is the exception ; that building does not appear to have had a chance of resisting any force, nearly approaching to that winch was lecently brought to beai against it, but that is a matter of opinion which it may not be proper for me to ventuie. Kveiy chimney in (he settlement is down 01 seriously jnjiuod, so much so as to lequiie being rebuilt, <>\cept one, viz. Capl. Robinson's house, at the back of Mi. BethuneA, Wellington t'Miace. Wm. Aliu.s, (Seigoant of Police.