WESTPORT POST OFFICE DESTROYED.

Shannon News, 18 June 1929, Page 3

WESTPORT POST OFFICE DESTROYED.

' MUCH DAMAGE jTHROUGHOUT THE TOWN. REPORT RECEIVED BY WIRELESS WELLINGTON, This Day. The Acting-Secretary of the General Post Office/ Wellington, has received the following report'in connection with the earthquake this morning from th< Chief Postmaster, Westport:- ... . “A disastrous earthquake demolished the Post Office tower at 10.15 this morning, and other parts of the building collapsed. No one was injured. The Public' Works Engineer considers the building damaged beyond repair. “Much damage was done to property in the town, practically no , chimney being left standing. “Endeavouring to secure temporary premises. All communication lost." *

This message was received by wireless, all normal communication to that district being interrupted. U There were also numerous interrupt■ tions to the telegraph and telephone lines in the South Island,' and at present it is not possible to obtain reports from some districts.

MOST VIOLENT IN HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH. TELEPHONE SERVICE OUT OF ORDER. BLENHEIM. This Day. This morning a slight earthquake at 7.30 was followed at 10.18 by the severest shock in the history of Marlborough., It was violent, and lasted a full, minute. At 10.30 another but smaller shake was ex- , perienced. The telephone service is out of order, and the damage is not yet ascertainable.

BRICK WALL AND CHIMNEY STACKS DEMOLISHED.

HORSES HOLT WITH LORRY.

BLENHEIM (Later)

Numerous chimneys are down at Dr. Bennett’s residence,. Maxwell Roa’d. The high chimney fell through a Mar-seilles-tiled ioof on both sides of the ridge. _ ■ ' The plate-glass windows of uear s garage, Carr’s shop and M. McKenzie ’s shop were broken. A high brick wall adjoining the Friendly Societies’ .dispensary, fell through the skylight of the dispensary, doing considerable, damage to the stock in the shop. The two Dig chimney-stacks cf the •.Marlborough Brewery were demolished. :■ At thle height of the big shake, two horses attached! to a lorry bolted through the centre of the town. A .by-stander jumped.on the lorry and assisted the driver to puli them up. Chemists’, grocers’ iand crockery shops, and hotels, suffered severely .through goods being thrown off the shelves.

As illustrating the severity of the ■shake, a large pot full of molton typemetal in the Express office was so severely shaken that the contents splashed over the floor;

POWER HOUSE AT TAKAKA DESTROYED. % CRACKS IN ROAD. NELSON, This Day. The JTakaka Cement .Work"’ power-house crashed, and loss of life is feared. Chimneys were wrecked and the road cracked at Takaka. FACTORYSTAFF RUSH INTO STREETS. FORTY FEET Of’cJIIMNEY STACK FALLS. NELSON, This Day. Much excitement and alarm occurred at Griffin and Sons’ biscuit and confectionery works, consisting of large brick buildings at the corner of Nile Street East and Alton Street, The buildings shook alarmingly, and the .staff quickly made for the streets. There was no panic, but many of the .employeej were naturally veiy much upset. A large chimney-stack, over 00 feet high, snapped tff about 20 feet from the base, and bricks and ' mortar were .■.scattered in all directions. Luckily no -one was .hurt.