BUILDINGS CRASH IN ALARMING ’QUAKE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 691, 17 June 1929, Page 1

BUILDINGS CRASH IN ALARMING ’QUAKE

part of wesport in ruins Loss of Life in Nelson Feared WIDESPREAD DAMAGE CAUSED Terrifying Experiences LOSS of life is feared following the wrecking of a powerhouse in the Nelson district by an earthquake which shook the greater part of New Zealand about 10.30 this morning. Felt merely as a mild tremor in Auckland, the ’quake was much more severe and damaging- in the South, reports indicating that Wellington and the northern portion of the South Island fared worst. In the capital, people rushed into the open air, and women screamed as the city rocked. Tragedy is feared in Nelson, where chimneys crashed down and buildings were twisted. Railway lines were twisted and large fissures opened in the ground at Glenhope in the centre of the Nelson Province. NO CHIMNEY STANDS IN WESTPORT WELLINGTON, Today. rE acting-secretary of the General Post Office at Wellington has received the following report in connection with the earthquake this morning, from the Chief Postmaster at Westport:— “Disastrous earthquake demolished the Post Office tower about 10.15 this morning. Other parts of the building collopsed. No one was injured. “The Public Works engineer considers building damaged beyond repair. “Much damage was done to property in the town and practically no chimneys are left standing. We are endeavouring to secure temporary premises. All communication lost.” This message was received by wireless. All normal communication to that district has been interrupted. There are also numerous interruptions to telegraph and telephone lines in the South Island, and at present it is not possible to obtain reports from some districts.

BELLS PEAL CATHEDRAL SPIRE SHIFTED CHRISTCHURCH ROCKED (Special to THE SVNJ CHRISTCHURCH, Today. Causing breaks in telephone and telegraph communications throughout Canterbury, a violent earthquake shock racked the province at 10.20 am. The shock was more serious than that which occurred on March 9. No Jamage was done at Arthur’s Pass. A shock occurred in Christchurch at 10.19, the tremor increasing in violence [or a minute, and then diminishing till 22J minutes past ten. The elect was a steady rolling, the absence of jerking saving the city from serious damage. Reports of damage in the city are coming to hand. The Cathedral spire rocked to the accompaniment of a clanging peal of bells, and the pinnacle has been shifted out of true. S'onework was dislodged on several buildings, including the Trinity Congregational Church, where cracks vere opened in the tower. At Hornby the engine of the Southbridge passenger train was forced off the rails, the cars themselves luckily not coming off. Power failures caused an abrupt cassation of tramway operations and the electric service on the Lyttelton line, while workshops fell silent. The sight while the earthquake 'asted was extraordinary. Massive buildings rolled, trees shook as in the grip of a strong wind. Pedestrians had difficulty in keeping their feet. Prom the doors of shops and offices came streams of employees anxious to reach the greater safety of the open streets. Cars and other vehicles standing at tie kerbings swung as far as they could.

A great fall of rock took place on the north side of Quail Island, in Lyttelton Harbour. What is estimated as 1,000 tons of rock crashed down the tace of a cliff into the sea with a roar that reverberated through the harbour.

The shock was very severe in some Parts of the country.

The damage in the city includes tw o smashed windows in Beath and Co.’s shop, cracks in several brick i buildings, the demolition of a brick Wa ll behind the Wellington Hotel, the ! bursting of a water-main in Manchester Street, and minor damage to Sables on the city churches. TRAGEDY FEARED POWER HOUSE WRECKED \ ALARM AT NELSON > Press Association NELSON, Today. -Ison experienced the most alarmand severest earthquake in its —-story at 10.30 this morning. Chimneys are down, and many brick buildings are twisted and cracked. There are big fissures in the ground a * Glenhope, and the railway line is rW l?* ec * * n directions. The Takaka cement works powerbouse crashed, and loss of life is feared.

Chimneys were wrecked, and the *oad cracked, at Takaka.

The centre of the city was badly hit, the noise of falling brigks, the crash of plate-glass, and the screams of hysterical women and girls as they rushed into the streets from the swaying buildings made up a scene never to be forgotten. The Masonic Hotel buildings perhaps suffered the most, portions of the brick partition walls crashed down as well as chimneys, one of the latter scattering over the roadway in Hardy Street and narrowly missing passersby. Boon’s pharmacy, adjoining, was badly damaged, the plate-glass windows being smashed to atoms, while a heavy concrete slab fell from the top of the buildings and made a dent se\ eral inches deep in the asphalt footpath. The stock of the shop was badly damaged. This can be said of other chemist shops and stores where breakable goods were in stocks. Cracks were made in the brick business premises of B. Trathen (draper). Hallenstein Bros, (clothiers), the Bank of New Zealand, the National Bank, and the Union Bank of Australasia. There were also heavy falls of plaster, particularly at the last-named premises.

Large numbers of windows in business premises were either pushed well out of plumb or shattered to pieces. There are very few business premises which were not damaged in some way. Rolls of tweed and other material were thrown from the shelves and scattered over the floor of various establishments. All the chimneys in Adam’s and Harley’s wooden building came tumbling down, while one of the right-of-ways was filled with bricks from the wall of Boon's pharmacy. At. Newman’s garage there was a heavy fall of plaster and the flagpole crashed into Hardy Street. THREE DISTINCT SHOCKS

MANY CHIMNEYS FALL I DAMAGE AT BLENHEIM Press Association BLENHEIM, Today, j This morning a slight earthquake was felt at 7.30 followed at 10.18 by the severest shock in the history of I Marlborough. It was very violent, i lasting a full minute. At 10.30 another small shake was I experienced. Telephone service is out of order. The damage is unascertainable. Numerous chimneys are down. At Dr. Bennett’s residence. Maxwell Road, a high chimney fell through the | Marseilles tiled roof on both sides of j the ridge. Plate glass windows at Dix’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 stocks in the shop. Two big chimney stacks of the Marlborough Brewery were demolished. At the height of the shake two horses attached to a wagon bolted i through the centre of the town. A by- | stander jumped on the wagon and assisted the driver to pull them up. I Chemists, grocers. hotels and crockery shops suffered severely ! through their goods being thrown off 1 the shelves. i Illustrating the severity of the shake, a large pot full of molten type- ! metal in the “Express” Office was so | severely shaken that its contents j splashed over the floor.

PANIC IN WANGANUI j TREMOR LASTS 15 MINUTES BUILDINGS SWAY VIOLENTLY Press Association WANGANUI, Today. A very severe earthquake was experienced here at 10.15 this morning, the direction being from north to south. The main shake lasted four minutes, but the tremor was felt fox’ fully 15 minutes. Considerable damage was done chimneys, hut details are unavailable. The telephone services are disorganised. The shake caused a panic, people rushing from the shops and houses; and a number of women fainted. Buildings swayed violently for some minutes. It was one of the worst shakes felt for many years here. For a considerable time after the shake a large number of people felt sick and unsteady on the legs. The main damage seems to be resti’icted to a number of chimneys being shaken down in various parts of the towix, cracks in the brick and concrete buildings and a few plate-glass windows broken. Fancy-goods shops report the most damage through articles being hurled from the shelves. Telephones were put out of geai- for some time. WELLINGTON ROCKED WOMEN SCREAM AND FAINT SOME BUILDINGS CRACKED Press Association WELLINGTON, Today. | Shortly after ten o’clock a prolonged earthquake shock was felt in Wellington, the whole town being rocked. Women screamed and fainted, and everywhere people ran out of shops and houses. Some buildings were cracked, and clocks stopped, but so far as is yet ascertained, no serious damage was done. RECORDING INSTRUMENTS DAMAGED The recording instruments at the Kelburn Observatory were thrown out of action by the earthquake, and clocks were stopped. No record of the shock can be obtained at present. Many telephones have been put out of commission by the earthquake. The post-office clock stopped and bells rang. The time was 10.19. A few minutes later a huge crowd gathered in Featherston Street, gazing up at the top of the National Bank building, and continued to increase till it numbered 1,000. The question appears to be whether the top of the building has gone out of alignment, or whether it was always as it now appears. A big crowd is also assembled outside a high building in Manners Street, under the impression apparently that it also has gone out of alignment.

RUSH TO STREET HAMILTON LIKE SHIP IN STORM BUILDINGS ROCK VIOLENTLY , (Pram Our Own Correspondent) HAMILTON, Today. Hundreds of people rushed into the streets when a severe earthquake oc- < urred at 10.22 this morning, which lasted over three minutes. While there were no sharp tremors a steady swaying movement caused buildings to rock alarmingly. Inmates of the offices on the top floor of Wesley Chambers describe the experience similar to being on a ship in a storm. Window frames bulged outwards under pressure, and although no extensive damage is reported, in some homes ornaments and crockery slid to the floor. Several schools were quickly emptied until the quake subsided. Reports of sickness following the visitation are rampant. Several clocks stopped in Victoria Street watchmakers’ shops. PAPATOETOE SHAKEN GOODS THROWN TO FLOOR A distinct earthquake was felt in Tapatoetoe and surrounding districts just about 10.20 today. No serious damage is reported, but windows and doors rattled in an alarming manner. Goods on the shelves of some of the business premises were thrown to the floor. In many instances water tanks were more than half emptied by the swaying motion. The shock lasted fully 20 seconds. CASES THROWN ACROSS FLOOR WaIUKU shops shaken (From Our Own Correspondent) WAIUKU. Today. Shortly after 10 o’clock this morning an earthquake shock was felt in Waiuku. Although not severe, it caused a good deal of shaking in the shops, in one of which packing-cases were thrown across the floor. The shock lasted fully half a minute, it was the first of any consequence felt in Waiuku for many years. SHARP SHOCK AT PUKEKOHEj (From Our Oicii Correspondent) PUKEKOHE,. Today. A sharp shock of earthquake was felt, at Pukekohe at 10.24 this morning. SEVERE AT CAMBRIDGE (From Our Own Correspondent) • CAMBRIDGE, Today. At 10.20 this morning residents were surprised by the most severe earthquake experienced for a long l ime. It lasted for fully Iwo minutes. The tremor appeared to be in waves. No damage is reported. CAVE PEOPLE HEADACHE TE KUITFS EXPERIENCE t CFrom Our Oxen Correspondent) TE KUITI, Today. Te Kuiti experienced an exceptional shock of earthquake at 10.25 this morning. Though no damage is reported, the shake was a severe one. Thick fog prevailed early this morning. Many people usually unaffected suffered severe headache and sickness during the tremor, which lasted 40 seconds. MORE HEAVE THAN SHOCK RAETIHI PECULIARITY (From Our Own Correspondent) RAETIHI, Today. One of the longest earthquake shocks ever experienced in this district was felt here at 10.20 this morn* ,n K* The shock lasted about a minute and was of a heaving nature rather than a shock. No serious damage is reported, though most people preferred to be out of doors. COMMUNICATIONS CUT Ali telephonic and telegraphic communication with the South Island, south of Nelson and Blenheim, has been interrupted as the result of a severe earthquake which, it is thought, has had its seat on the West oast of the South Island. Reports "® ve b eeu received that a severe shock was experienced at Westport. elegraphic communication with that "nice has been entirely cut off and no t-etails are available. IN OTHER CENTRES The wide area affected by the earthQ'lake is indicated by the following 1 ress Association messages: DAXNEVIRKE, Today. The longest and most severe earthquake experienced in Dannevirke for many years started about 10.21 this morning and lasted about three minutes. The oscillation was fairly ?.? v ®re and the rocking motion was being at sea. People vacated their places of business and watched them rocking perceptibly. Fortunately there was no Jerk and no damage has vet been rePQrted. PALMERSTON N, Today. An earthquake of unusual length and type occurred at 10.20 this morn-

ing. Buildings commenced to sway gently as the shock developed in intensity. It then lessened graduallv imtil, at the end of 45 seconds, the shake had finished, although trees were still swaying. The ground also had a perciptible movement. . Glocks were stopped, but no damage is reported owing to the absence of any violent oscillation. Workmen on the scaffolding and buildings climbed down and many people vacated homes and business premises. DAKGAVILLE, Today. A novel sensation for Dargaville in the way of an earthquake was felt here at 10.22 this morning. It lasted about half a minute. Residents of 50 years’ standing say that they only remember one other, in 1912. No damage was done, although all buildings over a wide area shook considerably. OTAKI, Today. An earthquake lasting some time occurred at 10.20 today. There was a big swaying motion, and electric machinery was put out of action. ROTORUA, Today. A slight earth tremor was felt at Rotorua at 10.20 today. There was a considerable disturbance on the Utahina Stream, two miles from the town, but no damage is reported. Taupo reports a mild shock lasting eight seconds. NEW PLYMOUTH, Today. The most prolonged and severe earthquake for many years shook New Plymouth and district for about three minutes, commencing at approximately 10.18 a.m. It began gently and Increased to a force which made the earth heave and buildings sway alarmingly. A number of chimneys fell and other minor damage was done. The direction was apparently from the South. Inglewood reports a similar experience, 10.17 being given as the time of the first tremor. Waitara was also severely shaken. MASTERTON, Today. An earthquake having a swaying motion and lasting two minutes was experienced at Masterton at 10. IS this morning. No damage was done, but much alarm was caused. Buildings rocked dangerously. TAURANGA, Today. An earthquake shock was felt here at 10.20 a.m. There was a prolonged gentle swaying movement, and the direction was apparently from southwest to north-east. CARTERTON, Today. A very long rotatory earthquake was felt, at, Carterton at 10.25 this morning. A slight tremor was first felt from south to north, changing from west to east, then imparting the effect of a floating island on a rough sea. This worked up to a fairly strong movement, gradually dying away. No damage was done. NAPIER, Today. At 10.20 this morning Napier experienced a prolonged rotating earthquake of several minutes’ duration, the effect being like the movement of a ship at sea. No damage is reported. Hanging electric lamps swung for fully five minutes afterwards. WOODVILLE, Today. An earthquake of fully one minute's duration occurred at Woodville at 10.20 this morning. The movement was of sustained violence, and buildings and motor-cars swayed to an fro. Residents rushed into the streets. No actual damage is reported. HASTINGS, Today. At 10.20 this morning a steady swinging earthquake from north-west to south-east was experienced, lasting about two minutes. The Post Office clock and ' some other large clocks stopped, and water swished over the rainway tanks. The top mast at the Post Office tower seemed to swing a foot on either side, and everything hanging swung to and fro for many minutes. People ran into the streets from shops and offices, more through curiosity than fear as the movement, was regular. No damage is reported. WHANGAREI. Today. A slight, earthquake tremor was reported this morning, approximately at the time a quake occurred in other parts of New Zealand. This is the first time such an incident has occurred in the North. WAIPUKURAU, Today. An exceptionally severe and prolonged earthquake shock was experienced at 10.19 this morning. No damage is reported. Many people left their homes and shops, rushing into streets. where the earth appeared to heave convulsively. Street lamps and trees swayed violently. MARTON, Today. A peculiar sensation was experienced about 10.20 today, when an earthquake rocked the buildings for over a minute. A very faint rumble was heard and the shaking was continuous. The ground seemed to roll like the deck of a ship in a slight swell. Shopkeepers and occupants of houses gathered on the streets. Telegraph poles and lamp-stands were swaying with a very perceptible movement, which appeared to be from west to east. Timaru and Oamaru report slight shocks, with no damage. At Dunedin the shock lasted only a few seconds. No damage was done but railway and street clocks stopped.—P.A.