IN CARTERTON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 June 1942, Page 3

IN CARTERTON

DAMAGE IN ALL PARTS OF TOWN MANY BUILDINGS WRECKED. E.P.S. UNITS & SOLDIERS ON DUTY. The most severe earthquake for many years was experienced in Carterton and district last night when three very heavy shakes occurred. The first, at 8.16 o’clock, rocked buildings in an alarming manner. Many people were in the picture theatre when the first shake occurred, but though alarmed kept their seats. Residents in private homes made a hurried exit to safety. At 11.20 p.m. the worst shake of all occurred. Private homes, as well as business places, suffered severely. Chimneys are down in all directions and scarcely a home or business building has escaped. Plate glass windows in the business area crashed into the footpaths and the damage is enormous. The Post and Telegraph Office was badly damaged, the parapet on the eastern side of the structure crashing through the residential part of the building. The postmaster, his wife and a son, who sleft in the upstairs part of the building, made a, safe exit although Mr Pankhurst received a cut on a finger from a flying brick. The W.F.C.A. is very badly damaged and the building is said to be unsafe. The western wall of the P. and A. Society brick building collapsed. At the Brick and Tile Company’s works in Rutland Road a brick wall collapsed but the large chimney stacks remain standing. Mr C. Wong’s shop, opposite the Post Office, was seriously damaged. The proprietor, his wife and five children, yvho were sleeping in an upstairs room, had a narrow escape from serious injury. A large number of bricks disldoged from Krahagen’s building, crashed through the roof and just missed the whole family. Mr Wong received a slight cut on the forehead from a piece of brick. The whole of the E.P.S. units were quickly on duty and remained so till well after midnight, when squads of military police with lanterns took charge and remained on duty throughout the night. At 1.10 a.m. a further sharp shake occurred and slight ones continued at intervals till after 3 o'clock. The electric light failed and most places were in darkness, except for the use of torches and candles. So

unnerved were the people that most of them did not retire to rest and remained out of doors until daylight. The premises receiving most damage were those of the W.F.C.A., Kiltie and Co., Stifbbs and Co. and Lyndon Aplins Chemist shops. At Ward’s grocery store the whole of shelf contents were strewn on the floor and bottle and crockery broken. There is not a business building in the whole shopping area that has not been damaged. It was not until 9 o’clock that the whole of the Carterton electric power circuit was in working order. The front door of the Post Office has been closed but business is being dealt with in the letter box lobby. Business is at a standstill and shop assistants and the public are to be seen in the streets discussing the situation. At time of writing it is impossible to estimate the damage, but it must run into thousands of pounds. The school has been closed as a result of the earthquake. A fire at Ward’s shop was narrowly averted. The Soldiers’ Memorial in the park was damaged, the granite column being broken from its base and thrown on to. the grass. There is not a brick building in Carterton which has not been damaged.