HAVOC AT WESTPORT.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 142, 18 June 1929, Page 9

HAVOC AT WESTPORT.

BRICK BUILDINGS , DOWN. SCHOOL CHILD LOSES FOOT. OTHERS LUCKY TO ESCAPE. (By Radio. —Press Association.) WESTPORT, -Monday. The most disastrous earthquake in the history of the Buller 'occurred at about 10.30 this morning. Nearly evety brick building in Westport is down, and there is not a chimney standing. As lar as can be ascertained at present theiv is nobody seriously injured. A gin£'t the State school is reported to have had her foot cut off at the ankle, and a woman is said to have had both legs broken. No report is available from the mines, which are likely to have suffeied severely. Several shakes were felt during the night. The shake this morning started with a quiet undulation, and then gradually increased in intensity. With the buildings rocking, people rushed from the shops as bricks and mortar fell. With resounding crashes the fronts of buildings tumbled out and mingled with the screams of terrified women. It was a terrifying moment. As "soon as the shake started the employees of the post office rushed from the building, and a few seconds later the clock tower crashed into the front street. At lirst it was thought that one man had been caught in the building, but he appeared a few minutes later. Teacher and Pupil Imprisoned. Excellent work was done by the teachers of the State school in getting the children out. The children, instead of rushing about wildly, obeyed orders, and all escaped except the child already mentioned. In the corridor a huge piece of concrete, weighing about a. ton, fell and imprisoned a teacher, Miss Lorna Mumm, and a pupil. It took five men to lift it away, and both of them came out unscathed except for a few bruisss. Th shop of Mr. J. J. Lawson, next door to the Westport " Times" newspaper office, is a complete wreck. At first the plate-glass windows broke, and then, with a terrible crash, the brick and cement facade crashed on to the footpath. A great deal of damage was done at the hospital, but none of the patients was injured, although they are suffering severely from shock. The Albion Hotel, also a brick building, was severely damaged. Railway Lines Twisted. The 90ft floodlight towers on the wharf, although severely shaken, are still standing. The wharf itself is badly warped and the railway lines twisted. At 11.30 a.m. another severe shock was experienced, which brought down more plaster and concrete.

The business of the town is completely disorganised, and it will be several days before anything like usual conditions cau prevail. A fissure is reported to have opened up in one of the back streets of the town.