EARTHQUAKE AREA.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20103, 5 December 1930, Page 6

EARTHQUAKE AREA.

WHAT TO SEE. INTERESTING HOLIDAY TOUR. No doubt many motorists will be anxious to visit the earthquake area on the West Coast during the forthcoming holiday period. For their benefit tho following description of a visit recently paid there by tho touring manager of tlio Auckland Automobile Association (Mr It. 15. Chainptaloup; is reprinted from the Official Bulletin of the Association: — The first signs of the disturbance arc noticed before reaching Murchison, but it is really between Murchison and Ivyell that tho most spectacular portions appear. Two Big Slips. Tho two big slips near Murchison are situated on the Maruia Valley road. The first, Holman's slip, is two miles up the river. Here a tumbled mass of iwk and soil were shaken iroin the far side of the river and covered the flat just below the road. A few boards are all that remain of the bottom half of a two-storeyed house, but the top storey, torn bodily from the bottom storey, remains intact a few hundred yards away, where it was heaved by the earthquake. The skeleton of a horse tt'ith the collar still round its neck is visible, and a hugs tree, twisted to matchwood, gives mute evidence of tho tremendous forces of Nature. This slip entirely dammed the river, but after 30 hours the water broke its way through and tho danger of flood whs relieved. Immediately under the scarred hill, on the far side of the river, many

acres of good farming land, together with the buildings and dwellings, lie buried under the debris. Beneath, the Debris. Further up the valley, about seven ipiles from Murehison, is tlie location of Gibson's slip. This was another tremendous upheaval, and a rock which is estimated to contain 7000 yards of material was thrown out of the hillside and landed on top of a house. It is interesting to note that the Maruia Valley road is part of the proposed Lewis Pass route between the East and AVest Coasts. For the trip through the Buller Gorge set the speedometer at zero at Murehison, and after about seven miles a scar on- the far side of the river indicates where the hillside came down and damming 'the river obliterated the road. This dam caused a great deal of anxiety, but after 19 hours the river broke its way through the slip. It was along this section of the Gqrge that part of the old road was regained by sluicing, an old fire engine being brought into commission. Within a quarter of a mile the rond crosses the Buller river over Sullivan's bridge. This structure is now actually 12 feet higher than before the earthquake, the whole of the country being lifted bodily. For the next two miles, every here and there, there are evidences of the earthquake, but at nine miles is the site of the old Newton school. On the side of the road is a mass of tumbled debris, which was the location of the school. A roadman who was working just outside the building saw the hills beginning to tremble, and he rushed into the school and escorted the children out . the back door. They barely escaped on to the grass playground when the whole hillside tumbled down, demolishing the school. 11l fact, a few of the last to leave were caught by the first rush of slush which swept over the road, but fortunately escaped without injury. Just a little further down the valley slabs of the old road surface can be seen in tuml#ed masses about 70 feet below the newly-constructed rond. At this point the whole hillside was shifted bodily downwards. The Main Fault. Now comes one of the most interesting features of the upheaval. Ten and a quarter miles from Murehison is the Main Fault, where the earth's surface cracked and one-half of the country was lifted 14 feet 9 inches above its old level. By standing on the Main Fault and looking across the river, a ecar will be seen running through the bush to the hill-top, and this continues through the valley beyond. The levels of the road have been preserved, and a stone parapet now protects a

ramp which has been K„iu lautt to provide traffic. The road level rl* " w « top of the stone DararL? 0 * «9 tbt the earthquake actually^^ ox the road which ia of tho parapet. Just a *** north of the Main « L . m concrete culvert bride# «.S *«M pie to was the uplift m'ty, Atfi tills bridge was unharmed fi? country was lifted up Ul f.!? M tin One mile further alone new bridge lias been WM&fcJ?!,? l4 l the Newton river. ThewSf®* "a the upper side of the new^Stf^? lßl old bridge VU away. When the through they had to cut /feS? j* tho face of the slip, Gorge Scenery Wot At 12 miles tho road nmr»i fl l'pears to be a hue® was caused by futig rinfcL bfe early mmjng dny«, Tliirteen miles from Mnrnl.W ,i P + i? al ° Cresk, l ßr?e SuSSiS Vl J lO /°A d WM ~«relyS& One of the most the Murchison-Lyell road' is terod at 18 mtfea. wher« Jacket slip blotted flirt a quarter miles o< roadway 401 r T ! l ,° IOUl 0U u e c °ntinue» flwwft t. Lvell, Which was once * hn~r&J town w th several th«aS7 ffi* tants, and on the are further evidence* el *£?'/*' quake Travelling {, thm fflwEaa through to Inangahna, tilt bJ!S being followed to Weßoort Although the earthquake havoc m the district, lLre« been sufficient damage reaHv uZr the splendid scenery of the fiX Gorge, and the eridenwr rf-fc turbance will now add inter®* taj£

Motorists in the United States fen paid nearly half a million doßui it motor spirit tax in one yean

The annual Julyvehicles registered GWJWWg' } vealed an ißfffeMS W ber of private Mrs, wbw» rStiirespondent. This i B . l ?'"L fUjr in the previow <* ereasa in registration# - 81,659. The total cars in Germany now of which 125,850 a'e y jJWSsJS'' Eoughiy, 40 per mfctfJMM, tered cars are of tSO.PJr a piston displacement ot "P about 1000 c.c. *£• •fflfffiV tion in Gemany year has bees Tt? ?HL. * accounts for thfl T*™ y motoring Iwtaf deelUwd it** 1 *