CHIMNEY REPAIRS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29820, 12 May 1962, Page 18

CHIMNEY REPAIRS

Householders Warned

(From Our Own Reporter) GREYMOUTH, May 11.

The Town Clerk of Greymouth (Mr N. E. Clemens) has received word from Mr J. R. Bennett, secretary of the Earthquake and War Damage Commission, asking him to advise those persons who had been affected by Thursday’s earthquake not to be too hasty in making repairs to damaged chimneys or brickwork. Mr Bennett said he was having difficulty in making travel arrangements for the representative of the commission who is to visit the West Coast next week.

The Greymouth borough’s inspector of nuisances, Mr J. Guerin, said quite a number of chimneys had snapped off at roof level. He advised householders to inspect the whole chimney before rebuilding.

In many cases, he said, there would be cracks under the roof level and these could create a definite fire hazard. If fires resulted from this at a later date there would be no grounds for a claim from the commission. Householders should continue to use the chimneys as they were in the meantime if it was possible, Mr Guerin said.

Grey mouth’s chief fire officer, Mr J. W. Grant, cautioned residents against using fireplaces until they had ascertained whether there were any cracks in the chimneys. Poultry Farmer’s Loss One of the largest poultry farmers in the Greymouth district, Mr J. Steegh, of Paroa, was a substantial loser through the earthquake, no fewer than 420 dozen eggs being smashed. “Besides the loss of the eggs the hens may have been seriously affected during the jolts,” said Mr Steegh. “The birds were leaping high in the air and there were feathers everywhere.”