EARTHQUAKE-PROOF BUILDINGS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 88, 15 April 1911, Page 9

EARTHQUAKE-PROOF BUILDINGS.

1O TH2 KDITOH. Sii, — I see by our local papers that a geologist has drawn the attention of tho Wellington people lo tho danger from earthquakes, und the necessity of building to as to lessen liability to damage from them. I have tor years beeu urging the same matter, but so far with little result, owing to tho difficulty of getting tho proper material. Ever sinco 1841 violent shocks have occurred regularly at intervals of about seven years. In 1855 the brick church at Patild, of which the walls were only Bft high and were built with good mortar, made from shell lime burnt for tho purpose, was co utterly destroyed that hardly two bricks wore left sticking together. Building with an iron framework enclosed in concreto is a great improvej ment, but is not satisfactory, because it is I too heavy, and it is tho weight which does

the mischief. The concrete should be made with pumice, of which there aro mountains beside tho central railway, and which could bo carried to Wellington at trifling cost, because it is scarcely heavier than cork. Such concrete is less than a quarter as heavy as gravel concrete, and of course much less liable to injury from a shake. It is also an almost perfect nonconductor of heat, which is a further advantage. I wonder some of the Wellington architects have not taken tho matter up before this, but possibly they were not aware how easily pumico could bo obtained. It has long been used as tho best material for filling the spaces between the weather boarding and lining of freezing chambers, because of its non-conducrting properties. As nature has supplied us with the vory best material for building in this earthquake country, it is the height of folly not to mstke use of it. — I am, etc., AN OLD WANGANUI, SETTLER. Wanganui, Bth April, 1911.