TOWN HALL TOWER

Grey River Argus, 27 June 1929, Page 5

TOWN HALL TOWER

To Be Pulled Down , REPAIRS TO GREYMOUTH BUILDINGS. MORE DEFECTIVE CHIMNEYS DISCOVERED.

It will possibly be fully another ■ week before even an approximate estimate can be made of the total dam- ’ age to buildings in Greymouth resulting from the earthquake. In the mean > time almo t every brick s‘ructure is , being thoroughly examined in order to ascertain the exact nature of any damage it may have sustained. The necessity for such action, more especially insofar ag chimney pieces are concerned, arises from the fact that the insurance companies will not hold themselves liable for any risk /they ■ have previously undertaken, when chimneys are defective. During the la t few days many j residents who were formally under the impression that their dwellings had escaped dam i age, have now discovered that the ’ foundation of chimney stacks have ■ been undermined or other serious I structural damage has taken place; which had hVhefto passed unnoticed. Yesterday the Borough Engineer, Mr : A. J. Fairmaid, accompanied by Mr Manson, of the firm of F. and H. Luttrell (builders), and a couple of represen'ativc Greymouth building experts, made an inspection of the Town Hall structure in order to ascertain the extent of the ear.hquake damage, and to report to the necessary repairs. They discovered that the repairs need ed would be considerable. First of all. it was decided that the tower will have to be pulled down, as it now eon. stitu cs a danger, in consequence of the damage it has sustained during th,, past ten days. The walls of the Town . Hall, both on the eastern and western ends, were found to require strength ening, and means to effect this wi'i have to be provided. I. was al>,> found that all of the chimneys will

■'ar as the the bu iiT renev J sided flat )n in hi tion. 11 C ° k. L needetj will approach hi cost of £3OO, but thinks it may be possT fl to make that sum cover also some£J least/of the interior work required.! 1 Tie walls .in the wiip have been badly cracked, but >- is. Anticipated th:lt repairs can be ef fecled without structural alterations. It wAs at first that thq outer vail of tliig section of the building was out of plumb. Ijiul such has not poved to be the rise. An examination of the wall on 6he Albert Street side of the buihlingyias disclosed a deyiafiion 01 approximately one inc 1. It is not known, howerbr, .to what ex tent this may be duilto the earth

quake. 4 The damage to the Gtwmoufh Evening Star building, a eoimderable por-i tion of which has been rendered unsafe, is now estimated iat about £1,200. Pending the carqkng out of repairs, the jobbing dep.lament ha,s been removed to McKay’l Sampl.e Rooms, Mackay Street. 1 “It’s an ill wind that bh<s nobody good, and even the earthigake has been the means of conferring considerable benefit upon at leatt oi/x. institu tion, namely, the Greymouth Harbour Board. It is estimated that ®he big quake last Monday week, dklodged. about 100,000 tons of stone kt the Cobden quarry, and the , value lof labour and explosives such an undertaking is set down 100.