Appalling Scenes in Hastings

Horowhenua Chronicle, 4 February 1931, Page 8

Appalling Scenes in Hastings

EYE-WITNESS’S STORY. The scene in Hastings immediately following the shake was compared to the pictures of French towns following a heavy bombardment by Mr. G. H. Shepherdson, a commercial traveller, of Wellington, when speaking to a Times representative yesterday. Mr. Shepherdson said he had just completed his business in Hastings with a friend, and was enjpying a cup of tea at a tea-room near the Municipal Theatre when the shake occurred. It lasted for a considerable time, he said, and general alarm was added to by the sound of falling masonry and glass, while the air was full of dust. His companion, after some time, said; “This is enough for me,” and left the room. Mr. Shepherdson remained until after the tremor had ceased, by which time the tea-room was in a state of chaos, and when he went out into the street the scene which met his eyes was one of appalling desolation. EVERY BRICK BUILDING WRECKED. As far as he could see every brick building in the business centre was wrecked and Hcrctaunga street was a mass of fallen masonry under which wore buried many cars and lorries. Mr. Shepherdson said that ho wandered about to see if he could render any assistance and saw bodies of unfortunate victims being extricated from the ruins and one seriously injured man being helped out from under a pile of wreckage with a crowbar. To mention some of the well-known buildings now- a total wreck, Mr, Shepherdson said that the front of the Grand hotel had fallen out on to the street and ho heard that the back portion of the building had also collapsed. Roach’s comparatively new two-storcy building was nothing more than a shapeless mass of debris. He heard of four casualties in connection with the fall of this building. The General Post Office, a two-storeyed brick building had escaped fairly well, but the tower on the northern corner was down and the 80 foot coping from the building had fallen in one piece and was lying on the pavement as if it had been placed there. There was hardly a building left standing in the business centre and fires had broken out in. several places, the brigade’s operations being hampered by lack of water caused through the bursting of the mains. As he went along the streets buildings were still settling down and bricks were tumbling on to the road. NO PANIC. The ■ i rftvolter c.pjdd, not speak too hi.<;hlv • f the people 'of the stricken ti;.W ami although they had little'

warning of the terrible danger, there was no panic. Before leaving Hastings by car about noon, Mr. Shepherdson said ruznoutf had begun to come through that Napier was even in worse plight. On the way through to Dannevirke, there was ample evidence of the severity of the shake. A bridge on the main road just south of Hastings was in a heap at the bottom of the river-bed and they had to make a detour via the Maraekakaho road; the Opapa railway station was badly wrecked and a train with fires drawn was standing at the platform. The South mail train was held up at Takapati, and from what he saw of the lines, which were badly out of alignment in places, it would be days before the through service was restored. The main road was badly cracked in places and on the Sanatorium Hill the road had subsided, necessitating careful negotiation. In addition, the approach to a bridge had to be filled in before they could con-