THE NAPIER EARTHQUAKE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 3 February 1932, Page 6

THE NAPIER EARTHQUAKE.

.FIRST ANNIVERSARY TO-DAY.

A VISITOR’S IMPRESSIONS, To-day is the first anniversary of the Hawke’s Bay earthquake, which took place on February 3rd, ■1931, just /befiqre 11 o’clock in the morning—the biggest earthquake disaster in the history of New Zealand. Liberal response was made to the Prime Minister’s appeal for the relief of sufferers, over £381,000 being subscribed. Special thanksgiving services, to be held in Napier to-night will be broadcast from 2YA, Wellington. Mr Kenneth Aitken, of Levin, who recently paid a short visit to Napier, and knew it well in the days before the disaster, has kindly supplied a few impressions in the following article of the Hawke’s Bay capital as it appeared' to him last month. Let us look at Napier to-day—Febru-ary 3rd, 1932—exactly twelve months after that fateful and devastating earthquake. Strange though it may seem, one is somehow reminded of the saying, “See Naples!”—this is probably because for the past 12 mouths euslosity has compelled people to visit Napier from all parts of New Zealand. The visitors have found it rather difficult to describe their impressions except by the use of such words as “appalling,” “astounding” and “indescribable,” and the much used term, “like a shell-broken city of the great war.” But there is certainly something |miore —something deep down, — something that gives a heavy feeling about the heart —'Something that makes the mere writing of a few words seem a very feeble attempt to describe one’s feelings as he views the stricken city. The reason why one is left almost wordless and the scene really beggars description is rather difficult to define, But looking through the eyes of one who knew the old Napier well, mingled memories arise of carefree school days and happy sunshine in and around lovely Napier, and it is this feeling and reasoning that makes ( "Bne realise that it is the ghost that haunts one- ai! the time as you walk through the deserted and desolated area. It seems almost as though there should still be the people in the streets named Emerson, Hastings and Tennyson. All the time you seem to picture the different places \as they were; this ghost of former days seems to be always with you. Here you see a busy shopping centre, crowds of holiday buyers and all is bustlingly busy—or there agaxii is the carnival crowd on the famous Marine Parade. Bright lights, bands, merry-go-round, and children laughing and shouting with holiday delight. Now this bareness suddenly brings you back to the reality.- Oh! the apparent futility of effort! Why should it be so? Is it that Napier and nature are any closer interwoven than any other part of the world?- All the accumulated effort and striving and saying—all the energy and enthusiasm of a city of enterprising, industrious and energetic citizens crushed and broken - in a few minutes by forces beyond human control. A striking feature of a visit to Napier is the fact that there is a certain fascination for the visitor in roaming idly among the ruins of Hastings and Emerson streets, where there is sciarcely a soul, rather than mingle with the crowd of ordinary everyday folk in the newly-formed shopping area, where there is much activity. Business people \all report excellent business, more particularly is this so with the picture people and hotels. The Marino Parade, which was always famous for •its length as well as its beauty, has for the time being been shortened considerably liy the falling of the Bluff Hill. One remarkable incident in connection with the Bluff Hill was the curious warning given a short time before the shake when part of the hill came crushing down completely bury ing a motor car and its two occupant -1 . I 'The well-known Napier Thirty Thousand' Club have organised a section of the 1 unemployed and with subscribed funds and relief labour are now busily removing the spoil from the Bluff Hill slip to form a fairly large playing area on the top of the gravel beach. This playing area will later be sown in grass and will prove an added attraction to the Parade, being centrally .situated immediately in front of the Band Stand and the site of the Masonic Hotel. One fact that strikes the visitor immediately is that most of the vpry old buildings withstood the shock, while the more modern -structures have 1 gone. Another: peculiar feature is the •building .which' at a distance appears to be on closer inspection proves to be only a shell, the whole of the interior having entirely disappeared, leaving the four walls standing. And now to-day what is the outlook? Will Napier rise to the proud position she previously held as one of the outstanalinpr beauty spots as well as one of the most solid business cities in New Zealand?

Viewing Napier to-day, and considering that 12 months , have passed,, it is rather difficult to decide*. But the opinion is firmly and freely held that the new Napier will surpass the old, and considering the many new buildings now being planned for construction one can only conclude that such will be the case. On the other hand one hears much criticism of the administration, which of course is to be expected. On outward appearancjss it certainly looks as though perhaps more might have .been accomplished in the 12 months that have elapsed. It is, however, difficult to arrive at a ju t decision regarding the work of the Administration Committee. One hea-s so many conflicting opinions. One thing seems certain and that is that the work and achievements of the Commission should be made known. No doubt the commission has excellent reasons for being reticent in the matter. Nevertheless there is a feeling among the Ipeople. Finlly there is probably a good reason why the rebuilding on the old sites seems so long in starting, apart from the money as pect.