Severe Earthquake

Hutt News, Volume 16, Issue 5, 1 July 1942, Page 5

Severe Earthquake

j One ol' ihe most severe earthquakes for many >< a; s u expericiieed ill Wellington <■ i t >'.nd (lie [lull. Valley at lI.IS last. Wednesday evening. Aithou::h these districts were badly .shaken they suffered (o a much less extent I ban t !ii• Wairarapa where very extensive damage was done lo properly. Although many people su I'l'eied from shock, no one appears to have been seriously injured but many narrow escapes ha. v.* been recorded. The shock was felt for a minule and a half but its violence died down al'U'i aboui. !'h seconds. although in that time a good deal of damage was done lo property, mainly in Ihe nature of shops and domestic chimneys. Tii" district was plunged into darkness but thanks to tin: prompt action and efficiency of the llutt. Valley Power Hoard the [tower was restored in a very short space of lime. it is< fortunate that the shock occurred when few people wore about tlie streets, otherwise the consequences would undoubtedly have been more serious.

]n High Street several business houses suffered considerable loss. At Carey's Building a heavy parapet fell through the verandah completely blocking" the footpath and destroying the plale glass window. Liebezeits. next door, suffered considerable loss through crockery being thrown from the shelves in all directions. The northern wall of Shearer's Buildings partly collapsed and fell into the right-of-way. The windows of the Railway Bus 1 Oflice at the corner of Pretoria and High St. collapsed into the street. Several other shop windows in the centre of the town were either destroyed or cracked. The most .serious damage of a public nature is a subsidence of from two to six inches in the western approach to the pipe bridge. Opposite ihe building of Lever I»ros., Ltd. the road is .cracked across its entire width, and the portion eastward of this lias subsided as far as the ramp rising up to the bridge. At the point, where the crack appears, a '.Much gas main, which is carried on file bridge, cracked and allowed the gas to escape.. This

wiii only slightly effect the gas implily on th(; east side, as there is an alternative supply elsewhere. Although a portion or the roa.fl omy wa?.' roped off traffic was still allowed. tracks however wort.' visible on each side of the subsidence, which reached six inches at the foot of Liic bridge ramp. A. Aery slight Sll bsideuce "took place at. the eastern approach to the Waiwhetu bridge in Seaview Road. (irocers and chemists w;o;:e, .particularly lieavy losers J'roin the quake, i)ot t les being thrown from their shelve;-! pro-sen ted un forget table sight, as thoir content* littered the floor. A special meeting of. ilie ijiiy Council was held on I''i;ut|vy'. morning to discuss questions iv.fui ins to the damage; caused by bhd earthquake. •The Mayor, Mr. .1. \\". Andrews,'-,j'of>oi'ted that the clock tower on--'the post ollice was unsafe and would have to be demolished. Arrangemenis had been made for the removal and storage of the clock which is- the property of the City Council. An appeal had been made for the return of the men who had been working on the new post office and if that work were recommenced the staff would be able to occupy tlie new building in three months. A .statement was expected from the Prime Minister dealing with tlie question of financial assistance and (.he making available of labour and materials. Councilor H. S. Dudding said lie ; estimated that f>s per cent of the 1 chimneys were damaged. Members of the E.l'.S. were called upon for assistance and during the week-end rendered most. valuable assistance by patroling their respective areas and cauing on house- ■ holders to ascertain where damage had been suffered. The Demolition ■ section of tlie Works unit and the E.F.S. rendered yoeman service on Sunday when they demolished some ■ 250 chimneys considered to be dan- ■ gerous to public safety.