NAPIER CONDITIONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 23 February 1931, Page 5

NAPIER CONDITIONS

HEAVY RAIN THIS MORNING MINOR EARTHQUAKE SHOCKS' (By Telegraph—Press Association) NAPIER. This Day. Exceptionally heavy rain fell for over an hour this morning, but conditions now (9.15 a.m.) are definitely clearing. The sea is calm and the wind westerly. The rain found many leaky roofs and those firms using partially wrecked premises were put to much inconvenience. There have been no maljor shocks since Sunday at 1.50 a.m., but a few minor shocks have been felt. The river problem is no worse, and with the return of sunshine conditions should again improve.

ALLEGED VICTIMISATION WAIPUKURAU, 21st February. The champion mean act perpetrated since the disaster was performed yesterday, A young man (his age is 22), a patient in the Waipukurau Public Hospital, .was granted permission to go into the town. Before leaving the institution he went round the ward and collected 25s 9d from the earthquakestricken patients, with which to make purchases for them. Man, the purchases, or the money never returned to the institution.

Many of the hospital patients have hardly any money.

BODY IDENTIFIED HASTINGS, 21st February. A body previously reported as unidentified has now been identified as that of Mrs Ellen Bohan, a widow, aged 58, of 415, Avenue road, West Hastings. A photograph of Mrs Bohan and her daughter Kathleen, previously reported dead, in the possession of a Hastings resident, led to the identification. Mother and daughter were shopping at Roach’s when tlie disaster happened.

TWO SEVERE SHAKES ALARM AT HASTINGS HASTINGS, 21st February. Two quite severe shocks were felt in Hastings, one at 2 a.m. and the other at 3.7 a.m. to-day. Though the first was rather alarming, neither was comparable in severity to the three big shocks that did all the damage. Loose parts of badly damaged buildings were shaken down, sleepers were awakened, and some alarm f*elt.

SHOCKS AT WAIPUKURAU WAIPUKURAU, 21st February. A 2 o’clock this morning a fairly severe earthquake occurred. It was the third most violent shock since 3rd February. The major one disturbed local citizens, and two others less severe followed at intervals. No fresh damage was done.

BRITISH DONATIONS (Received 21st February, 3 p.m.) LONDON, 20th February. The earthquake fund now totals £33,950. Barclay’s Bank gave £525, the Goldsmith’s Company £SOO, and Merchant Taylor’s Company £202.