EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18283, 27 December 1922, Page 4

EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE.

NORTH CANTERBURY TOWNS CHAOS IN A HOSPITAL. TERRIFYING EXPERIENCES. BOMBARDED WITH BRICKS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTOHURCH. Tuesday Hardly any building in Waikari, 50 miles north of Christchurch, escaped damage as a result of tho earthquake, the extent of which is greater than that of tho Cheviot earthquake in 1901. With few exceptions, the chimneys in the town are down or damaged in some way. The greatest damage was done at tho hospital and the Anglican vicajage. There were only two patients in the hospital at the time —a woman suffering from a nervous breakdown and a baby a few months old. The matron and two other members of tho staff shared a terrifying experience. The hospital is a two-storeyed woodeD building, which was opened in September, 1920. It received a terrible shake, swaying from side to side. To this terrifying motion was added the noise of crashing chimneys falling on the roof, and bricks were scattered in all directions. The adult patient was in a room in the upper storey, and bricks from one of tho chimneys crashed on to the roof outside her window, breaking through by sheer weight into the operating theatre below and making a total wreck of it. Plaster work throughout the building was cracked, and large pieces broke away, crashing to the floors. The <roof above tho operating room looked as though it had been cut with a giant knife, so clean was the hole made by tumbling bricks. A number of doors were damaged, making it difficult to open them. r The matron was leaving the ground floor to go upstairs to the patients when the shock occurred, and she was thrown down by the violence of the earthquake. The troubles of the hospital were added to by the splitting of the concrete water tank, the escaping water flooding the ground outside the building. Another crack was left in the ground near the gate of the hospital, the fissure being 2yds. long and lin. wide. Wall of Vicarage Opens. The ricarage occupied by the Rev. F. R. Rawle and Mrs. Rawl© is a stout building erected about 45 years ago. It in in line with the hospital about 100 yds. away, and both buildings are on the side of a hill. The earthquake cracked the vicarage very badly, and the whole of tho west side broke tip, about 30 tons of stono toppling to the ground and leatving some of the rooms exposed. Mr. Rawle was away attending ai funeral, but Mrs. Rawle was in the building and had ai terrible experience. When tho wall fell she attempted to get out by a door leading to the lawn, but it was jammed, and she ha>i to uso another. Mr. Rawle, who was on his way home, saw the great cloud of dust thrown up by tho wrecked wall and thought the building web on fire. Old residents say that the earthquake was the worst ever felt i.u the Wadkari and Hawarden districts. Mr. Saundercock, of the Co-operative Stores at Hawarden, stated that hundreds of pounds worth of groceries and bottled goods were damaged, and it is considered that very few chimneys escaped. At Cheviot the shock web very severe, considerable damage being done to buildings and contents. One woman wap injured, being struck by a falling brick. Cheviot Suffers Badly. Anticipations that Cheviot would be one of the worst sufferers from the earthquakes were realised. Very few places escaped without some reminder of tho disturbance, and the damage is fairly extensive. Chimneys are practically all down or bound to come down. All private houses have suffered, and added to the structural dalmago there are heavy losses in crockery and household ornaments. The earthquake was felt at its worst on the alluvial flelt, hill land escapmg comparatively lightly. There were several narrow escapes from injury. One casualty is reported. A young lady wap struck on the head by a falling brick. Lady Campbell's residence is reported to be dam-' aged. A new ferro-concrete building being erected in Mackenzie township for Messrs. Dalgety and Co. stood very well, but a lot of plaster work was shaken loose. Cracks are visible in the road. Shops and their contents also suffered. The loc.'fl chemist, Mr. J. Rintonl, had to: clear his floor of debris by a; long-handled shovel. In some of the gardens apiaries were upset, much to the discomfiture of the bees.

Two small shocks were experienced this morning, but they did not add to the dafrnfcgo. In the opinion of some of the older residents, who experienced the 1901 earthquake, yestorday's shock was not so severe in Cheviot as tho one on that occasion. TELEGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN. COMMUNICATION RESTORED. [by telegraph.—press association.] CHKISTCHURCH. Tuesday. Most of the telegraph lines on the East Coast that went down during the earthquake have been repaired and messages are being sent through as usual, although there are two faults between Amberley and Waikari. Since 5 a.m. to-day there have been slight earth tremors in the Cheviot district. One was felt at Christchurch at 5 a.m. DAMAGE AT RANGIORA. HIGH SCHOOL SUFFERS. [BY TELEGRAPH. — P'tICSS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH. Tuesday. At Rangiora a chimney was displaced in the post office, and extensive cracks developed in the New High School buildings and the Presbyterian church. A glasshouse belonging to Mr. W. A. Row3e, of Rangiora, was greatly damaged, and a chimney fell on a bicycle. Tho total damage is estimated at £3000. MERE TREMOR IN DUNEDIN. [BT TttHta&AFH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] DUNEDIN. Tuesday. The earthquake was a mere tremor | here.