VIOLENT EARTHQUAKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20491, 17 February 1930, Page 10

VIOLENT EARTHQUAKE.

HOMESTEAD DAMAGED.;

TWO SEVERE SHOCKS FELT.

"LUCKY TO BE ALIVE."

The homestead of Tatuane sheep station, at Herbertville,, 60 miles from Dannevirke, was extensively damaged by the earthquake on Wednesday. There were only three persons in the house, which is of three storeys, when the shocks occurred, and being on the ground floor, escaped without injury. The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Herrick, were both away from home, while other members of the household staff and three children were picnicking on the beach. A graphic account of their experiences has been received from Miss Evelyn D. Miles, who wrote as follows on Thursday:—

Miss King, the <i,hree children and I, had been for a tea picnic on the beach. About 6 p.m I left the others and started to walk home by myßelf. When I was about a-quarter of a mile as the crow flies from the homestead, I noticed a number of cattle huddled together across the road. iWhilo I was still wondering why they were crowding together, the ground moved under me and nearly threw me off my ieet. At the same time the fences shook and rattled as if giant hands were shaking them in fury. I was bo terrified that I heard no noise, though Miss King and the children, who were still on the beach, afterwards said they heard crash after crash.

Sickening Crashes Heard. I looked over the paddocks at the house as soon as I could.think, and saw what looked like a mat fall from the upper windows. I have found out since that it was a chimney. A mob of sheep tore wildly across a paddock in front of me, all in the same direction, just as if dogs were chasing them. I walked on toward the house for two or three minutes, but it seemed ages, looking back for the car with the others. Just as I was thinking I would go back and see if they were all right, I saw the car coming, and at the same moment, there was another big shock, and T could hear sickening crashes in the house. When the car picked me up we came on to the homestead.

Bridge Over Itiver Bulged.

Miss King, who was driving the car, said that she and the children were standing on the beach and were in the act of gathering up the picnic things when they were thrown violently together. At the same time the bridge over the Tautane River, which enters the sea just there, creaked horribly and bulged in the centre so much that they thought the middle span would burst, and the water of the river swished all over the banks. They could hear the repeated crashes at the house so distinctly that the children were in despair, thinking their home was in ruins. But they were wonderfully brave, and cheered up as soon as they saw that the house was still standing.

Destruction and Disorder.

When we got home, what a scene of desolation met our eyes! Chimneys down, spouting torn oS the roof, pipes burst and water pouring out, cupboards gaping open and pouring their contents, liquid -and solid, breakable and unbreakablo, in one horrid mess. And china everywhere! The fixed bookcases had hurled books into chairs, on sofas and on the floor in heaps. The movable ones had crashed and scattered books everywhere as they fell. Stairs and floors were strewn with plaster, and everywhere was the utmost confusion. The rooms with fireplaces suffered worst, because in addition to everything else, they were covered in soot. In my room the colour of the carpet was unrecognisable and everything in the room is covered in an inky pall. A drawer which I had left half au inch open did not escape, and its white contents have a border of deep mourning. In all the bedrooms the beds were thrown out of places; two parallel beds were at an angle of 45 degrees to each other; my own bed \vas thrown half across the room. Pictures are torn off the walls or left hanging at rakish angles. The electric light plant is ruined and the batteries smashed. Last night no one slept in the house. We made up our beds on the lawns. Danger ol Fire Averted.

When the chimneys came down, Mr. and Mrs. Castle, who were charge of the house, had the presence of. mind to put out the kitchen fire -at once, and they thus undoubtedly averted the danger of fire. They had a terrifying experience. Mrs. Castle tells me that she and her husband and Miss Crichton were looking out of the windows watching for Mr. Herrick, who was due to return from Napier that evening. The 'violence of the earthquake was so great that although they were actually in tho dining room when it happened, they had the greatest difficulty in getting out of the windows. Each time they tried to do so the shaking of the house simply threw them ])ack. But they got out, and immediately the first shock was over, they ventured into the kitchen and poured water over the fire. They then went upstairs to see what damage had been done, but tho next shock brought them down in a hurry. By that time we had come home, and when we compared notes our only feeling was that of the utmost thankfulness. * • •

Things might have been so very much worse. In tho ordinary way, at 6 p.m., I am,usually in the schoolroom .(third storey), preparing the next, day's lessons, and the children are playing on" tho verandah on which the chimney fell. The picnic saved us, And one has only to look at the bedrooms to imagine what our plight would have been had the earthquake happened in the night. ' With no light, no heat, no water and wreckage all round us, we are not exactly to bo envied, but it really does not matter, We are just lucky to be alive.