EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21296, 24 September 1932, Page 11

EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE

HOSPITAL AT GISBORNE , REPAIRS AMD PRECAUTIONS COST OF OVER £SOOO INVOLVED REPORT BY 'ARCHITECT [BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION] GISBORNE, Friday A special meeting of the Cook. Hospital Board was held to-day to consider tho report of Mr. C. S. Allen, of Wellington, architect to the Department of Health, on damage caused to the hospital by the. recent earthquake. The report stated that, as a . result of the earthquake, Mr. Allen considered the expenditure of between £SOOO and £6OOO necessary in connection with the hospital. The main portion of this sum would be for precautionary measures. Altogether, 35 chimneys would need to be replaced, many having come down in the earthquake and others being in such a dangerous condition that they had been pulled down since. In No. 3 ward, which is the women';; ward, the west wall was badly cracked throughout its length and there were minor cracks in other parts of the buildings. In regard to No. 3 ward, the open terandah through not being attached to the roof had acted as *a battering ram against the. walls and was mainly responsible for the damage. V j The remaining four wards were pracj tically undamaged,- continued the report, but in the event of another earthquake might suffer similar damage, hence the necessity for strengthening these parts of the building. " Mr. Allen recommended that repairs to No. 3 ward be proceeded with immediately. Since the earthquake this ward had- been evacuated, as it is at present unsafe for occupation. Mr. Allen also outlined various precautions in connection with the other four wards. The board resolved to take immediate j steps to repair the damage in No. 3 ward. Unemployed labour will be' utilised as much as possible. Regarding the 'precautionary measures in other wards, it was decided to cpll tenders for the work as soon as finance could be arranged. The board also decided to send full details of the pbsition to the Health . Department and-ask for an immediate grant toward tho rehabilitation work. ' " PLIGHT OF SETTLERS WIDESPREAD DAMAGE WAIROA COUNTY AREAS [by telegraph—OWN correspondent]' GISBORNE, Friday The chairman of the Wairoa County ' Council, Mr. A. G. Nolan, states that the worst damage by the earthquake has now been located in the county. ." To the layman," he said, "it looks" as if the centre of the disturbance was off Whakaki and Tuhara, taking a distinct line , through Tuhara', Waiatai, Clydebank, Mangapoike, Opouiti, Te Reinga, Ruaki- » turi and Tiniroto. The damage done to . settlers' homes, land and fences ha,s been s very great in these localities, and spread to surrounding localities such as N'uhaka, • where practically all chimneys, tanks and a, large amount of household crockery has been broken or damaged. " The farmers were in a precarious position before the earthquake and many ara now facing ruin unless assistance can be 5 granted to thein. Roads and bridges in the localities mentioned have suffered severely, but, owing to the Minister of Employment making available all unemployed labour in the district to clear slips and other work, it is hoped to at 0 least have a track into settlers' holdings f in the near future." - -

The repairing or - renewing of bridges will be a considerable item and it will be ( necessary for the county to receive monetary assistance in order to repair bridges. Owing to the general conditions of the farming community- the county council has not been able to collect its rates, and, therefore, has not funds to restore this earthquake damage. Data is being collected by the county council as to individual damage suffered by settlers and probably in afefweek a definite idea will be arrived at "Ms to the extent of the damage done. In the meantime, those settlers whose houses are wrecked are living in tents or temporary premises and endeavouring to carry on. A GREAT EARTH FOLD FAULT AREA ADJUSTMENT OPINION OF GEOLOGIST According to Dr. J. Henderson, Director of the Geological Survey, the recent earthquake on the East Coast indicates that the great, north-north-east-striking earth fold which stretches through the whole of the South Island, the eastern part of the North Island, and some 1600 miles across the floor of-the Pacific Ocean, is still growing. The. last earthquake and the foreshocks on the preceding day seem to be definitely connected, he thinks, with the Raukuamara section of the fold. "The relieving of the stresses in the Hawke s Bay region,'" he said, "probably increased the pressure in the adjacent area to the north; hence the present adjustments. Dr. Adams' preliminary determinations place the initial movement out to sea off Waipiro, or Open, Bay, but the earthquake was most violent about Gisborna and Wairoa. This suggests that the movement extended south along a fracturezone and was greatest 60 to 90 miles south of Waipiro Bay. Possibly, of course, the shock from near Waipiro caused an unstable block in the Hawke's' Bay area to move. "Probably the principal, movement has now taken place, but the equiliorium of the whole system of earth blocks has been disturbed, and after-shocks, produced byminor adjustments, win 'continue for months. The mapping of the epicentres of these may give some indication of the course of the faults on the sea-floor or on the land. "As is usual, the greatest material damage seems to have been to buildings erected on alluvium near river channels. Wherever such ground is unsupported, standing at the angle of repose for_ the material and the existing conditions, earthquakes open fissures and bring abont slumps. In the Napier flats fissures paralleled the river channels, and wens particularly noticeable along the Tutaekuri at Napier. There at some points tha ground moved toward the river channel as much as twelvo feet in a few chains, displacing houses and rupturing sewer and water pipes." FUNDS FOB BELIEF PRIME MINISTER'S LIST The' Prime Minister acknowledges the receipt of the following donations toward the earthquake relief fund: 6 d Sir .Michael and ©•» . Mr.. and Mrs. D. A. Aiken t (Wei o, 0 s L. O- H. 2fO B V . Mr. Hubert(Weffiiurtoa)