AN ANXIOUS NIGHT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21743, 7 March 1934, Page 10

AN ANXIOUS NIGHT

DANNEVIRKE SHAKEN MANY BUILDINGS DAMAGED HEAVY LOSS IN C6ASTAL AREA BREAKAGES IN HOMES [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT! DANNEVIRKE, Tuesday An anxious night was spent by residents of Dannevirke. Structural dam-, age in tho town was widespread and tho lemscs in the town and district may amount to many thousands of pounds. No loss of life or serious injury occurred. The building which suffered most was tho Town Hall, tho front being badly cracked in places. Tho Do Luxe Theatre lost the parapets from along both its side walls, some portions falling on tho roofs of other buildings, and some to the ground. Most of the structural damage was confined to buildings in tho business area. The various bank premises suffered to some extent, the parapet of the National Bank falling into tho Post Oflico square. Internally there was damage to the upper portion. The Commercial Bank, which conducts its busi-. ness on tho opposite side of the street, lost the top portion of its southern wall, some of the debris smashing the ceiling of. tho manager's office and falling on to the furniture.

Tons o 1 Debris Crash The Dannevirke Evening News .building lost its heavy parapet, several tons of which crashed on to the footpath. Tho De Luxe Ballroom, situated in Upper Gordon Street, had its parapet dislodged. It crashed through the wide promenade balcony to the footpath. Carpenter's boot shop, ono of the old brick buildings in the main street, was badly damaged in tho upper portion and appears to be in a dangerous condition. The shop occupied by Mr. P. Englebretsen, draper, was severely damaged when the parapet fell inwards, the drapery being covered with debris and the fittings broken. The top portion of Mr. B. Richards' new butchery shop came away, carrying with it a verandah.

Cracks are showing in other structures. Many plate glass windows have been broken or cracked and a fair amount of loss has occurred in shops through stock breakages. The. public hospital lost its chimneys, but otherwise was undamaged. 'The patients came through the trying ordeal admirably. The high school and convent, both brick buildings, show no sign of injury.

The damage to houses consists mostly of the loss of chimneys or displacements. In some instances sanitary systems have been dislocated and hot water services put out of action. Probably about 200 chimneys are actually down in Dannevirke, but others may need reconditioning.

Settlers' Homes Suffer The damage to the north of Dannevirke did not extend beyond Norsewood, and in that direction was confined principally to chimneys and household articles. The settlements toward the East Coast—Weber, Ti Tree Point, Wimbleelon, Waimiro, Herbertville and Makuri—all report very alarming experiences. Heavy loss is reported in most homes, while comparatively few chimneys remain standing. Water tanks were wrenched from their stands and some of the houses were structurally damaged. Slips occurred in various places. In some parts fissures opened in the roads but, with the exception of tho Makuri Gorge, all roads were open for traffic to-day.

FOXTON SUFFERS WHARF AND RAILWAY YARDS BLOWHOLES ON RIVER FLAT fuy TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] PALMERSTON NORTH, Tuesday At Fox ton the business area suffered considerably. The footpaths were covered with broken glass, scarcely a shop window escaping damage. Many were not broken, but the frames were sprung and the plate-glass was made unsafe. All the hotels suffered considerable losses, the storeroom of Whyte's hotel being littered with broken bottles. The most serious damage was to the Town Hall. The top portion at the rear of this brick and concrete structure cracked and crumpled right across about 6ft. from the top. It may have to come down.

In practically every home in Fox ton damage was done. Pictures and ornaments were hurled to tlio floor and crockery was broken. Sovere damage was done on the Foxton Wharf and in the railway yards. The railway goods shed dropped about a foot on the west side. Cracks opened up for a considerable distance along tho wharf frontage. Tho railway line in places has been left 2ft. in the air, due to the ground subsiding. Pieces of rail have been broken and snapped clean off.

On tho river flat at Manawatu Heads blowholes occurred in several places, sand being blown up out of small craters, probably due to the water be-neath-being forced up. The old river flat is unsafe at present for vehicular traffic. . One ear becamo bogged this morning.

Campers experienced an unenviable time. Within a few seconds water covered the flat and they had to seek shelter on the Point Hills, where they remained for the rest of the night. The water receded after the shake, but left the ground very soft. It is estimated that the river flat dropped about Gin.

INTENSITY OF MOTION EFFECT IN CARTERTON [BY TBLISGItAPH-r—ritESS ASSOCIATION] » CARTERTON, Tuesday The earthquake which was felt at 11.49 lust night was the most severe experienced at Carterton since 1904. It commenced lightly and worked up to a great intensity and movement, first slightly undulating, then rotary- and up and down. • * ' The goods in several shops were thrown from the shelves, and the. chimneys of a number of private houses wore damaged, but no serious losses woto reported. In Grey town, Featherston and Martinborough there wore many fallen chimneys.

•The worst damage, besides that to chimneys, was to hot water cisterns, from which water was thrpwn out, spoiling ceilings and wall papors. .. (

CAR STRUCK BY SLIP OCCUPANTS NOT INJURED [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] WANGANUI, Tuesday

A Wanganui taxi-driver had an exciting experience when returning from Upokongaro with some friends. A portion of a bank on the roadside fell as the car was passing and struck the rear of the vehicle. Some darnago was done to the car, hut no one was hurt.