The New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1923. THE LESSON OF JAPAN

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11660, 26 October 1923, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1923. THE LESSON OF JAPAN

The need for learning fully the leseon Of the Yokohama earthquake ie urgent. It is futile to conclude that, because no earthquake has done any such damage as belongs to the worst class of earthquakes, New Zealand may regard as negligible any possibility of major danger. The governing fact is that New Zealand ie a land of earthquakes. The number of these recorded, though many have not been felt except by the seismographic instruments, now amounts to about 2000. Their sources have been located in five principal groups. Most of them have been of minor character, but it would be a serious mistake to suppose that none have been of the worst class. The Rossi-Forel scale of earthquake intensities is divided into ten degrees. The tenth degree is defined as ' ‘shock of extreme intensity: great disaster, buildings ruined, disturbance of strata, fissures in the ground, rock falls from mountains.*’ Two of the New Zealand record of 2000, those of 1848, tho nrst in the recorded experience of our time —one shake before it was that recorded by Captain Furneaux, on May 11th, 1773—and 1855 were of the tenth class, by reason of damage to buildings and disturbance of strata. This disturbance in the shake of 1855 heaved the ground in the neighbourhood of Wellington up five feet, and in the neighbourhood of Cape Palliser nine feet. Had there been in either place at that time a great oity like Tokio or Yokohama, these shakes would have taken their place amongst the most sonsational fh history. Most of the others of our series rank in the second and third classes of intensaty. But two—those of 1921 and 1922 —supplied examples of the eighth class—“very strong shook, overthrow of movable objects, fall of chimneys, cracks in walls of buildings.” The Cheviot ’quake of 1901 seems to have reached the ninth class—“extremely strong shock, with partial and total destruction of buildings.” Had the little town of Cheviot been a big city, there would have been a great record of disaster. As to tho destruction of life in our 75 years of record, the general impression that thero was none is incorrect, for seven deaths have been recorded —three in 1848, killed by the fall of a wall; one in 1855, killed by the fall of a chimney; a child killed at Cheviot in 1901 ; a Maori at Masterton in 1913, killed by the fall of material from the post office; and a shepherd killed at Gisborne in 1914. The main point is, of course, that tho highest degree of intensity, has been reaahed in two instances, and

very nearty' reached in a third, in 75 years. Obviously, at any moment a repetition of this intensity may occur unexpectedly. Without worrying too much about the point, it is necessary to realise the necessity for taking precautions : (T) By building according to earthquake experience; and (2) providing reservoirs of water to be drawn upon in case of earthquake damage to water supply. The point, as we have shown on a former occasion, is that a great earthquake which shakes down a city is followed by a great conflagration, which cannot be checked, because the shake has destroyed the waterpipes. The consequences to a great city of the stoppage for any time of the water supply are almost- beyond the reach of imagination. How much worse must it be when general devastation is added, goes without saying.

In the United States of America the Government collects all possible information about earthquakes, and after c-ach sends expert officers to report on all the circumstances and conditions. In Japan it is the same, only that the officers are dispatched on such occasions to all centres of damage outside as well as inside of their own country. A good deal of information about the fate of various buildings of many styles is thus collected, and in the States in some towns—San Francisco, for example—reservoirs of considerable capacity have been installed to be used in emergencies. Now, it is beyond question that New Zealand is' an earthquake country, liable to the worst consequences, the conditions for which have been actually reached, though the possibility of damage was limited by the absence of population in the worst cases, and in others by the brevity cf the period of intensity. Prudence requires the adoption of the American and Japanese practice of sending experts to study tlio conditions of disaster on the spot. In Japan there is abundant information to -be had for the seeking. There is also much information on record, perusal of which would be very helpful. For instance, an earthquake shook the great Maranuchi building, a steel structure, while in course of erection, and revealed defects in the design, which were promptly remedied. Has that great building survived the great earthquake? If so, what is the secret of construction that preserved it? . The study of that episode at first-hand would be invaluable to the expert mind commissioned to do the study and privileged to get close to the facts. The same can be said ot the many styles of building in practice at Yokohama before the earthquake, and of how they fared during the visitation. About the prevention against the cutting off of the water supply at the moment of greatest need, nothing more is required than realisation of the fact that the supply failed in face of the most awful of all possible conflagrations. Our municipal authorities can realise that, and should prepare their resources accordingly. It will he expensive, but the great loss from conflagration will be very much more expeasive, especially in the face of the fact that legally it is contended that such a conflagration being in the category of "acts of God,” insurance money is not available for recompense and restitution. For the building lessons, the case for sending a commission to investigate is irrefragable. Such a great visitation as has befallen Japan may befall us at any moment. It is common prudence to prepare the best possible building against it. The information is immensely abundant at Tokio and Yokohama. Let us send the right people to collect it, and give our builders direction accordingly.