WELLINGTON IN DANGER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2978, 12 April 1911, Page 66

WELLINGTON IN DANGER.

,A SENSATIONAL WARNING. BAD EARTHQUAKE PREDICTED. (Feom Oub Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, April 6. A sensational prediction to the effect that the City of Wellington da in grave danger from seismic disturbance was made by Dr Malcolm M'Laren, the well-known geologist, of London, and more recently of Western Australia, in the course of an interview with a Herald leporter tonight. It will be remembered that about four years ago Dr M'Laren had something to say on the subject of the liability of Wellington to earthquakes. _ Reference was made to this by the interviewer, whereupon Dr M'Laren said: " It would appear that my warning has been disregarded, and that no serious effort has been made to render WelHngton as far as possible earthquake-prcof. I can only repeat that warning. Dr "Bell, the late Government Geologist, has lecently added the weight of his opinion to mine. There may yet be ample time to prepare for a severe earthquake shock. To build at all in Wellington is folly," continued the geologist. "To continue building in defiance of the well-known principles govex-ning the construction of earthquakeproof buildings is criminal. A severe earthquake may not come for 40 years. It may come to-morrow. That it will come is certain." Speaking as to r.dvisab'e precautions, Dr M'Laren went on to say: "In the course of 40 or 50 y'-ars a Dominion town is largely rebuilt, and the adoption of stringent regulations now will enable the capital city to offer the best possible resistance to the inevitable shocks. All new buildings in Wellington should be built on a reinforced concrete " float," and surrounded by an "area," while the superstructure should be es light as possible. General precautions might be taken from the ground at " fault" lines, and carried across them on suspension spans, and all surface water should be directed to surface water tables to keep the hill slopes as stable as possible and to avoid slips. But in earthquake-proof constructions the best of material is essential, and. construction will undoubtedly be costly." In conclvision, Dr M'Laren t.a'd: "It would be a terrible calamity for an earthquake to occur in Wellington at «uy time, "but ishould it .take place during wet weather it would be doubly appalling, since, under such conditions, serious slips would occur on all sides of the city, which, as is well-known, is surrounded by hills." -