QUAKE DAMAGE

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14041, 17 December 1938, Page 5

QUAKE DAMAGE

TRAIN CREW’S ORDEAL

TANKS AND CHIMNEYS BROUGHT TOWN.

Electric Telegraph—Press Association HASTINGS, December 16.

Last night’s earthquake was apparently more vi>ien- in. the Wuipukurau and about 30 miles south-east of Waipukurau, than anywhere else in the Hawke’s Bay area. At many homesteads, water tanks were toppled from their stands and chimneys collapsed; instances of breakages of bou&eliold crockery and ornaments are numerous, and more than one radio-receiving set was capsized An extraordinary feature of the earthquake in the Porangaha.u district was that it was not uniformly violent over the whole area. There were cases of considerable damage at some homesteads, and others close by almost escaped. Air C. J. O’Reilly, AJangaorapa, said to-night that liis Homestead was practically undamaged, but a homestead barely two miles away lost all its chimneys. Half a mile farther along the road another homestead escaped damage, but at a. house about two miles and a half to the west all the water tanks burst and chimneys collapsed as well. (TiIAINEIYS BROUGHT DoAVN.

At Arlington Station, which is only 10 miles from Waipukurau toward the coast, chimneys collapsed and water tanks were thrown from their stands. A good deal of damage is also reported from Hatuma,

The damage in the business area of Waipukurau is fairly heavy. Sn a large grocery store it was very extensive and the premises could not be for business this morning.

In other shops the floors were Uttered with stock and broken glass. One chemist is a heavy loser through breakages. TRAIN CREW’S EXPERIENCE. The crew of a goods train travelling north had an unenviable experience. When the shake came the train was passing over the Kopua viaduct, which swayed alarmingly, causing the driver to apply the brakes and bring the train to a standstill. The viaduct and the railway bridges at both Waipukurau and Waipawa were examined tc-day, but they had not been damaged. EXAMPLE OF CALMNESS.

A splendid example of calmness in the face of danger was displayed by the girls of lou a College, Havelock North, at their annual breaking-op ceremony. When the shake came I he junior singing class was near the end of a bracket of four s ings. They continued to sing without ialtering and their example -lid much to allay the first signs of alarm among the audience. When the item ended the ( building was still svaving. but two ( girls appeared on the stage to play a pianoforte number. The calmness shown bv the girls was later commended by the Rev. S. C. Francis, who moved a. vote of thanks to them. Similar cci.lmness was shown by the pupils of the Hastings Convent School, who wore giving their annual concert to a. crowded audience in the Municipal Theatre. CHIMNEY FALLS INTO KITCHEN PALMERSTON jjL, Dec. 16. Further inquiries into last night’s earthquake damage in and around Palmerston North reveal that in no case was damage any more than of a minor nature. A fuice of seven <n tile llossi-Eorel scale was recorded on the seismograph at the sub-sta-tion of the Alana.watu-Oroua. Electric Power Board. Biiiinythorpe, In a few homes in the district ornaments were shaken, off mantelpieces and it is understood that the tops of several chimneys came down. In Albert Street. Palmerston North, a chimney fell through the roof of a house into the kitchen. The occupants were scared considerably, but apart from overhead damage little else wa s touched. In city shops cases have been reported of goods on shelves and on display being disarranged. One shop reported that some glass articles were smashed when they were knocked off fixtures on to the floor. Plaster fell from the walls and ceilings of rooms in several hotels. CENTRE THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN ON EAST COAST.

From reports received at the Dominion Observatory, Wellington, yesterday, it appears that the earthquake shock felt in Wellington and the- southern portion of the North Island on Thursday night had its centre somewhere in the vicinity of Porangahau, north of Cape Turnagain, on the East Coast. It was stated, however, that the true centre of the quake would not be determined till further reports wore received from subsidiary stations.

' Reports indicate that the quake was at its worst in the Porangahau legion, where the maximum intensity recorded was 8 on the RossiForel scale. This is just approaching destructive intensity, for 8 is defined as a very strong shock capable of bringing down chimneys and cracking walls in buildings. In the Porangahau area a number of chimneys were brought down.