TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 40, 22 June 1929, Page 5

TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE

AT LIGHTHOUSE FISSURES OPENING AND CLOSING HILL SLIDES INTO SEA. WELLINGTON, La-st Night. One of the most alarming experiences of the earthquake was that undergone by the keeper and his wile and son at the isolated lighthouse at. Kahura'ngi Point, where it was a matter of secondsi only between precarious life and sudden deatli.

Owing to lack of communications it was not until Wednesday that word was received that the light had be»t» extinguished, the keeper, Mr A. W. Page, arrived in Wellington tins mjorning to give a full report of the disaster. Jvahurangi Point is 2& miles south-west of Cape Farewell. Mr Page was able to give a vivid account of his experience.

"The big shake was not the first to be felt," said Mr Page. "There was one Just ordinary shake a*t 12.45 in the morning and another at 7.17, this time more severe and lasting about three minutes Then came the big shako which we timed at 12 minutes past 10. "My son and I were working in the 'bush at the 'bottom of a gully about 700 yards in* a direct line from the lighthouse and the boy timed the shake to last about eight minutes. We soon realised we were in a dangerous position as trees were "Bending rig"t down to the round and then swinging back again as if in a strong galo. A WtIRD SIGHT. "We lost no time in getting out of the bush on to the cleared ground above, and here we came upon a weird sight. Fissures were opening and closing in the grass slopes before our eyes, for all tne world like the work of a giant lightnin-sketch art-

ist. Cracks of' anything up to . six. inches were opening about our feet and we had the greatest difficulty in standing upright as the ground heaved and trembled. "As we arrived on the spur we saw tha't the sea was discoloured. My son thought the discolouration must have been caused by sand being stirred up, but when we went along a bit further we saw the real cause: The whole hillside had islipped out into the sea and nikau scrub was showing up out of the water, leaning at all angles. Even at higTT water the tops of trees which grew to about ten feet in height were visible" out of the water. HOUSE DEMOLISHED. "I began to feel a'nxious for my wife as we could not see what had happened to the house from where we were After a while we could see. that the lighthouse tower was still standing and then we met my wife, who had hurried to find how we were as soon a'g she found herself safe. The house had been completely demolished anc!| is buried under about 12 feet of debi-is."

EASIER NIGHT AT MURCHISON. WELLINGTON, This Day. The Acting Secretary of the General Post Olfice has received the following information from the Postmaster at Murchison: "At 10 a.m. all streams were" still maintaining their flow. The Matakitaki dam has fallen one foot. There was a. fairly easy night with a sharp shock near midnight, and also minor ones. The detonations are now. easier and less frequent than the previous night. The roads are still slippery, but are being kept open by the Public Wjorks Department. RELIEF FUNDS. Press Association —Caeyri&ht. WELLINGTON, This Day. • Sir Joseph Ward announced that the Government irAtewls introducing legislation in the coming session to validate any contributions made by local bodies to the earthquake relief funds.