IN NAPIER SUBURBS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 60, 6 February 1931, Page 6

IN NAPIER SUBURBS

A WELLINGTONIAN'S REPORT. WELLINGTON, Feb. 5. A Wellingtonian in Napier was Mr Elmes, who was on holiday. Knowing how anxious people would be to know about residents he made a tour of the residential area. When the 'quake occurred ho was on a bicycle in Mnnro Street and he saw everything crash into ruins. The commotion following this was awful. Women screaming, and one running out with blcrod streaming from a large wound in her head. The Gas Company's office was wrecked. In other streets it was the same. He continued across the wrecked business area in the vicinity of Clive road, then by way of Milton Road to the hills. On the way up the only damage seemed to bo fallen chimneys. Reaching the top he proceeded along Napier Terrace, which is the main route to the hospital, cemetery and Botanical Gardens. The main school is in this street. The end walls had fallen out, but a boy ho spoke to told him the pupils were not inside when the 'quake occurred. At the Botanical Gardens he found a temporary hospital had been established, hospital patients having been transferred thorn from the ruined institution. Close by, strange to say, though the Nurses' Home had collapsed, the big tanks erected on a steel fabri'e aud supplying water to the home, had not. fallen.

From the hospital hill the whole of the inner harbour can bo seen, also Port Ahuriri and much of the roadstead. He could see that Robjohn's, Hindmarsh's big brick store, Murray, Roberts', and Ellison and Duncan's buildings were down and burning and the post office was ablazo inside. He did not try to get round by the battery and breakwater roads but the report

I that the whole ol ! Bluff Hill hud fallen was exagge rated. There was a big slip from the Marino Parade side and it was more than possible that people might, have been on the road when this occurred. ..,,», i ( J?