NOW WE KNOW

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 77, 10 March 1931, Page 4

NOW WE KNOW

AMERICAN REPORT 1 HAWKE'S BAY QUAKE THE SECOND SHAKE It will be remembered that a week after the big earthquake in Hawke's Bay another big shock Occurred* though it did not do a great deal of damage. The following American report, appearing in the Los Angeles "Examiner" on February 9, tells us of a death-roll of 1,000, and high waves dashing into the ruined town. The good old American newspaper slogan, "Don't let truthfulness spoil a good story," seems to have been given full play. The report is headed: — "High Waves Also Smash Ruined Town" "Death-toll Now Estimated at 1,000, With 2,000 injured and 15,000 Without Dwellings" It proceeds: Wellington, New Zealand, Feb. 8. (Universal Service Special Cable.) —Another violent earthquake torocked the Hawke Bay section of North Island, bringing fresh terror to the homeless populace of that section, so badly hit by last week's shocks. More than 1,000 were estimated killed, 2,000 injured and 15,000 made homeless by the previous quakes which began Tuesday. To-day's shock had its apparent epicenter in Napier, the coastal town, where approximately 500 were killed in last week's temblors. Napier's business section is already a tangled mass of ruins. Hastings, the inland town virtually wiped out by Tuesday's quake, did not escape to-day's heaving of the earth. Other towns reporting the quake are Wairoa and Gisborne. TREMENDOUS WAVES Tremendous waves that accompanied to-day's quake, heavipg ,out *"- of the ocean and dashing high along the entire coast line, added to the terror of the helpless inhabitants. While earliest reports declared they had not reached the sweeping force of a tidal wave, added property damage to the extent of thousands of dollars is reported to beach front properties. During to-day's tremor, an airplane being used in rescue service crashed at Napier. Its three occupants were reported killed. The new quake tore down lines of communication, hastily erected by relief squads, making impossible an exact determination of the fresh damage and casualties.