UPTHRUST AT MURCHISON

Taranaki Daily News, 11 July 1929, Page 15

UPTHRUST AT MURCHISON

DISCOVERY OF ROCK “STEP’

PROBABLE SEAT OF THE QUAKE,

SHAKES CONTINUE ON THE COAST

MAIN CAUSES OF THE DAMAGE.

By Telegraph.—Press Association

Christchurch, Last Night. An up-thrust 13ft. wide has been discovered in the rock formation in the hills eight miles west-north-west of Murchison. This is probably part of the main fault and an investigation is most certain to show that this is the seat of origin of the big quake, according to Mr. N. F. Skey, seismologist at the Christchurch magnetic observatory, who returned to-day after having spent a. week in the Murchison district. The fault, said Mr. Skey, looked like a big step, the lower part having sunk 13 feet. It was not far distant from one of the recognised lines of fault and seemed to run across the Buller Valley and parallel to the Lyell Range. The up-thrust would be further studied, said Mr. Skey, and its nature determined. There was little doubt that the centre of origin of the quake was in this vicinity. The booming noises in the valleys continued in the Murchison area. These noises had been heard Tor years, but had not caused much concern to the settlers. Sometimes shocks camo with the noises, but more often not. He noticed that noises followed by shocks were peculiar, being something like the spluttering of a inoror-car about to start. Sound-rang-ing appartus was being taken to the spot to detect the origin and direction of these noises. He was convinced the big movement was over and that the minor shocks occurring were d>ue to the earth settling to rest.

There were three main causes of damage to buildings in the earthquake area, according to Dr. C. E. Adams, Government seismologist, who has returned from a tour of investigation. The three causes were bad foundations, the use of designs not intended to resist horizontal stresses, and in less frequent cases the use of inferior materials. He. considers that some building regulations similar to those adopted in San Francisco after the earthquake there may be enacted in New Zealand to provide that buildings must be braced to make them capable of resisting a lateral pressure of 301 b to the square foot. Dr. Adams says the fact that miners 1200 ft. underground at Reefton are declared to have felt the earthquake disproves the popular impression that earthquakes are not noticed far under the surface.

MEASURES FOR RELIEF

£40,090 IN THE CENTRAL FUND. PREMIER EXPLAINS POSITION. Wellington, Last Night. The whole organisation for earthquake relief was discussed and approved at a meeting of the central committee to-day. The Prime Minister, who presided, stated subsequently that the resources of the committee already amount to £40,000. Sir Joseph explained that the whole of the detailed arrangements in connection with relief measures in Murchison, Westport, Karamea, Greymouth hnd Corbyvale were examined and approved, the committee having at its disposal full information which had been obtained from these localities.

The committee decided to set up relief committees at Karamea and Seddonville, working in conjunction with Westport, and through that channel to the central body. Distribution of relief would be made by the central committee on the recommendation of the local committees. A further full meeting is to be held in a fortnight, and meanwhile the Prime Minister in to deal with business which may arise. It was resolved that all funds be paid to a special account of the Public Account in Wellington, and funds will be distributed to local committees free of exchange. No paid officials are to be employed.

While the west coast towns remain somewhat isolated the committee decided to keep the steamers Nile and Arahura at their disposal. The Nelson city engineers estimate the earthquake damage to private buildings in Nelson city at £79,000, not including the Boys College. This, with damage to rural districts amounting to £237,000, makes a total of £317,000, with the Motueka borough figures still to come. The Prime Minister made a statement in the House of Representatives to-day on a meeting of the central earthquake committee held this morning. He said the central fund now totalled approximately £34,000, and in order that the funds might earn interest until required for restoration purposes it had been decided that the surplus moneys in hand be invested at call with the Public Trustee, who would allow 5| per cent, interest. Proposals for assistance towards the full restoration of devastated areas had been considered and the committee expressed its concurrence with the suggested procedure whereby applications will be invited from persons in need of assistance. The question of rendering assistance by way of further advances to mortgagors of the State Advances office was also discussed and the Prime Minister gave the .assurance that preferential consideration would be given to applications of this nature by the State Advances office. The question of restoring Murchison was discussed at some length and it was resolved that as regards restoration at that centre, the Nelson committee should operate on similar lines to the Westport committee which, as a preliminary measure, would provide at least one fire in each house and partially restore the comforts of the residents. It was agreed that when this had been done the question of full restoration could be dealt with by calling for applications for assistance. In the meantime, partial restoration would enable the people to return to their homes. Up to £2OOO was authorised meantime for this purpose.

SEVERE QUAKES CONTINUE NERVOUS TENSION IN WESTPORT. BUILDINGS ROCK AT INTERVALS. Westport, Last Night. “Not so easy as it seems,” said a business man interested in a large wav

in coal mining operations. “What we have to do now is to forget all about earthquakes and get right down to business.” Then a big quake came and the building in which he and his hearers stood rocked uncannily and for several seconds.

That is the condition under which the people both in business and their homes are working to-day. If a quake does not come for a few hours the people are tensely waiting for one. The waiting is very often worse than the effect when the quake actually takes place. The people are still living in a state of nervous tension under the impression one minute that the worst has passed and that only slight shakes will be experienced; the next moment finding the buildings rocking almost as severely as with the earliest big shakes. Students of earthquakes have yet deep thinking to do before it can be said that they have reduced the subject to an exact science.

Besides early morning quakes there were several this afternoon, including a sustained one at 3.20 p.m. The steamer Nile is due to-night from Karamea. It called in at Little Wanganui and- is to leave again for Karamea, to which port the auxiliary schooner Fairburn, with general cargo, left early this morning. Another 120 residents of Seddonville, mostly women and children, camo into Westport this evening and will leave some for Christchurch and the others’ for Wellington. A good number are going to relatives or friends and the others are to be billeted out. The Salivation Army has the transport and billeting arrangements in hand,