FIVE WOMEN REMAINED

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1929, Page 3

FIVE WOMEN REMAINED

QUAKE IN TUTAKI VALLE* MANY MORE EARTHQUAKES. “MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR.' . Amidst the havoc and ruin brought by repeated earthquakes and in spite of warning to leave, five women have remained in Tutaki Valley, in the Murchison district, and are trying to “keep smiling." A letter from one of them has been handed to the Christchurch Star, . and it tells a tale of the terrible conditions there ami of the indomitable spirit that has buoyed them up. The letter, which is dated July 4, reads;— “We are shut in herd and we do not know when we will be able to get out. We arc all alive and well and have not left our home. Forty-nine people, mostly women and children, left hero last Monday week. Two boys managed . to get to Murchison the day before (Sunday) and as soon as they got there they were told that all the Tutaki people had to be in Murchison by nodn on Monday, as they expected a’ big slip to come down and block the Owen, the last means of getting away from Murchison. They said that everyone in Murchison was leaving and that we had to come, too. They gave the boys a, letter to bring out, and the people hero held a meeting and'decided to leave in small parties at 8 o’clock on Monday morning. It rained heavily all Sunday night and was very wet and cold on Monday morning. As we live by our* selves two miles and a-half from Tutaki, and are not on the telephone. I told Bert to take the car and go to the nearest homestead, which is about a mile away, and ring the people and see if they were going. They said ‘No.’ I felt that I would rather stay at home and take the risk than move out, but I did not want to be the only woman left to worry the men. if they had to tramp over the hills and find a way out. “Some time after a man came, and asked if Bert and George had gone to Tutaki, as they were all going out. ■ He said that the four women up the road had decided to stay, so I said that I 'would stay, too. “We had no means of hearing about anything, being absolutely isolated, and we are still so. Two or three men will try to make their way over the falling rocks and slips, but no food can come through. Bert and some other men have decided to try and get through to-mor-row with our mail. The men have been busy clearing slips off the road nearly ever since the first big earthquake. The biggest slip came down within & quarter of a mile of our house, and one nearly blocked the river. The men worked all the first week and had cleared up most of the slips when down came another on the other side of the house. “We got in the car and went for a . ride around Braeburn to see the other slips. The havoc is simply awful, and it is a wonder that wo are still- alive. We are still having some quite big shakes and explosions. Sometimes 1* seems as if a big cannon is just outside • the door, and we keep hearing awful bangs. “I did not sleep at all the first week and my eyes used to run all day, and • “A number of the men went all around when I closed! them would stick shut." the valleys and got the people out. They had a hard time and used to come back absolutely exhausted with climbing over slides. “After the big ’quake everything in the house was out of place. In the pantry, jam, pickles, and preserves had all become mixed over the floor and there is scarcely and china left unbroken. We had two more big shakes on the Sunday morning. We have had three shocks to-night, but no more explosions, Some nights we have had thunder, hail and snow as well as explosions and ’quakes. However, we all have a lot to b® thankful for and we do our best to keep smiling.”