EARTHQUAKE DISASTER

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1931, Page 7

EARTHQUAKE DISASTER

INVESTIGATION OF THE RUINS COMPLETE TOLL STILL UNKNOWN STORIES OF TRAGEDY AND HEROISM The complete toll of the Hawke’s Bay earthquake has not yet been computed, noi’ can it be for some time, for investigation of the mins frequently discovers further dead. Casualty lists published to-day emphasise the havoe wrought. The Press Association agent at Napier states that it is hoped that the deaths in that town 'wiH not exceed 100, while the dead at Hastings are believed to number 120 -to 130. This is inconsistent with earlier reports, which stated that, the position was far more serious at Napier than at Hastings. ? The .property damage at Napier is undoubtedly far more serious.: • - ■ ; Tremors' have continued at short intervals since Tuesday, states a Wairoa message. Several heavy shocks have occurred. The people are afraid to sleep in the buildings and are living in the open spaces. Many people have been removed from the stricken area and distributed throughout the North Island. Hundreds have gone to relatives and friends in Other provinces and many , are encamped at Palmerston North.

ELECTRIC POWER CUT OFF . i TARADALE STATION WRECKED. HUGE TRANSFORMERS CRASH. By Telegraph.—-Press Association. Wellington, Feb. 6. ■ The Evening Post representative in the earthquake area, reporting to his newspaper and the Press Association, states that a boy was discovered on Thursday under the debris of the Technical College. ' “Give us a drink,” was his only remark when rescued from his, living tomb. He then dashed off violently in search of his parents. His name is not known. ' The Eskdale-, Valley felt the shock fairly severely, blit not to such an extent as Napier and Hastings. A number of residences were destroyed or damaged. The France home for boys, in which orphans received farm training, was almost completely demolished. The boys will probably be transferred to Auckland. -

At Taradale the Government electrical sub-station suffered greatly, though a ferro-concrete building. Three transformers, each weighing 20 tons, were thrown from their bases and damaged. Insulators and overhead controls fell. This means that liangah'ao, with Wellington and Auckland, will have to carry the load of the southern' part of the island for a considerable time.

The Waikaremoana hydro-electric scheme is little affected, though every 'chimney in the settlement fell. The transmission line stood, but one tower came down at Pihanui, about 40 miles north Of Napier, where the country was greatly disturbed. . * It i«. suggested that possibly the centre of the disturbance was located at or near Pihanui.

Until the tower is repaired no power can be transmitted from Waikaremoana which supplies Wairoa and Gisborne. A small amount of power is being fed back from Mangahao to Napier, and Has- • tings. In Napier it is being used for water pumping. No general water supply is possible. The Hastings Diesel plant escaped damage and is being used for pumping. North of Napier the roads are in a very bad stAte- A heavy slip on the Wai-roa-Waikaremoina road blocked the road and damned back the Waikaretaheke river for' three miles. A great flood will sweep down should the earth dam break, SYDNEY ORGANISES RELIEF CATASTROPHE SHOOKS PEOPLE. LORD MAYOR’S FUND GROWING. By T«lecraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. . . .. Sydney, Feb. 5. The Lord Mayor of Sydney announces that he is receiving donations to a fundto assist th® New Zealand earthquake victims, and a meeting is being held on Thursday next to inaugurate a citizens’ , fund. The Lord Mayor, Aiderman Jackson, says that Sydney has serious problems of its own, but the people’s hearts are big enough to respond to the appeal made Uy the knowledge that others have suddenly found themselves so much worse off. In the meantime the New Zealand Association, on behalf of 30,000 New Zealanders resident in New South Wales, the largest such community outside the Dominion, is. moving energetically to assist the campaign to swell the Mayoral fund. The popular mind is shocked as never before since the war by the daily reports from New Zealand of the growing seriousness of the. cataclysm, and sympathy for the stricken people is expressed in many offers of aid. Mr. Hugh-Ward, well-known to New ZealanderS in former years in connection with theatrical enterprises and efforts for raisipg funds for New Zealand hospitals, leaves for Wellington to-morrow to offer voluntary services in organising relief .fund efforts. He says he ha? such an, affectionate regard for the people of the Dominion that he feels he can do no less than employ his time •thus in their service. The New Zealand Government tourist office reports that there have been no cancellations of proposed visits to the Dominion by Australians. Official assurances hdve beep received that none of the tourist - resorts was affected by the earthquakes.

WILL NOT FIND EVEN ASHES FIRE COMPLETES DESTRUCTION. / EVAGUATION ONLY COURSE. ' By Telegraph.—Frees Association. Wellington, 6. •‘They will not find even the ashes of hundreds,” said one man reporting to the Salvation Army headquarters this morning. “For instance, cars were passing along the street, and were also parked as we see th£in here. Whole buildings fell on them and crushed them to pieces. Then the .firp yent . through.' They will not even find the ashes.” Speaking of private residences which people consider still intact, he said a lot of these were all in pieces. Some wooden places looked all right outside, but inside they were chaotic. If one examined them it was surprising to find the damage that had been done. '

“For the first 14 hours nobody did anything at Napier,” he said, “and it was not until 7.30 next morning that a meeting was held. When we came there the morale of the place had gone.” Most of the people were reldctant to leave,’ but he thought the place winild have to be evacuated, as there was no sanitation, and those in charge were afraid of fever. “The smell of the place is nauseating,” he concluded. MINISTERS VISIT THE AREA. .GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSIBILITY. Palmerston N., Feb. 6.

Messrs. J. G. Qpktes, E. A. Ransdm and R. Masters to-day inspected the base camp at Palmerston North and the relief organisation,. warm praise coming from Mr. Ransom. Mr. Ransom denied that martial law had beeir declared in the stricken area. Strong committees had beep formed. The evacuation of Napier wps not demanded. but it was highly desirable that people should leave owing, to tpe breakdown of the sanitation system through the lack of water. It was hoped to have tjie service restored sppn. Pipes were functioning along the Marine Parade. The work of clearing the debris was undertaken by the Public Works Department. “The organisation at Napier was wonderful,” said. Mr. Rapsojn- “Great work was done at the base hospitals. The Verbpica is not actually stranded, but it is dopbtful whether it will be able to get out. The depth of water off the coast is continually changing. I regard t£e whole thing as a national responsibility. The losses to the community are so great that it is impossible to expect their rehabilitation without very generous financial assistance by the Government. The amoujit depends upon Cabinet’S decision, but it 'will be sufficient with public contributions to meet the case.” ADMINISTRATION OF FUNDS. POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT. Wellington, Feb. 6. Referring to the suggestion that the Government should pay out in fulL amounts donated for. earthquake relief, Mr. G. W. Forbes gives an emphatic denial that the practice has been to withhold a portion of the funds donated for charitable relief to cover the costs of administration and to provide a sinking fund. The moneys donated in connection with the .1929 earthquake were preserved intact for relief purposes. No costs of Government administration were charged thereto and all civil servants .engaged were given free. The question of a sinking fund did not arise. Contributors to the present fund could rest assured that the funds would ba used entirely for the purpose for which they were donated-RE-OPENING OF RAILWAY. TRANSPORT OF REFUGEES. Wellington, Feb. 8. The Railway Department, in addition to having the line open to Napier, pew has assembled sufficient rolling stock at points adjacent to the town to evacuate up to 20,000 people, if necessary, within six hours. Fifty bogie wagons and vans are also ready for hospital purposes. Up to the present sleeping cars have (been used for casualties,