COSTLY FALSE REPORTS

Taranaki Daily News, 9 February 1931, Page 7

COSTLY FALSE REPORTS

BIG SHIP’S FRUITLESS CHASE

UNOFFICIAL RADIO MESSAGES.

AN URGENT VISIT TO WAIROA

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Gisborne, Last Night.

It cannot bp. gainsaid that wireless has proved of invaluable help in the. pre; sent disaster, but nevertheless misleading messages act in a cruel manner on relatives and friends in other parts of the Dominion./ Apparently as the result of a message on the air on Tuesday the public gained the impression that Gisborne was badly affected by. the earthquake. The fact that the lines were down between here and Hawke’s Bay deepened that impression and as a. result hundreds of telegrams poured into Gisborne and are still being received, the majority from anxious relatives. Even on Saturday a large number of messages was received. It can be again emphasised that the result of the heavy shock on Tuesday was that only minor damage was done to shops and no one was injured. Another instance of a panicky wireless message, however, may prove very expensive, for it resulted in the big lijjer Northumberland being ordered to leave 16,000 carcases of meat rapidly deteriorating at Napier and rush to Wairoa on Friday morning. The Northumberland, then lying at Napier, was ordered to. go to Wairoa to pick up 30,000 or 40,000 careases' of meat from the Wairoa freezing works which had been damaged by Tuesday’s earthquake. The Wairoa freezing works caught fire on Thursday night but that fact was not known at Napier at file time and when the liner actually left Napier the works were burning. When 26 miles opt from Napier the ship was ordered by wireless to go back to Napier and put aboard 16,000 carcases which were rapidly deteriorating as the result of the fire at Port Ahuriri. “WAIROA IN STATE OF PANIC." The liner dropped anchor and commenced the preliminary landing of a few bales of wool which were alongside while the meat was coming off. Then a message was received from the Captain of 11.1)1.8. Dunedin stating that a wireless message had just been received that Wairoa' was in a state of panic. The houses had sanitation had failed and assistance was wanted. At once the Northumberland was ordered to proceed to Wairoa. All work was immediately stopped and the liner-set out without delay. Considerable anxiety prevailed on board the liner as the vessel was rushing over uncharted seas and the line was kept going continuously. Two doctors and three medical students were aboard and on the way across cots were hastily fitted up to accommodate 60 cot cases. When the liner reached Wairoa at 6.30 p.ra. she lowered a launch and a party including Captain Upton, in charge of the Northumberland, two medical men and three medical students with first, aid outfit, wireless equipment, etc,. tumbled into the launch. The small craft made a hazardous crossing, of the bar and proceeded full speed up the river to the town, noticing on the way that the freezing works had been burnt. On the wharf a man waS standing and he hailed them: “Have you brought the mail,” he said. “What’s all the trouble?” was the reply. “There’s nothing much happened here since the big shake on Tuesday,” said the man, “except that we’ve had. a few more shakes since and the freezing wotks have £ecn burnt.” SHOULD SEAL PRIVATE SETS. Captain Upton, Dr. Rice and the other medical men aboard -went ashore and waited on the Jlayor, who. after hearing the reason-for the visit expressed regret. Captain Upton took the matter very sportingly and expressed pleasure that their visit had been a fruitless one.

As it w’as impossible to reerpss the'-, bar on account of the tide the commander wirelessed his officers on the ship, which. proceeded back to Napier and Captain Upton flew back there yesterday morning. The same wireless message had been received by other stations, for at 5.40 p.m. on Friday the chief reporter of an Auckland newspaper arrived by plane from Rotorua. He said that he had received a message from Auckland to similar effect to that received by the warship Dunedin. Dr. H. Goulding Rice, who told . a Times, reporter of the Northumberland’s vain quest, suggested that in. times of national disaster like the present private wireless sets should be sealed and messages sent only under official authority. It is not known here if the Northumberland arrived in time to save the Port Ahuriri meat, but if not the loss will be serious.

An earthquake shock, the sharpest experienced here since the big shake, was experienced at, 1.40 p.m. to-day, the people rushing into the streets. No damage was reported. All the churches at Gisborne were packed to-day. At the Holy Trinity church the Mayor and councillors were present. Jn the course of his sermon the Rev. Edmonds said they had met to “return thanks to God for having, as it were, escaped disaster and ruin by a hair’s breadth.”