HUGE EARTHQUAKE TOLL

Taranaki Daily News, 16 February 1931, Page 7

HUGE EARTHQUAKE TOLL

ESTIMATED LOSS £10,000,000

STOCK AND PLANT NOT INCLUDED.

CONFERENCE OF EXPERTS HELD.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Napier, February 14. Builders and architects in Napier, who held a combined meeting yesterday, estimated the damage to the buildings in both towns at £10,000,000. The damage to residences was placed at £1,000,000, and the damage to business premises at £9,000,000. The total sum excludes stock, furniture and plant. FURTHER EVACUATIONS. Hastings, February 14. Though only 31 Hastings residents lefton free evacuation tickets by yesterday afternoon’s train there were 150 booked by the evening to leave this morning, by which time the total had reached 169. Thirty more, left Napier, yesterday’s big ’quake having the ellect of deciding the minds of those doubtful about staying. Maurice Walsh was ordered by Justices of the Peace at Hastings to-day to pay £l5, in default three months’ imprisonment, for stealing goods from the ruined premises of Frank L. Bone and others yesterday, and John Maxted and Edward Leathy,' fellow workmen on relief, for stealing liquor from the ruins of the County Club, were each fined £l5 in default three months’ imprisonment. ' DANGER AT MOHAKA. BIVER LIABLE .TO FLOOD. Wellington, February 14. The Secretary of the General Post Office has received the following from the postmaster at Wairoa: — “The postmaster at-Mohaka reports that the Mohaka River has been blocked since yesterday as the result of yesterday afternoon’s earthquake. He states that residents in the vicinity of the river have been warned to leave as the river may come down any time.” Mohaka is 57 miles north-west from Napier, in the Wairoa district, and 22 miles from Wairoa. The population includes many Maoris. The Mohaka River flows into Hawke’s Bay south-west of Wairoa. FRIDAY’S SEVERE SHAKE. DEEPER ORIGIN*SUSPECTED. Wellington, February 14. Yesterday’s big shake was the most severe of the after shocks that have followed the big ’quake. It was probably of deeper origin than the main shock of Tuesday week. The Government seismologist, Dr. Adams, explained that this would account for it, being felt over a wider area and for the fact that it affected seismological instruments at Sydney to a greater degree than-did the- previous shock. Sir Edgeworth David, of Sydney, said the fresh earthquake shocks experienced, yesterday were undoubtedly due to the continuance of the sinking of the ocean bed off the East Coast. Dr. Cotton, Professor of. Geology, said it seemed that the fracture which caused the destructive ’quake in Napier and Hastings had continued to open up further south, causing this second shock. CONDITION OF INJURED. PALMERSTON HOSPITAL REPORT. Palmerston North, Last Night. The following earthquake cases have been admitted to the Palmerston North hospital:-— John Thomas Davis, Parke Island Old People's Home, Napier. Mrs. L. Greenfield, transferred from Maitland Private Hospital, Palmerston North, serious. < Harry Young, 252 Hastings Street, Napier, fractured clavicle. Ivan Stuart, from camp at Awapuni, scarlet fever.

The following cases have been discliargcd. Neill Cullen, .63 Harding Road, Napier. Mrs. Ivy Hastie, 38 Marine Parade, Napier. Mrs. Winifred Hounsell, Vautier Street, Napier. Phyllis Johnson, 68 Harding Road, Napier.Vera Nyra Wall, Massey Street, Hastings. Mavis Joyce Watts, 30 Morris Street, Napier. The hospital reports as follows on the changed condition of patients:— Agnes Campbell, refugees’ camp, serious. Mrs. Ina May Henderson, dangerously iU. Leopold L. Kelly, Hastings, amputation right foot, serious. RELIEF EFFORT IN DUNEDIN. SUM OF OVER £l5OO COLLECTED. Dunedin, Last Night. The commercial travellers conducted a cash drive on Saturday on behalf of the earthquake relief fund. Every house was visited, and the response was such that over l £lsoo was collected. NAPIER’S APPRECIATION. MESSAGE OF THANKS AND HOPE. / Wellington, Last Night. On behalf of the Napier Citizens’ Earthquake Control Committee the chairman (Mr. Morse) has issued the following statement:— “I wish to extend our most grateful thanks to all those who have come to our aid during this very trying period. Napier will never forget the splendid manner in which the various bodies and individual citizens of the Dominion so unstintingly offered their labour, money, goods and homes for the assistance of their brothers and sisters in this stricken area.

“No words of mine can express the feeling of gratitude contained in onr hearts towards those citizens of Napier who, at the present time, are away and resting after their sad experience. To those in the various hospitals we send our greetings. Rest assured, fellow citizens, we here are keeping assiduously at the tasks set before us .with a view to all returning to take up your daily toil in a new, brighter and happier Napier. “To the boys and girls of Napier now attending schools in various parts of the Dominion T send a message of greeting, and ask you to acknowledge by your attention and behaviour your 'deep and humble gratitude for all that is being done for you in your present surroundings.” NATIONAL FUNDS GROWING. POSITION IN WELLINGTON.

The Prime Minister’s earthquake relief fund now totals £64,938, the Mayor’s £25,543, the commercial travellers’ J 21130, the Dominion’s .£1893, the

Red Cross £3403 and the Evening Post’s £3911. The Prime Minister’s includes about £lB,OOO handed on, but included in other lists. NEED FOR INCREASED FUND. APPEAL TO SCHOOL CHILDREN Wellington, February 14. The Director of Education, Mr. T. B. Strong, addressed an appeal to all primary school pupils for contributions to the earthquake fund. He stated that it was not desired that the children should make any - special appeal to their parents, but should be asked to devote their pocket money during, say, the next three months, toward the relief of suf-' fering in the earthquake area. SYMPATHY FROM JAPAN. Wellington, February 14. The president, Dr. Nitobe, and the secretary, Mr. Saito, of the Institute of Pacific Relations, in Japan, has cabled the secretary in New Zealand: “Deepest sympathy for 'the recent disaster,” EARTHQUAKE PHOTOGRAPHS. To-day there will be available in New Plymouth a book containing 15 pages of special earthquake photographs. The publication carries the official sanction of the Mayor and Wellington’s citizens’ relief committee. It is being sold at 25., half of ifhich goes to the fund, the balance being spread over the cost of printing, selling and distributing. Orders a .first edition published in the South Island have already reached 20,000. RECOVERED FROM RUINS. BODY OF NEW PLYMOUTH BOY. DEATH ROLL OF 145 IN NAPIER. Napier, Feb. 14. Another body has been recovered, that of Denys Evers-Swindell, aged. 18, who was found in the ruins of the Kaiapoi woollen mills building, Tennyson Street. His parents live at New Plymouth. This brings the total death roll to 145, including 26 bodies unidentified. To-morrow will be observed as a day of rest in Napier. All work, except absolutely necessary operations, will be suspended.

The eldest eon of Mr. and Mrs. A. Evers-Swindell, New Plymouth, Denys Evers-Swindell was educated at Palmerston North and New Plymouth primary schools and the New Plymouth Boys’ High School. Highly thought of at school he left a little over a year ago to join the Napier branch of the Kaiapoi Woollen Company. He had just turned 18 at the time of his death and was doing extremely well at his work. The general manager of the company stated that with his strong personality Denys Evers-Swindell was the type of young man needed in business to-day, and he seemed to be at the beginning of a promising career. NEW PLYMOUTH MAYOR’S FUND. Previously acknowledged (including £247 14s 4d received through Daily

News) 2035 12 10 Daily’s Orchestra (proceeds Kawaroa Dance... 7 7 6 Mr. A. E. Looney 2 2 0 Mr. and Mrs. A. 0. Mullan 1 0 0 Mrs. E. Sellers ; 10 0 Mrs. C. I. Vickers 1 0 0 Mr. A. G. Ross 3 9 0 Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wilson 2 0 0 Mr. and Mrs. R. Aroa. —. 1 0 0 Mrs. Bland (Wellington) 10 0 A Friend ; 3 0 A. C. Fookes 1 0 0 Stall’ Post and Telegraph Department, N.P 34 3 6 j.C. 2 6 1 5 0 Pukekura Park Tennis Club 2 2 0 In the previous list the amount of 10s credited to E. K. Washer should have been to E. K. Walsham.