THE EARTHQUAKE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18329, 29 July 1929, Page 7

THE EARTHQUAKE

SEVERE SHAKE AT WESTPORT. By Telegraph—Press Association WESTPORT, July 28. Westport experienced a very severe earthquake at 2 a.m., to-day. It would have caused people to run outside had ! they not become hardened to ’quakes, large and small, in the last six v/eeks. MARTYR TO DUTY. The death took place in Westport hospital this morning of Mr Denis O’Sullivan, telegraph foreman, who came to Westport from Wellington after the big earthquake, and surveyed new telegraph routes and laid a line where it was broken between Westport and Karamea, Lyell and Inangahua Junction. He never spared himself, working under very trying conditions from a strong sense of duty. Death was due to bronchitis and a severe attack of influenza. Deceased was a married man, 57 years of age. MOTH ARRIVES. Capt. M. Buckley, accompanied by Corporal Smith, arrived in a Moth aeroplane from Christchurch at 11.10 a.m. to-day, taking 2 hours 15 minutes for the journey. It was an excellent trip. An aerial survey is to be made of the coastal steamer routes by Captain Whiteford, of the Marine Department, Wellington, covering from Greymouth to Farewell Spit; also a survey of the back waters of the Karamea river by Mr V. Johnston, Public Works engineer. Photographs will be taken of 'the fault line running from the Buller river north to Murchison. RELIEF COMMITTEE MEETS. METHOD OF GRANTING RELIEF. By Telegraph- -Press Association. WESTPORT, July 27. At a meeting this afternoon of the Buller Relief Committee, it was resolved, after discussion, that correspondence from the Central Committee be received, and in connection with application forms the Committee was of opinion that the details asked for, and to which objection had been taken, be not required in the case of applications where the sum applied for is not more than £SO. A letter received from the Granity Ngakawau Committee asked the Buller Relief Committee “to convene a meeting of delegates from all other Central Relief Committees, to discuss the proposed method of dispensing relief, with a view to arriving at a uniform system of restoration throughout the area affected by the recent earthquake. The meeting endorsed the suggestion, and favoured holding a conference in Westport. Earthquakes at irregular periods are still experienced here, many of them being of a jolting nature. CONCERT FOR RELIEF FUND. DISAPPOINTING COLLECTION. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 23. Eighteen bands from Wellington city and suburbs combined in • an open air concert on the Basin Reserve to-day, }n aid of the funds for the earthqquake relief. There were between seven and ten thousand people present. The secretary of the Bands Association regretted that the collection realised only £4O. A second collection was therefore taken up at the gates as people filed out, but the amount is not yet available.