TERRIFYING EXPERIENCES.

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17742, 20 June 1929, Page 8

TERRIFYING EXPERIENCES.

FUGITIVES CAUGHT IN THE DEBRIS.

TREMORS CONTINUE IN THE STRICKEN AREA.

THE SHOCKS CONTINUE.

HILL SLIPS ACROSS VALLEY.

MAN AND WIFE OVERWHELMED

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) V NELSON, Wednesday.

A relative who saw Mrs Morel today states that she relates that Mr Morel had just finished taking a horse out of a cart, and she was standing nearby when she saw the hill across the valley coming at them. They ran up the hill and the horse raced past. Almost immediately it was thrown violently back almost over their heads, and was buried under the oncoming debris.

Mr and Mrs Morel were simultaneously overwhelmed. Mrs Morel being buried in mud up to her neck. Her husband called to tier,to keep moving, and pull herself ou!, and hut for this encouragement she would probably have given.in. Presently a neighbour, Mrs Nelson, came to her assistance. Mrs Morel was badly bruised and sjiaken, and is suffering severely from shock, but Mr .Morel unhappily was too badly injured to survive.

A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE.

LIKE CONTINUOUS THUNDERSTORM

NELSON, Wednesday

Interviewed to-day, Mr A. Bartlett, who was a hairdresser at Murchison, said: “Since the great shock, and until the party of refugees left Murchison yesterday, it was just like one continuous' thunderstorm so' far as noise was concerned. It was the most terrifying experience possible to imagine. Some of these terrific explosions lifted hillsides right across big valleys. The big shock occurred at 10.25 a.n. It was as if pandemonium had broken loose. All .were thrown off their feet. Chimneys 'screwed off and were hurled out into the street.

POSITION AT GREYMOUTH.

' BUSINESS DISORGANISED. GREYMOUTH, Wednesday. After a quiet period last night Greymouth residents prepared for bed, and many retired to sleep, but severe shakes brought everyone out of bed again. Many walked the streets until daylight. Torrential rain poured through the holes made by fallen chimneys, and leaked through every strain and crack.

As the result of their terrifying experiences and sleeplessness everyone is nervous to the point of hysteria. Many houses have been Hooded from above, and beds and food have been ruined. Fears are felt for all settlers near the rivers, as floods are almost certain.

Business is completely disorganised in Greymouth. Tours of damaged property by contractors and architects revealed that chimneys valued at over £12,000 have been wrecked. Other damage can only be calculated in tens of thousands. The Albion Hotel, a modern concrete building, has been condemned as unsafe. MORE CHOCKS AT WANGANUI. WANGANUI, Wednesday. Mild earthquake tremors were felt in Wanganui at 3 p.m., 8.50 and 10.1 p.m. A concert performance was in progress at the Opera House when the second shake came and doors were thrown open in case of a rush to the street. Only a few people left the building and the programme was continued.

CENTRE OF DISTURBANCE.

EAST COAST OF DOMINION

(Australian Press Association.) SYDNEY, June 19

The staff of the Riverview Observatory, in charting the centre of the earthquake, fix it at . longitude 175 degrees east, latitude 42 degrees south, roughly 100 miles off the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. PLIGHT OF THE REFUGEES. POSITION AROUND MURCHISON. MAGNIFICENT WORK DONE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) NELSON, Thursday. Murchison township is situated in a fairly wide area at the junction of the Matakitaki and Buller Rivers, and on to which several other large valleys open out. It was in the v_lley running south of Matakitaki that the largest land slide, or eruption, took place. What has been happening in other valleys no one in Murchison knows exactly' .Certainly detonations from the breaking strata were heard from all directions.

News is now coming in slowly from some of the areas in these valleys, and the indications are that the settlers are not so seriously situated as seemed probable a day or so ago. Twenty settlers from the Maruia Valley got out yesterday and camped in the Glengarry School. It is also understood that some settlers from Toitoi Flat came in to Matiri by Fern Flat. Telephonic communication has been established with Braeburn, and the settlers there have suffered, to a less extent than their neighbours. This was considered probable by those who know the district well.

It is considered probable that settlers in Mauria South will go out to Reefton, or f on the other h~nd, some may go through Hunter’s Station to Braeburn and the Maruia Plains. Fifty settlers have been camped on Four River Plain, across the Matakitaki River, and 40 are coming on to Nelson. A party of ten, led by Rev. Mr Teague, a Methodist minister, is remaining there to search the Maruia Valley and bring out the women and children..

Magnificent work is being done by aU. * > •

BUT DECREASING IN NUMBER.

CENTRE OF THE DISTURBANCE

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. The Kelburn seismographs stiil record fairly continuous shocks, varying in magnitude, but these are slowly decreasing in number. Some are perceptible apart- from the instrument record, and one at 8.48 last night was sufficient to cause hanging lights to swing perceptibly. There was another shortly after 10 p.m. Evidences gradually accumulating all points to the vicinity of Murchison as being the centre of the disturbance, and Mr Adams does not agree with the theory of the Riverview Observatory, Sydney, that the centre was roughly a hundred miles off the east coast of the South Island. The evidence, too, discounts any theory of volcanic activity, the ’quake being’ due probably to a fracture along one of the numerous fault lines to be found in the Murchson area. DESPATCH OF MAILS. CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday. Owing to the bad weather an air mail delivery for Westport was not undertaken, and mail's left by train at 12.20. They will go by car from Inangahua to Westport. REMOVING THE REFUGEES. WELLINGTON, Thursday. The- Ar.ahura encountered .a southwest gale on the voyage .to Westport, and made slow progress. She arrived at five o'clock this morni'g. It. is . proposed that th vessel shall leave at nine o'clock to-night*for Nelson, , taking as ordinary passengers those who desire to get away.

SYMPATHY FROM ABROAD. OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE. ■WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Several messages of sympathy with those who suffered through (he earthquake- were received yesterday by the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward. The following cablegram was received from the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. S. M, .Bruce: “ On behalf of the Government and people of Australia I desire to convey our deep sympathy to the people of New Zealand, and especially to the sufferers and relatives of those’ who have lost their lives in the earthquake which has occurred in your country.” The acting-Premier of New South Wales, Mr. E. A. Buttenshaw, cabled as sire to tender our heartfelt sympathy to your Government and to those who have suffered in yesterday's disastrous occurrence. Further news is anxiously awaited.” From the Swedish Consul-General for Australia, who is in Stockholm, the following message was received: “ Reports of the dreadful devastation and loss of life caused by the earthquake have evoked deep and widespread Swedish sympathy for the sufferers and the whole of the New Zealand nation.”

A message was received from a Vancouver newspaper inquiring if the need were great. If so, the newspaper offered to open a subscription list.

FIRM GIVES £25. CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday. The Mayor of Christchurch, Mr. J. K. Archer' to-day received a cheque for £25 from the manager of the Para Rubber Company. WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The Labour Department sent several bricklayers to Westport by steamer yesterday and is endeavouring to secure more from Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin.

SYMPATHY FROM DUNEDIN. MINE IDLE FOR TEN DAYS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, Thursday. The City Council passed a resolution of sympa'thy with the earthquake sufferers. The Mayor expressed the opinion that if Government assistance was inadequate Dunedin, in common with other places, would rise to the occasion. The manager of the Westport Coal Company states that a large chimney stack at the brakehead at Denniston is damaged, and several men received slight injuries. • The mine will probably be idle for ten days. SYMPATHY FROM AUSTRALIA. MESSAGE TO GOVERNOR-GENERAL WELLINGTON, Thursday. The Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, has received a message from the Governor-General of Australia, expressing his personal sympathy,- and from the Acting-Governor of Victoria, conveying on behalf of the Government and people of that State condolences with the relatives of those who lost their lives and those who suffered injury or damage to property. Sir Charles Fergusson replied expressing warm appreciation of these messages, mentioning at the same time thfct the lamentable loss of life and damage were confined to a comparatively small area on the west coast of the South Island.

MESSAGE OF SYMPATHY. FROM MAYOR OF HAMILTON. The Mayor of Hamilton (Mr J. R. Fow) has sent the following telegram of'sympathy to the Mayor of Nelson (Mr Moffatt) ' Hamilton people deeply regret the loss of your town and district have sustained.