The Earthquake.

Waikato Times, Volume 109, Issue 18254, 16 February 1931, Page 7

The Earthquake.

NEAR THE CENTRE. DAMAGE IN MOHAKA DISTRICT. LANDSLIDES AND CHASMS. (By Telegraph.— Press Association.) WAIROA, Monday. A visit paid to Mohaka yesterday by a Press Association agent convinces him that the district must have been very close to the earthquake centre, Tor last Friday afternoon, and also on the previous Tuesday week (the dates of the two big convulsions) the settlers state loud boomings were heard like the firing of huge guns. All along the coast, great landslides occurred, the base of one carrying away several hundred acres well out to sea. The hills in all directions are cracked along the ridges, and great faces disappeared into the valley below. The Mohaka Gorge suffered very severely in this respect. Since last Friday’s big shake no water has reached Mohaka township owing to a tremendous slip near Willow Flat, completely blocking the river, which is partly dried up and is like a lagoon at the' township, and should a heavy rain occur in the lower part is likely to be in grave danger. An eye-witness states that the hills near the coast split, seemed to hang in the air. and were then hurled out to sea. The land along the coastline Is badly cracked, and Is likely to slide Into the sea when rain comes. A number of railway and road fillings have “pancaked,” but the damage is not as great as previously feared. Wet weather, however, may cause many portions to disappear, hhe worst part -of the road from Wairoa to Mohaka Bridge is at Turiroa, where it has dropped from 20 to 30 feet. The present track is likely to go at any time. Many homesteads will have to be re-built between Wairoa and Mohaka, and the country will be difficult to work by farmers mustering stock. HOUSE ON FIRE IN HASTINGS. THE RESIDENTS ALARMED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) HASTINGS, Monday. Considerable alarm was caused among residents of a section of the residential part of Hastings when it was discovered at 4 o’clock on Sunday morning that an empty house belonging to Mr Brinson was on Are. Smoke was smelt by occupants of a neighbouring house, who immediately woke the people in the street. As no telephones were working and the automatic fire alarm was out of order it .was -feared that before the brigade cou’.d be summoned the whole of ihe bouses in the street might * -catch alight. The brigade was notified by a man who drove into town in a car, and, arriving promptly, set the residents’ fears at rest by doing rapid work in extinguishing the blaze, which comp lately gutted the dwelling. It is thought the fire might have been caused by fused wires,, as power Was switched on to the neighbourhood yesterday.

DEALING WITH LOOTERS. * SALUTARY FINES. THREE MONTHS THE ALTERNATIVE (Bv Telegraph.—Press Association.) HASTINGS, Saturday. Maurice Walsh was ordered by Justices to-day to pay £ls, in default three months’ imprisonment, for - stealing goods from the ruined premises of Frank L. Bone and others yesterday. John Alaxted and Edward Leathy, fellow-workmen on relief, for stealing liquor from the ruins of the County Club, were each fined £ls, in default three months’ imprisonment. A SAD STORY. HUSBAND DIES, WIFE ILL. AUCKLAND, Monday. Mr Malcolm Treston, formerly a •well-known resident of Auckland, died on Saturday at the Palmerston Hospital. For many years Mr Treston had had been living in Napier, and recently he went to Dunedin to visit relatives. On his return to Napier he found his beautiful home levelled to the ground. So sudden was its collapse that Mrs Treston and one of her daughters were pinned to the floor which had fallen upon them, and It took eight -<■ men two hours to extricate them. Suffering already from heart failure Air Treston became seriously ill, and bis. family persuaded him to enter the Palmerston North Hospital, where he died. Airs Treston is suffering -from the effects of her startling experience, and the nervous shock has been accentuated by the news of her husband’s death. Air Treston was formerly licensee of the old Newton Hotel, Karangahape Road, Auckland. A QUIET WEEK-END. INFLUX OF SIGHTSEERS. NAPIER, Sunday. Napier and Hastings have been ,ry quiet during the week-end. Since the heavy earthquake on Friday shocks have been few and almost imperceptible. Only essential work was done today. Church services were held in the open air and were well attended. There was an unusual influx of sightseers.

ONLY OCCASIONAL TREMORS. EXPERIENCED AT HASTINGS. Telegraph.—Press Association.) HASTINGS, Monday. Excepting almost imperceptible and ver v occasional tremors. Hastings lias felt’' no earthquakes since the big one on Friday afternoon.