The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-02-04
new ZEALAND LISTS
HUNDREDSDEADA AND
THOUSANDS INJURED
Residents Ordered to Evacuate
Napier to Prevent Epi-
demic Of Diseases
RESCUE WORK CONTINUING
Stricken Cities Are SHAMELESS.
Streets Piled With Debris,
Buildings sagging
RESCUE WORK CONTINUING

Wellington, N. e., Feb. 4.-R-
Preliminary estimates Of the death
toll at Napier and Hastings jumped
to 400 Wednesday when surveys of
the damage caused by Tucsday's
earthquake and fire hand only begun,
Eye witnesses reported 1t was Inn
possible to give any accurate figure
at present. but agreed there were at
least 500 dead In Napier and 100 In
Hastings. The number Of injured at
Napier was estimated at 1000. No
figure on injured at Hastings wa re-
ported but the number was believed
to run into the hundreds.
Fears prompted by scattered re-
ports from the stricken area were
more than realized In information
collected from refugees arriving here
Wednesday.
Survivors said the quake wrecked
nearly all of the stone buildings in
Napier and that the fire. famed by a
breeze coming in from the sea. swept
inland, destroying everything in its
path.
Napier was a shambles. Streets
were piled with debris and buildings
which did not collapse from the first
shocks leaned at dangerous angles.
A heavy pail Of dust arose from the
ruins and mingled with the smoke
from burning buildings to create adj
ditional terror.
Rescue Work Desperate
Ac c4on ne %1ao oox%t. %~n~on~~ ~nu~nS
desperate efforts were made to rescue
those entombed In the ruins Of build
ings. Those who came out alive as
sisted in the rescu operations.
Both the injured and dead were
laid in the streets.
The total number of injured In the
tremors probably will run into thou
sands, while many other thousands
are homeless. The town Of Palners
ston. north, Is preparing to receive
5000 refugees for whom the govern.
ment is providing blankets and other
equipment.
Among the injured at Napier is tho
Very Rev. Joseph Brocklehurst. arch
deacon of Hawkes. Bay. His spine Is
dklocated.
Napier. Hastings and other towns
and villages Of the Hawkes. Bay dis
trict, were scenes of desolation with
every building either RACED or made
uninhabitable.
Napier families slept Tuesday night
wrapped In rugs on the seaShore,
afraid to venture back to their old
shelters. Even the waterline was
changed. The bed of the harbor was
raised Is feet and places formerly
covered by deep water were dried up.
A wellington newSpaperman said
the marine parade vas lined with
broken houses. that the entire busi-
ness quarter was q heap Of ashes, and
that every bank in the city had col
lapsed.
Newspapers Are Ruined
Two newspaper offices. the Hawkes.
Bay Herald and the Napier Tele-
graph, were wrecked with their mod
ern equipment q total olSS. The Ma
sonic hotel was q smouldering ruin.
and the seaport section of Napier has
been virtually wiped out by blazing
gasoline. The new municipal theater.
one Of the finest in New Zealand, and
the Presbyterian church both were
burned while the cathedral "a dam
aged beyond repair.
Among the outstanding tragedies
were the collapse OF the roof Of the
Technical school, the crumbling Of
the nurses home and the fall Of Jel-
icoe ward Of the hospital Students
and teachers were killed.
The nurses home was destroyed
while the night staff was asleep.
Some escaped but the bodies Of others
Continued On page nine)