Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-03
'QUAKES AND FIRE
TAKE HEAVY TOLL
More Than 100 Killed and
Three Towns Wrecked
in New Zealand.
Continued From First Page.)


are blazing furiously.
Hundreds of frame buildings have
been wrecked, and because the water
supply has failed we have been unable
to cope with the flames.
Il have organized food depot, and
my 'crew are policing the streets We
are setting up and X-ray station for
many hundreds have been injured.
No Disorder Reported.
"All the destitute women and chill
dren have been taken aboard the
Veronica.
1.-The earth shocks are still occurring
and I have learned that many people
were killed while they were sitting ir
their parked automobiles The popula-
ton is quiet. There is no disorder
among them and they seemed to be
stunned by the magnitude of this
disaster"
The business area of the town OF
Hastings, IL miles southwest of Napier
was devastated by the quake and con-
f1agration which followed.
Several persons were killed in the col
lapse of the Roach Building, and five
women died when an apartment house
fell in about them. AT Hastings the
death toll will probably be more than
100
1t was feared that IA boys had been
killed in the collapse of building con-
nected with the Technical School at
Napier.
Large supplies of food will be re-
Quired In Napier and the remainder of
the district affected.
Roads were broken up and bridges
destroyed between Napier and Hastings.
Nurses Home ColIapses.
The fire spread to the Napier Hos
pital Nurses Home, which collapsed,
killing several patients and nurses.
Relief was being rushed from all
available places by warship, train and
airplane.
Advices from Hastings said the hos
pital there had been wrecked, while
the nurses hcme collapsed and killed
several of the residents.
The Veronica, in the harbor at
Napier, assumed charge of relief work
there, landing its entire crew, and
upon its urgent request the warships
Diomede and Dunedin left Auckland
with doctors, nurses and medical sup
plies for the stricken city. The gov
eminent also dispatched doctors and
nurses from other places outside the
towns around Napier and Hastings.
Smaller Places Badly Hit.
The earth tremors have been almost
continuous since morning and many
of the smaller places have been badly
hit Two persons are reported dead
at Wairoa, Waipikurau and Walpawa
both were heavy sufferers.
The quake was felt over the whole of
the Hawkes. Bay region, which is about
$50 miles northeast of Wellington. There
was a great upheaval of the sea and
steamers in the harbor putting out were
tossed about on the waters.
New Zealand has been frequently
hard hit by earthquakes. Shocks begin
ming June II, 1929. and continuing for
a long period caused considerable dam
age in the Karamea region on the west
coast of South Island. The Riverview
Observatory, recording today's tremors,
said that they were the strongest
which had occurred IN New Zealand
since those of that time
The Hawkes. Bay district has been
generally regarded as immune to seis-
mic disturbances.
The hot springs near Lake Taupo are
only 30 miles west Of Napier and a rec
ognized volcanic line runs from the lake
and from White Island 80 miles on
the coast, for 100 miles north of Napier.
Quake Killed II in 1929.
Between l848 and 1928 only seven
persons were killed in earthquakes IN
New Zealand A quake in June, 1929,
accounted for II deaths.
Napier is the eighth Australian city
in point of size, with population OF
about 10000. Since the '8os it has
fiourished principally as packing CEN
ter. exporting mutton, dairy products
and fruit to the British Isles.
Hastings, IL miles by railway from
Napier, is built on plain and consists
principally of frame houses. Napier Is
built partly on a high hill and Is the
rail head for a 200-nlile railroad line
to wellington. The entire district sui
fers periodically from floods in the
rivers. which empty into Hawkes. Bay.
Napier Still AbIaze.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, February
3 (P).-Earthquake and fire leveled the
city of Napier, New Zealand, today,
leaving a casualty list reported at 100
dead and 1000 injured and wrecked
four nearby towns, causing an undo
termined number of fatalities and in
juries
Napier was still ablaze and virtually
helpless tonight, the quake having cut
of its water supply. It's stunned pop
ulace stood by unable to count its
death and without effective means of
sorted to in an attempt to check the
flames.
The first shock came shortly before
IL am, shaking large portion Of the
coastal reg on of Hawkes. Bay Province,
of which Napier is the capital. Hast
lnes, town Is miles from Napier re-
ported 81 dead and 100 injured.
Deaths Expected to Mount.
The towns OF Waipawa and Waipu-
kurau also suffered. Fire from the
Napier blaze caused the shutting off of
oil In the tanks at Fort Ahuriri.
All early reports of casualties were
expected to be exceeded as no accurate
count could be made Immediately.
The British war sloop Veronica, an
chored at Napier, was grounded, but
subsequently refioated. The steamer
Northumber and headed for sea when
the water in the harbor bean to re-
cede. Early reports of a tidal wave
following the quake were denied.
Tile British warshipS D'omede and
Dunedin left Auckland for Napier with
sc doctors and Is nurses.
A wireless from the Veronica reported
the whole town was afire. All tele-
phonic and Geographic communication
was cut off. pail of smoke hung over
the district. The shock RACED virtually
every stone building in the town.
Temporary Hospitals Set Up.
Comdr Morgan Of the Veronica re-
ported it was impossible to estimate the
casualties tonight.
Emery ncy hospitals, food depots and
police protection were organized and
temporary hospitals set up. The Veroni-
ca became a refuge for women and
children. Shocks were st.ll being felt
The first shocks were felt across the