Earthquake Memoir of RV Giorgi

RONALD VICTOR GIORGI

1931 EARTHQUAKE ACCOUNT

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It was a clear sunny day, Feb 3rd 1931 At 10.47 a.m. Terrific Earthquake. 7.9 on Richter scale. Roar. Buildings falling, roads, waving like rollers at sea.

Napier (Pop 16,000-00) [unclear] killed, 28 ? injured

Hastings (Pop. 11,000-00) 85 killed 28 ?

Total killed 258 when H.B. population was much smaller. Choking dust and smoke.

Bricks, concrete, twisted steel, and splintered wood. Shops looted, I caught some men looting our Reserve Room.

Napier worse hit. 7 nurses killed in Home on hill. Monastry [Monastery] at Greenmeadows, seven [8] priests killed.

Old mens home 14 at Park Island Napier. Big shake like a terrier shaking a rat.

Old soldiers War I and ex-territorial soldiers on picket to stop looting. Col H.H. Holderness in control, Major Penlington in charge of pickets keeping swaggers out who wanted only a meal etc, water carts, dug holes for sewage, but water & sewage quickly restored. Havelock Bridge & water main temporarily repaired. Men clearing rubble; digging out bodies; hospital set up at Racecourse, Doctors & Nurses poured in from Gisborne & Palmerston Nth.

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Feb 3rd 1931.  Clear calm sunny morning. Experiences of the 1931 H.B. E Quake on Feb 3rd.

I was in our Reserve Room, Old Bakery when at 10.47 a.m. a terrific bump & a terrific shaking for 1 or 2 minutes. Young man in front of me as I rushed out collected an old tankful of water. I turned and saw my father at the peak of a pile of bricks. I pulled him out. His glass eye was [k]nocked out and he had a large lump on his head. Around the corner came the head Dly Tel. [Daily Telegraph] Reporter with blood pouring from his head. I put Dad & him in the Buick car & drove around to Dr Whyte (Sandy) who couldn’t open his car shed doors. I yanked them off as Dr patched Dad & Ed Culver’s heads.

Dr Whyte’s wife came screaming down the street – their little daughter, Patricia was killed, aged 8.

I later found the quake measured 7.9 on the Richter scale, another equally large quake Friday 10th Feb early afternoon. I just walked out of our home & saw Ellison Rd come rolling like breakers toward me – another big quake.  On Feb 3rd I saw a brick wall roll over like a wave killing a young lady.

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My father and I then went out to Te Awanga, meeting Mr H.W.C. Baird this side of the Black Bridge, near Haumoana, who wanted to get to Hstgs [Hastings], so we changed cars & walked over the damaged bridge to his car.

At Te Awanga we found most people had gone up to Mr & Mrs Glenny’s place on the hill, as they all expected a huge tidal wave would happen as the sea receded some ½ mile or so exposing the reef. We or rather Dad & I returned to Hastings, where I found some men looting the Reserve room. I took balance of goods inside our main shop which had withstood the quake. I then went to see front windows which had been smashed. We later had them boarded. Our front door wooden frame was scorched, from fires across Heretaunga St. Our shop’s parapets came down, killing one lovely girl next door. After a couple of days I worked for a while on Roach’s store, where 17 people were killed. About 85 killed in Hstgs [Hastings] 123 in Napier.  Many bodies were not identified. In all 258 were killed in H.B. from Wairoa down.

Catholic seminary at Greenmeadows 17 killed. 7 nurses in Napier Hospital on the Hill, in the Nurses’ Home.

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People were amazing.  Army, Navy, Territorials & old War I soldiers. Hastings very self-reliant – took no time to bring order into a wrecked town. People soon went back to their homes, even to live in tents, beside their houses. Cleaning up the messes inside their homes. Aeroplanes were using Bridge Pa Aerodrome, bringing in medical supplies etc., Ministry of Works also came to help clear up. Napier Technical College down, some boys (3) were killed in Napier.  One Mahora school boy killed, several youths killed in towns. Waipukurau put up some 34 patients, & with Waipawa & Waipuk. supplying cups of tea with sandwiches etc., a great effort by small towns who were themselves badly shaken by the quake.

Insurance on buildings. Hstgs [Hastings] Municipal bldgs, Assembly Hall, Municipal Theatre.  Also our M & G Bldgs & Commerce Bldg. Both stood, as did H.B. Farmers. And the then Union Bank (A&NZ now) of brick with a heavy poticeer [portico] all stood up, with minor damage. Roach’s large store came down and 17 killed.

Amateur Radio station (Mills Bros). I saw Jim Mills – message to Millicent my fiancé at that time in Dunedin. She received my telegram ¼ hour before names killed were read out.

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Evacuation by train from Hastings for injured & homeless. Some went to Palmerston Nth, Wanganui, Wellington & Sth Island.  School boys & girls even to Waitaki.

2nd big quake on Friday 6th February. Rest of Grand Hotel came down & fires restarted. Kingsley Peters pinned under beam.

Army supplied tents, & cooking stoves for soup & stew. Navy sailors from HMS Veronica, & HMS Diomede & Leander, Dunedin, proved invaluable – mostly in Napier, small number in Hastings.

Mayor of Hastings Mr George Roach was caught between slips near Wairoa, so Mr Henderson took over – he was Deputy Mayor & Fire Chief.  Fire station collapsed & the fire engine had to be dug out – not much water anyway.

Col. H. H. Holderness was put in charge of pickets & patrols; Col. Jack Manson (later “Black Rod” in Parliament) was in charge of registration.  Major R. Les McGaffin in charge of tents etc.   500 tents, 12,650 Army blankets, 2 Army stoves.

Capt. Charlie Slater in charge of food distribution.

Palliasses by the 100s, Carlton Club Hotel & Albert Hotel brought out beds etc.  Sgt. Major George O’Leary – a grand old soldier from War I was everywhere helping.

Afterwards a Colonel, then on Govt. Finance Board.

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Hastings. Col. H. H. Holderness in charge pickets & patrols. Capt Jack Manson (later Black Rod in Plt [Parliament]) on Registrations. Major Les McGaffin 500 tents, 12,500 blks [blankets], 100s of palliases, Capt Charlie Slater on food distr[ibution].

Sgt Major George O’Leary was everywhere.

Water pipe over H. Nth Bridge broken so water carts used. Sewage broken. Dug holes.

Ex Territorial & old War I soldiers were invaluable.

Hastings & Napier injured sent to Waipuk. 39 beds. Palmerston Nth, Wanganui & Wellington. Hundreds of refugees to Palm Nth, Wltn [Wellington], even Sth Island.  3 girls 5 boys to Waitaki Boys & Girls H.S. in Oamauru [Oamaru].   All N.Z. helped.  Money poured in from overseas. Navy Personell [Personnel] great help.   HM ships Veronica, Laburnam [Laburnum], Diomede, Dunedin and Leander.  First named stranded at Inner Harbour Napier.

Telegram to fiancée per Mr Jim Mills before 9 pm.

Bridge Pa Aerodrome open. Small planes came & went for days. Supplies, medical supplies, etc

Napier rose 8 ft (about 2 ½ metres) H.B. sea shallow and sea receded & stayed out ¼ mile at least.

Napier Inner Ahuriri Lagoon where H.B. Airport now is; Dry.  Yachts, stinking fish.

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All messages had to go through Wellington;  HMS “Veronica” at wharf at the Spit (Inner Harbour).  Also came later Laburnam, Dunedin, & Diomede.

The sailors, mostly in Napier, did grand work.  Merchant ships Northumberland & Taranaki sent out messages to Wellington.

Hastings. Quickly into it’s normal routine. Water and sewage, water carts, holes for sewage, tents next to homes.

Maori Agri[cultural] College (M.A.C.) at Bridge Pa, came down and was never replaced, but went to Hamilton.  Te Aute Boys Maori College badly damaged.

Hstgs [Hastings] Borough Council met in Methodist Sunday School on afternoon of Feb 3rd.

Premier Forbes, & later Gov. Gen. Lord Bledisloe & his wife visited Napier & Hastings, and gave large sums of money for relief.

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People.  Women asked to leave if possible, while men worked on cleaning rubble etc. Many heroic deeds – so many earned medals for good works.  Drs, nurses, men, sailors, soldiers, council staff.

151 E.Q. shocks Feb 3 1931
612 1st month
938 year 1931

Friday Feb 13th 1931. Another big shake; some say bigger than 3rd.  Felt severely in Wairoa area.

On Feb 13th Col Holderness dismissed his team in Hastings.

Mayor George Roach, Dep Mayor Bob Henderson (Lady Watties father), Fire Chief.  Mayor Roach trapped on Napier to Wairoa Rd, so Dep Mayor Henderson took over.