THE 1931 HASTINGS EARTHQUAKE

The earthquake devastated the towns of Napier and Hastings and did considerable damage throughout the surrounding area. The damage in Hastings is described in a booklet titled How Earthquakes and Fires Wrought Destruction to Hastings.

On 3 February 1931, at 12 minutes to 11 a.m., titanic forces threw our part of the world to and fro, and up and down, with such suddenness and severity, that in a few seconds scores were killed, hundreds were injured, buildings were wrecked, and fires were started. ....

The clearest evidence of the suddenness of the first great shake is the fact that the greatest ratio of loss of life came from those on pavements, who were unable to reach the centre of the roadway, where they would have been safe from falling masonry. One young woman tells that the convulsion threw her prone on the footpath, and as she was bumped up and down she saw others trying to keep their feet, while all the way up Hastings’ main street parapets were falling and buildings collapsing upon pedestrians and parked cars. Another witness was crossing the railway line in Heretaunga Street when the shock came. As he held on to others in the struggle to keep upright, he saw the Post Office clock tower sway three times like a massive pendulum, and then crash on those beneath it.

The whole facade of the Grand Hotel fell with a roar, with a thick cloud of dust rising as a pall. Other crashes followed in quick succession, and soon the inmates of the buildings that could escape poured into the streets. . . .

It was a marvel so many escaped. In most schools the scholars were in the playground. The heaviest toll was in the business section of town. Those that escaped immediately and quietly set to succour those less fortunate. . . . The flow of wounded found doctors, nurses and volunteer helpers, quick to foresee the greatness of the task, and active with preparations to cope with it while immediate relief was afforded the sufferers, involving work at the highest pressure, and that pressure continued for four days and nights.

Fires broke out. The two-storied fire station was in ruins, and the engines could not be extracted for nearly half an hour. By skilful driving the engines climbed over the wreckage without capsizing. The water mains were injured by the collapse of the Havelock Bridge, and only a partial pressure of water was available to fight the fires, which were raging at Webber and Shattky’s in Russell Street, at Roach’s department store in Heretaunga Street West, and on both sides of the block below. Despite the difficulties, the firemen completely checked the western fires and won what was regarded as effective control over the fire in the Grand Hotel block.

While the work of rescue and fire fighting proceeded, a meeting of citizens was held at the Bank of New South Wales corner at 2 p.m., and a start was made with an organisation that through the succeeding weeks coordinated with the Mayor and Council and established a control that won praise for efficiency. . . .

All the time [after]quakes were continuing. About 9 p.m. a heavy jolt did increased damage, reducing further buildings to heaps of rubble. A serious blow was the putting of the Power House out of commission for some hours, thus blocking the pumping of water necessary to maintain the dominance over the smouldering fire near the ruins of the Grand Hotel. Fanned by the western wind, this fire began to spread. All the water available was carried from Tong’s artesian well. The firemen fought under the worst of handicaps, unable to impose a check on the consuming onward swirl of fire, until the staff in the Power House, by a maximum of effort, enabled the plant to resume pumping . . . Three-quarters of the most valuable block in Hastings had been destroyed before the fire was suppressed.

[The proprietor of the Grand Hotel, J. Ross, was trapped in the cellar and was killed in the fire that broke out during the night, ref. Town and Country, The History of Hastings and District, page 234.]

After the quakes scarcely a home remained intact. Some chimneys broke through the roof and ceiling, doing varying damage, Crockery and preserves lay smashed amongst the overturned furniture. . . . Fortunately the weather was fine. . . . Ninety-two lost their lives in Hastings . . . in the well-kept cemetery are the rows of crosses in memory of those who sleep at their foot . . .

One of Robert Barcham’s sons, Paul Barcham, a radio enthusiast, helped Hastings to regain and maintain contact with the outside world at the height of the earthquake confusion. Paul and his brother Silvanus are described in chapter 6 of The Barchams of Edingthorpe.