By Earthquakes

Gazelle Peninsula Shaken By Earthquakes

From Our Own Correspondent

Rabaul. Oct. 27.

AT 7.5 a.m. on October 20, a serious earth tremor occurred, gauged be tween strength 7 to 8 (strength 10 is regarded as explosion point). Kokopo, the site for the new New Britain head quarters, suffered more % severely than Rabaul.

Seven houses in the Kokopo area were completely destroyed; 30-odd severely damaged. All houses and stores in the Kokopo area suffered some damage broken china, glassware, household effects and loss of tanks. Kokopo, was for a time completely without water. The Vunapope Mission suffered several thousands of pounds of damage, including damage to their valuable X-ray plant.

Both the Vunapope hospital and the Government hospital had all their drugs destroyed when everything crashed to the floor. Emergency supplies were sent in immediately.

Mr. Keith McCarthy, District Officer, New Britain District, proceeded by ship with other Government officials to in spect the damage. Pontoons have been arranged to ship water to Kokopo and water carts are urgently required.

The Rabaul-Kokopo road suffered at least 20 landslides which trapped three motor trucks-*-two will be able to be re moved by barges but one is expected to be a total loss.

This coast road is now thought dangerous and it is not considered prac ticable to reopen it. Extensive road building will at once take place on the inland route to enable the existing road to become a main thoroughfare. One big landslide has been cleared from this road and it is now open for traffic.

The telephone line between Rabaul and Kokopo cannot be repaired, and as the coast road is not to be reopened, con siderable time will elapse before a com pletely new line can be laid along the new road.

In Rabaul there were at least 50 tanks destroyed, and roofs on about 100 homes damaged—the first rains will really tell.

No houses were actually destroyed but extensive damage was done to household property.

There were many near-fires with kero sene refrigerators.

The power house fused and cut itself off, but is now in order. The water line on the Namanula hill burst, but that also is repaired.

No loss of life, to the present, has been reported, and there are fio known serious injuries but many people were bruised when thrown to the ground.

THE Administrator, Colonel J. K.

Murray, arrived in Rabaul on October 24, to inspect the damage caused by the tremors. He consulted, on arrival, with the District Officer, Mr. J.

K. McCarthy, Mr. George MacLennan, Regional Officer, Public Works Depart ment and other Government Officials.

During his stay he inspected the Nonga Evacuation Camp, which is prepared in readiness in the event of volcanic eruption taking place in Rabaul.

On October 26, Colonel Murray met a representative gathering of the European, Chinese, Eurasian and Native com munities in order to discuss the Govern ment’s policy on the move from Rabaul to Kokopo. He stated that the only reason for the move from Rabaul was that it is considered unsafe due to the possibility of volcanic eruptions but that earth tremors such as experienced recently were likely to occur at any time, at any place in the Territory. Consequently it may be

considered necessary to incorporate cer tain specifications in building plans to enable buildings to withstand the violence of bad tremors.

Mr. B. B. Perriman, Managing Director New Guinea Company Limited, thanked Colonel Murray for his visit to Rabaul and Kokopo at this time.

Rabaul was amused by the fact that during this meeting while Colonel Murray was making a statement that tremors come, unheralded and were likely to occur at any time with various degrees of violence, a small tremor shook the McCarthy residence where the meeting was taking place.

Coionel Murray during a very full schedule, visited all areas involved in the tremor, and inspected the now abandoned coast road from Rabaul to Kokopo.

One of the amazing things about Ter ritory folk, however, is the speed with which these things are forgotten and people make shift until conditions can be remedied.

One family which cannot now live in their plantation home have temporarily set up house in the office adjoining their former residence.

Mr. J. Campbell, who recently com pleted an Agricultural course at Massey College in New Zealand on a Rehabilita tion grant, has been appointed an Agri cultural Assistant in the Department of Agriculture, Fiji.