Rabaul’s Emergency Exits

Rabaul, Sept. 17.

TT is estimated that it will cost: A £30,000 to implement plans foi the safe evacuation of Rabaul resi-i dents should an emergency (such as a volcanic eruption) arise. How-' ever, this is a small amount in com parison with the vast sums necessary for building a town on a new site.

Recently, a test escape using the Nordup route indicated that two-« way traffic on this road under emer gency conditions is very dangerous and that even one way traffic—out of the town—is far from ideal. Be fores will remember the chaos on this road when in 1937 residents attempted to escape the volcanoes by car along this narrow route. Some cars broke down and the rest of the traffic blocked up behind.

Before this route could be con sidered safe, the road would have to be sealed from the town area tc the top of Namanula Hill, the whole route properly drained and the face of cuttings and cliffs planted witH shrubs to prevent collapse during earth movements.

The Nordup route is Rabaul’s emergency second-string. The route through Tunnel Hill is being built up] as the main avenue of escape.