The Busch's slip also reached the house and outbuildings of the nearby
Morel family farm which was 0.8km eastwards. Charles Morel had
been
working a
draft horse when the quake struck. Unfortunately he
stopped to unharness the horse before he and his wife raced towards the
higher road
terrace. They
stumbled and fell, and both were caught
by the slurry
and the wreckage being carried along by the slip.
He was badly cut and although he was pulled out he bled to death on the
edge
of the slip. Mrs Morel was rescued by a neighbour, Mrs Dot
Nelson, and
taken
to the nearest house, that of Mrs Brown and family.
She was taken to
the Nelson Hospital the next day where it was found
that she had a broken leg. Her husband was buried on the 19th of June.
Although the bottom storey of their house was smashed to pieces,
the
top
storey was separated from the wreckage and carried along by
the
slip. When
it came to rest, while it was badly twisted it was still
almost intact
|
AT BUSCH'S SLIP