HEAVY RAIN ON WEST COAST

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 151, 12 April 1950, Page 3

HEAVY RAIN ON WEST COAST

CONSIDERABLE DELAY AND INCONVENIENCE (P.A.) GREYHOUTH, April 11. Heavy rain, which started late on Sunday evening, stopped this after noon after causing considerable dam age and inconvenience on the West Coast. The most serious effects of the storm were to block the Buller Gorge railway in several places with slips, to block the Buller Gorge highway, and delay rail traffic slightly on the Midland line by a slip near Otira. The Liverpool State mine was also made idle by an extensive slip on the Rewanui line:. The mine will probably be idle until about midday tomorrow. The Railways Department hopes to have the • normal rail-car service through the Buller Gorge-Tunning tomorrow afternoon, and it. is expected that the gorge road will also be reopened some time during the day. Over a period of 36 hours almost four inches of rain fell at Greymouth. At Rewanui, 6£ inches of rain fell in the 24 hours to 9 o’clock this morning. At Hokitika, 1.88 inches of rain were recorded for the 48 hours ended at 9 a.m. to-day. A run of nine to 10 knots in the Grey River this morning prevented the loading of the Kaitangata and the Gabriella with coal cargoes. There was a fall of between 150 and 200 tons of rock on the inclinb railway to Rewanui, but it -is expected that it will be cleared bv to-morrow morning to pnable the State coal mine there to resume production.