WON THROUGH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 28, 3 February 1936, Page 8

WON THROUGH.

MOTORISTS FROM NORTH. PUBLIC WORKS MEN HELP. The assistance of about 20 men from a Public Works camp near Kaukapakapa enabled a number of motorists to get through to Auckland yesterday from places as far north as Wliangarci. Some of the motorists had been on the road for the greater part of the day and did not reach Auckland till 10 o'clock at night. The first flood waters were encountered on the southern journey at Ruakaka and Waipu. Small slips in the Waipu Gorge had to be negotiated, and in other placesg? fallen trees and telegraph and telephone poles caused trouble, but slow . progress was made until the Dome Valley was readied, where nine feet of water put an end to all hopes of getting further by that route. A number of cars, which by this time liad formed a sort of cavalcade, decided to try the Kaukapakapa road, but slips were encountered about ten miles north of the township. The Hoteo route was then tried, but the Hotco bridge was under water and there was at least ten feet of water on the road. The homestead of Mr. T. A. Gubb was half-submerged. The motorists returned to the Kaukapakapa road and enlisted the help of the men from the Public Work's camp a few miles away. After two and a half hours' work the slips had been cleared sufficiently for the cars to get through.

BRIDGES WASHED AWAY. WAIHI AND TAURANGA ROADS. A party of Auckland motorists who left Wailii at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon experienced much difficulty in negotiating the Karangahake Gorge, and after getting through they had to make a long detour and proceed to Te Puke and Rotorua. The motorists state that the bridge between Waihi and Waikino had been washed away. Further north they found the Mamaku Road closed and two bridges washed away on the road to Tauranga. Just south of Te Puke there was sft of water on the main road. Cars had to be towed through the flooded portion of the road, with resultant mechanical trouble, which greatly delayed motorists. HENDERSON DELUGE. FRUIT STRIPPED FROM TREES. j The rainfall at Henderson for the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. on Sunday was G.Olin, while the barometer reached the surprisingly low pressure of 2S.7oin at ; 8 a.m. ■ j A large amount of damage was caused in the orchards throughout the district ! by the gale, great numbers of valuable ■ fruit trees being uprooted, while in some , cases it is impossible to walk through the orchards without trampling on apples ' and peaches. i ] Largo pine and wattle trees have been t uprooted or splintered off near the j 1 ground, and in some cases shelter belts I 1 were entirely destroyed. <