ARTHUR’S PASS CONDITIONS

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28472, 30 December 1957, Page 6

ARTHUR’S PASS CONDITIONS

No Shortage. Of Food

“Everything is quiet"" in the township, and things are proceeding normally,” said Mr R. W. Cleland, senior ranger of the Arthur’s Pass National Park Board yesterday. The road to the township from the Bealey Hotel was still not officially opened, but holidaymakers who had been stranded at Arthur’s Pass had been able to get out by ear late on Saturday and yesterday. Residents at the township have still had supplies of food, and newspapers and mail. Supplies from Christchurch are travelling by train to Springfield, and from there by works train to Cass. They are taken the rest of the way across the damaged Waimakariri bridge to Arthur’s Pass by jigger. The first mail and newspapers to arrive since Christmas Eve arrived in this way yesterday morning. Milk comes from Greymouth to Otira by train, is manhandled across the river, and taken through the tunnel by railway jigger. Residents at Arthur’s Pass did not expect yesterday to have any shortage of food, but as there is no electricity in the township there will be a big loss of frozen foods, especially in the store kept by Mr A. G. Long. “Just Inconvenience”

“We’ve had no hardship, just inconvenience,” said Mr Cleland. “There is no reason for concern here. The storm, which was quite spectacular and as good as any we have had here, probably put the mountains in the right perspective for some persons. When we got our newspapers we saw that there are others far worse off than us.” Mr Cleland said that he expected it would be a day or two before the road was officially opened, and it could be several days before the gorge road to Otira was restored. The railway from Cass to Arthur’s Pass might be in order by Tuesday, with any luck. Bridges and tracks in the National Park had been damaged and the jeep track to Temple Basin would need extensive repairs. These would have to be done by hand, to clear the watertables, and residents of Arthur’s Pass had already started work on that.

“I don’t think that many persons have appreciated the work done by the Ministry of Works in the last few "(lays at Arthur’s Pass,” said Mr Cleland. “It has been really magnificent.” Work on Road An officer of the Automobile Association,. Canterbury, Mr H, E. Daniel, who had been isolated at Arthur’s Pass since Thursday, returned to Christchurch yesterday. The road was still in very poor order between the Bealey and Arthur’s Pass, he said, and could be negotiated only by large cars and experienced drivers. The Ministry of Works .had all available men, graders, and bulldozers working on the road to Christchurch, and would probably not start on the gorge road until the Christchurch road was safe. Three cars, whose passengers had been camping in the gorge, were still isolated by the washout at Peg Leg creek, where the approaches to the bridge had been washed out. As they had plenty of food, however, they were prepared to wait until the road could be opened to Arthur’s Pass.