HEAVY RAIN STRIKES WEST COAST

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 96, 19 January 1944, Page 6

HEAVY RAIN STRIKES WEST COAST

Railway Blocked By Slips HOLIDAY-MAKERS UNABLE TO GET HOME Dominion Special Service. GREYMOUTH, January 18. Hain for which the West Coast lias been in urgent need arrived last night, more than two inches falling, with disastrous results to traffic on the Midland line and on the.highway through tlie Otira Gorge. As a result of a series of slips extending over six miles, no trains will run through till Friday at the earliest and except for the road route to Canterbury over the Lewis I’ilss, the Coast is isolated. • So serious are the slips that at one point the highway is buried under aOtt. of debris, which descended first across the road and then the railway. The express to Christchurch was cancelled tins morning after the passengers had boa™' ed tlie train, and the train for the West Coast returned to Christchurch alter reaching Springfield. The railcar for the Coast did not get past Otira, and returned to Christchurch. Lonights railcar and the perishable goods tram services were cancelled as . there was no chance at all of transhipping passengers across the slips. So far no arrangements have been possible to meet the transport situation, though it is possible that passengers will be conveyed via Reefton by rail, thence by road to Culverden to connect again with the train. However, no decision about this has yet been taken. , A serious aspect of the hold-up is that today’s trains would have been the first to leave this week either way under the restriction scheme, the express in each direction being 10 cars. Approximately 400 passengers with tbcsb permits to travel, chiefly returning home from, holidays, are now compelled to remain in Greymouth and Christchurch respectively, pending an alternative service being arranged. Tons of Mullock. The first word of the slip came when five chains of shingle face gave way near Aicken’s, a few miles on the Grey side of Otira and while steps were being taken to meet that a further series occurred, completely wiping out the possibility of running trains. Bulldozers and other equipment hastily requisitioned in Greymouth with the co-operation of the ’Works Department were sent forward by special trains and an immediate start was made to tackle the formidable task of removing the hundreds of tons of mullock. The difficulties of the trainrunning staff were accentuated by the destruction of about 14 miles of telephone and train-control line at four separate places, so that communication was available from Greymouth only as far a s Jackson’s. The rain brought a fresh of nearly three knots in the Grey River, which may assist in some way to relieve shoaling at the bar, but heavy seas.have been running, and these are likely to increase the trouble by piling up sand. An electrical storm in the early hours of this morning caused power failures and the Liverpool State mine was idle because power which drives the fan was cut off. ' , , , Lightning splintered a telegraph pole by a direct hit at Barrytown, and the fuses at the Barrytown ami Tirimoana post offices were blown. The weather has now cleared.

NORTH ISLAND’S NEED FOR RAIN

Deterioration In Crops And

Stock (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, January 18. Two instances can be quoted of production being benefited by the prolonged spell of dry weather throughout the country Beekeepers report an uncommonly large yield of honey in every district wliere large apiaries are situated, and viticulturists expect.a good grape harvest because of the hot, dry weather. Tn every other sphere of agricultural activity, however, the prevailing conditions have persisted so long that an alarming deterioration of crops and stock has resulted. The many ambitious vegetable-growing schemes in the North Island are really in jeopffrdy. Further planting of rotation crops has either been suspended or greatly curtailed. - Even if rain in sufficient quantity should fall soon, it will come too late to aid the recovery of many acres of wilted and retarded vegetables. Cows are drying off months before the usual time, and domestic milk supplies have been maintained by drawing on herds at a considerable- distance from the metropolitan area. A man who travelled .extensively over the North Island last week reported yesterday that . pastures in the Waikato and the vicinity of Auckland were in better ease than those in Hawke’s Bay, the Wairarapa, and Wellington. Fruitgrowers have had a disappointing season, and poultry-keepers have reported an alarming falling-off recently in egg production; The heat and lack ot green feed had caused many laying birds to go into an early moult, and the pullets are 'backward. Duck eggs came on the market in greatly increased quantities during the flush of the season, but they, too, have fallen off. Au authority on egg production stated yesterday that the number of eggs being sent to distributors was reduced by about 50 per cent, compared . with a mouth or six weeks ago. Regardiug water supplies, the metropolitan area is in a more satisfactory position than it was at this season last year, but the draw-off remains greater than the daily intake of the dams by approximately 10,000,000 gallons.