ALL NIGHT IN A TRAIN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 67, 20 March 1907, Page 7

ALL NIGHT IN A TRAIN.

NAPIER TO WELLINGTON, SLIPS ON THE LINE., Rather cold and hungry, about 1 hundred persons, men, women, ant children, trooped out of a train at the Government Station at about twenty minutes to three this morning. Th< train, which had left Napier at 8.4E a.m., was due at 7.20 p.m., but came in seven hours behind time. The delaj was caused by slips along the route. Similar obstacles impeded the express foi the north, which did not reach Napiei till 3.20 this morning. A gentleman, one of the unfortunate hundred, visited the Evening Post office this, morning, and acted as spokesman for a number of passengers who believed that they had a grievance against tha Railway Department. He said that when the train arrived at Woodville tha authorities there should have known about the obstacles ahead, but nothing was said to the passepgers. The tr'aia was delayed there till about 2 o'clock, and. then a start was made for Pabiatua, where three-quarters of an hour waa spent in waiting. The express steamed into Eketahuna at 4 o'clock, and left at 9.25. Further stoppages were necessary; later on. It is complained that if the passengers had been* given information about* the prospects of delay, they could havo caught the Manawatu train at Palmerston North, and thus would have been saved much discomfort and inconvenience. They contend that the station, officials had ample opportunity to giv« the travellers an inkling of what might be expected. These statements were referred to tho Traffic Superintendent's office this morning. The reply was that the department did not anticipate that, the train would be greatly delayed. At 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon it was not expected that progress could be seriously checked. Slips had come down, but with men working vigorously there was a prospect of clearing the track. However freelt debris kept piling up, and this was 0. hindrance which could not be foreseen. When the train ' was leaving Woodville it was not known that the line would be blocked. The wires also were down for some time yesterday morning,, and the department could not communicate with Woodville. If any serious de-, lay had been expected the department would have given notice to the 'passengers, but under the circumstances they could not be transferred to the Manawatu train, especially as there was a possibility that the Gorge route might bft affected by the weather. A scheme foil effecting a transfer from one side of th«i final blockage to another was considered,, but was found impracticable. With regard to the disclosure of information at wayside stations, there was no regulation to prevent officials from speaking, if they had knowledge of difficulties ahead. Th« department did not desire to hide anything. "iesterday two trains -were held "up by slips for « couple of hours &i Kaitoko. During Monday night a goods train was checked about fouimiles from the summit, .but early yesterday morning a ballast train with % gang of men went up and cleared tho line by noon. t The Wairarapa Wain was delayed a couDle of hours by that slip, and tha whole service was more or less disoiganised. The night train from Masterton to Woodville "ran into a slip at tho Mangamaho tunnel. There were five slides of earth on the line within a mile. A couple of ballast trains were despatched to the scene, and got the route in ord#r by 8.30 in the_ evening. These mishaps have entailed much work, in offices and outside, night and day. Clerks were busy in the Wellington traffic office from 5 o'clock yesterday morning till midnight. To-day the lines are practically aW clear, and the service is again on the customary basis. Treacherous papa is blamed for the. obstructions. It is mentioned thatthft long period of dry weather seamed and cracked the material, thus putting it into the rit;ht mood for slipping wheit it was soaked by the heavy rain.