NORTH CANTERBURY

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 111, 11 May 1923, Page 4

NORTH CANTERBURY

BRIDGES BROKEN AND UNDER-

MINED.

CHRISTCHURCH, 10th May. The Waiau bridge is now completely broken in two, and communication with Parnassus is stopped. The loss of the bridge will be very serious to motorists, as the river is one of the most dangerous and difficult in Canterbury, and lies on the direct route to Cheviot. Before the bridge was opened, many cars used to be held up at the *ord where a horse and cart used. to ferry nassengers across. v

Even when the weather clears the Railway Department will be faced with a serious difficulty when it comes to the work of repairing the' breaks on ths Waipara-Parnassus branch. The line is 44 miles in length, and it goes over the Hurunui and Waiau rivers as well as o?er smaller streams.

Reports indicate that rails will have to be relaid over various stretches. Scouring by flood waters still goes on, and tho foundations of the various bridges have been undermined. There is a slip near Scargill, but the worst fall of earth has taken place between Etheltonand Tormorc, where several hundreds of tons of earth have been carried away. The rails underneath this huge pile of debris are very likely to have been either twisted or broken. Repairs will, therefore, be a matter oi weeks.