WASHOUTS ON RAILWAY.

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 120, 25 May 1925, Page 5

WASHOUTS ON RAILWAY.

MAIN TRUNK LINE UNDER

.WATER

PASSENGERS PASS THEOTJGH TRY.

ING ORDEAL.

<BI TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL TO TEE POST.)

v AUCKLAND, This Day.

Tl)e express leaving Wellington at midday on Friday arrived at Taihape at 7.15 p.m. the same evening, right on time. This train was delayed there until 12.28 a.m. on Saturday owing to a washout near Karioi, between. Taihape and Ohakune. The line was made safe for traffic, and the express arrived at Ohakune at 2.22 a.m. In view of the reports concerning the condition o£ the lino north of Ohakune officials- decided that the traiu should remain there for the night.

The limited express, which left Wellington at 7.10 p.m. on Friday, was also delayed at Taihape for a few hours, but arrived at Oliakvuio in the early hours of Saturday morning without mishap. On Saturday morning both expresses were broken up, and one train was made to carry all the passengers to Auckland. This train left Ohakuno at 12.18 p.m. on Saturday.

By this time most of the passengers became aware that there had been a disastrous washout between Piriaka, and Tuuniarunui. This was confirmed when the^ train ax-rived at Piriaka, just before 2 o'clock on Saturday afternoon. At the timo it was raining heavily, and the troubles of the passengers were accentuated when they were told that they would have to walk past the washout and entrain on the special express assembled at Taumarunui. which was waiting on the other side of the slip. All heavy baggage and mail was transferred from the train at l'iriaka to the lorries and taken by the road to Taumarunui The train proceeded to within forty'yards o£ the washout which is half a. mile to the north of Piriaka; passengers then walked around the washout to the train on the other side. Rain was falling heavily and the- procession, in the words of one of the 'travellers, was desolate, the only saving grace beinj- that the patli was a fairly good one, and tho sandy gravel-covered surface was easy to traverse.^ A short journey, on foot was made without mishap. The' passengers slate that tho washout is a vcrv bad one. At the spot the hill rises on ono side of the line, and there is a, steep, drop on the other, culminating in a mountain stream. Tony of earth-fell from iindei- tho line, and loft the rail .suspended for some twenty or thirty feet. '

"1" shudder !o think- that our train might have crashed ovor this line," stated a passenger. "It would have been certain death for us alj.'*

Mr. F. IT. Morton, civil engineer, of Wellington, who was a passenger, 'said on Saturday afternoon that the v.{nshout was a serious one, and would Utko

considerable time to repair permanently. The sight of such a washout in an environment that seemed miles from nowhere, and on an afternoon that was black and stormy, did not tend to raise the spirits of the passengers. The confidence of railway officials, however, reassured them greatly. The relief train .left the washout at 3.40 p.m. on Saturday, and arrived at Taumarunui at 4.6 p.m. The train was further delayed in awaiting mails and baggage from P'iriaka, and finally left Taumarunui at 6.20 p.m. The greatest caution was observed on the stretch between Taumarunui and ■jle-Kuiti. This hilly country was also rain-soaked, and the train pulled up on two or three occasions 'while linesmen . went ahead to ascertain if all was well. Te Kuiti was finally reached at 8.34 p.m. .'At the Kiug Country township word was ..received that, the line was under water in the vicinity of Hangatiki settlement, just to the south of Otorohnnga. In view of this it was deemed advisable to await the night at Te Kuiti. Many of the passengers went to local hotels and boarding-houses,- but many remained on the train. The train left To Kuiti at 8.16 o'clock yesterday morning and reached Auckland in safety, a day and a. half behind time. There were about two hundred passengers on board. The great majority of them had journeyed from .Wellington. ■ . Refreshment rooms provided all the passengers required in the way of eatables and "smokes." So great was the demand for refreshments at Te Kuiti that passengers literally bought the place out. Before tho tram left the station refreshment rooms were reduced to cake and condensed milk. Fortunately tho journey was accomplished in fairly warm, if wet, weather. Women and children were the only ones who appeared to feel the. strain, though some complained of the lack of heating. At Te Kuiti the engine was taken off for the Bight, and in consequence the steamheaters were put out of action. Many of those who remained on tho trairf for the night were uuablo to sleep, and reached Auckland yesterday in a somewhat exhausted condition. Games of cards and the solving of cross-word puzzles helped to pass the time away for many.

The guard commented on the splendid spirit of the passengers. There were few complaints. The passengers also spoke Jn high terms of the courtesy and attention of the officials who did their very best to make the best of a bad situation. .-Tired of the long journey, and not knowing when they would reach Auckland, a few of. the passengers decided to remain •at Te .Kuiti. The delay in transporting baggage from Piriaka to Taumarunui was commented upon by Mr. Morton. When (.no train arrived at Piriaka there was only a small lorry in readiness to convey all the mail and baggage, despite the fact that the officials at Taumarunui had had_ plenty of notice. ''This was indeed bad organisation," plated Mr. Morton, "and delayed th» traiu considerably." '