TRAIN TRAVELLERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 48, 26 February 1940, Page 9

TRAIN TRAVELLERS

MAIN LINE BLOCKED

KING COUNTRY STORM

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

TAUMARUNUI, This Day,

From an early hour this morning Taumarunui has been the scene of great activity with 2000 railway passengers' stranded here, waiting for buses,, lorries, and taxis to convey them to Kakahi in the course of transportation from Auckland to trains going south and to Wellington trains coming north. The line is clear north of Taumarunui but is still blocked at Piriaka. Four passenger trains from Auckland were held here this morning. The New Plymouth express from Auckland arrived at 10 o'clock. Passengers from this train will go to Kakahi by bus and reach Taranaki via Marton. The Territorials stranded at Taumarunui were the first to be sent away last night. They went by buses and lorries to Kakahi, going on from there by train for Waiouru. The express that left Wellington at 3 o'clock on Saturday was held at Kakahi. Passengers after transportation by road, left Tau-> marunui for the north by the 7.40 train' this morning. Passengers on the Auckland trains spent two uncomfortable nights in their carriages, and the food problem added to their discomfort. Appalling damage has been, done to roads in the district. Almost every road in the Kaitieke. Taumarunui, and Ohura counties is blocked with slips and washouts. The main highway north of Taumarunui is blocked at Okahukura, the'water being still five feet deep over the road. It will probably be passable later today. South of Taumarunui there are washouts and slips at Piriaka, Manson's. Siding, and between the top of the Spiral and Horopito. The National Park-Turangi road is open. Mr. R. Harland, one of six men marooned on Winter's Island, swam the Wanganui River this morning with great difficulty and landed partially exhausted. The men on the island had a terrible time on Saturday night, their hut being washed.away. In the main house the watea-reached the top of the windows, and the men had to spend the night on the roof, diving off, stacked furniture into water and out through windows in order to get on the roof. The lights and telephone failed and they had very little food.