BIG CLOUD BURST

Evening Star, Issue 21945, 4 February 1935, Page 8

BIG CLOUD BURST

SERIOUS SLIPS IN CROMWELL GORGE RAIL AND ROAD TRAFFIC BLOCKED FRUITGROWERS AFFECTED A cloudburst in the Rocky Gorge, between, Clyde and Cromwell late yesterday afternoon has resulted in one of the most serious slips experienced in that region in recent years, completely disorganising both rail and road communications.

Three large slips occurred on the railway line between three and four miles beyond Clyde, and two or three miles further on eight smaller slips took place. Thousands of tons came down, the biggest slip is about five chains long and Bft deep, it being estimated that the total length of line affected is approximately one mile. A break-down train left Dunedin at midnight last night in charge of the Acting District Engineer (Mr G. M. Beck) who had with him a dozen men, surfacemen and others being picked up en route so that there would be something like fifty men at work clearing the slip to-day. The present proposal is to run a temporary track over the slip until the permanent track is clear. it is anticipated that the clearing of the permanent track will take some weeks, but by laying down a temporary track it should be possible to establish traffic communication in a couple of days at the latest, with just a possibility of having the line clear by to-morrow afternoon.

Another special work-train left at 9 o’clock this morning with permanent way material for the laying of the temporary track. The train arriving here at 5.23 tonight ran only from Clyde to-day, and the one that left here at 7.52 this morning will go only as far as Clyde. It has keen found impossible so far to tranship passengers from the trams on account of the desperately bad state of the roads.

The usual Sunday night fruit train was unable to leave CromtVell last night, and consequently fruit from Clyde and this side was not forwarded until the ordinary morning train, which reaches here at 6.23 to-night. Arrangements have been made, however, to send consignments of fruit north and south by the night goods’ trains, with a view to minimising delay. Only light cars will be able to get through to Cromwell to-day, according to advice received by the secretary ot the Automobile Association (Otago), Mr W. P. Sutton, this morning. There have been a number of washouts on the roads, but it is anticipated that heavy traffic should be able to get through to-morrow. With considerable difficulty, the road bus services managed to get through with passengers to-day, but the roads are still very bad, and in some places rendered almost impassable by big boulders.

The bridge has been washed away on the Clyde-Springvale road, but with care the creek is fordable.