CAUGHT BY LANDSLIDE

Evening Star, Issue 22632, 26 April 1937, Page 8

CAUGHT BY LANDSLIDE

CAR SWEPT INTO SEA CARRIED FIFTY YARDS BY EARTH RISING TIDE PREVENTED SALVAGE Caught by a slip from the hillside, a tourer car was swept from the Cape Saunders road yesterday morning into Wickliffe Bay, where, nearly three chains away from the road, it still remained- to-day. The car, a heavy six-cylinder tourer model, was owned by Mr Howard Reeves, a railway worshops employee, of Frederick street, who was driving a party of young men to Cape Saunders. A gale was blowing when the car ran into its first trouble near Greany’s farm, about three miles from Portobello. It became bogged in thick silt on the road and the combined forces of its own engine and the available man-power failed to move it either forward or in the reverse direction. While the passengers were toiling, the hill began to move down on them and they had to beat a .hasty retreat. The slip trapped the car, and the assistance of two farm labourers was secured to clear away the earth. Attempts to pull the car clear failed, and then the helpers were compelled to beat another hasty retreat as the land near the car commenced to move gently but irresistibly in their direction. . , The car was in the direct path or tho landslide. which carried the machine towards the bay._ It remained on' its four wheels as it was swept in the earth trap over the four-feet hank to the beach, out on which it was carried for about 50 yards. The men could do nothing to stop the sweeping away of the car and as soon as it settled in the_ tidal hay they iwaded out, waist high in the chilly ■ water, to maho a final attempt to secure,it. However, they could not move it and, as no horses were available to haul it back to the road and the tide was flowing, the salvage efforts had to be abandoned. " It was a strange sensation to see the earth sliding down on us,” said one of the passengers this morning “ We had to jump from ‘ down under and we were amazed when the car kept on its wheels when it was swept over the bank.” Still on its four wheels after the tides had swept round it, the car was in the water this morning, but it was reported that arrangements had been made by the owner to salvage it.