THREE DAYS IN MAROONED TRAIN.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 5 February 1936, Page 7

THREE DAYS IN MAROONED TRAIN.

PASSENGERS LIVE ON BEEAD AND BISCUITS

TREMENDOUS DAMAGE IN

NOETIILAND

WHANGAREI, Last Night

Eoad transport in Northland is siui beset with difficulty and in many areas is impossible. Gangs are at work removing the slips, but it will be at least a week before some of the worst are disposed of. A dismal scene is to be witnessed in the Hikurangi swamp drainage district where some 15,000 acres have been converted into a lake with the tops or trees peeping out of the yellow water. Passengers who left Auckland by train for Whangarei on Saturday arrived to day. They spent three days in the train which was marooned at Tahekcroa, the only food being biscuits, bread and tea provided by the train crew and the wives of the railway employees at the station. Late yesterday afternoon they were taken by lorry to Flelcnsville, where they caught the steamer for Dargaville and then motored to Whangarei.

So great is the damage done in Whangarei county that an urgent appeal to the Minister of Public Works has been made by the council and the member for the district. Telephonic communication, is being gradually restored throughout the north, and many stories of hair-raising experiences during the floods are being related.

Extensive Damage to Auckland Railways

ALMOST EVERY SECTION SUFFERS.

AUCKLAND, Last Night

The work of repairing the railway lines damaged by the week-end storm was pushed on at top speed to-day, but in spite of the strenuous efforts by railway gangs there are still many gaps in the tracks, especially in the north, and the services remain considerably disorganised. There is scarcely a section of the northern line which did not suffer from the storm and the damage in some cased is worse than was expected. The obstructions between Auckland and Helensville were cleared on Monday evening, but it proved impossible to run trains beyond Helensville to-day. The traffic north of Whangarei is still seriously disorganised. A service was running as far north as Whakapnra today and it is hoped to get a train to Towai to-morrow. The damage from that point to Otiria Junction is extensive and will take several days to re-

pair. Near Otiria especially considerable work will be necessary, several bridges having been affected. Work was proceeding to-day on a wash-out on the line at" Kawakawa and on a large slip just before the tunnel outside Opua. The section of the Otiria-Opua line as far as Kawakawa was restored today and this enabled the train which had been marooned at Kawakawa since Saturday to be taken back to Otiria Junction. Those of her GO passengers who wished to travel to the north were taken to Kaikohe by motor-cars. It is hoped to have the branch line from Otiria to Kaikohe clear to-morrow, but little is known as yet as to the condition of the track north from there to Okaihau.

Trains were running normally over the Taneatua line to-day but reduced speeds were necessary on the Thames branch.