SERIOUS RAILWAY DISLOCATION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVII, Issue 4372, 23 March 1933, Page 5

SERIOUS RAILWAY DISLOCATION.

LARGE NUMBER OF SLIPS.

ON MAIN TRUNK AND STRATFORD LINE. The most serious dislocation of railway traffic recorded for many years occurred on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Several slips occui’red on the Main Trunk line, and it is reported that there are seven on the Stratford-Main Trunk line. The worst slips occurred on the main line between Okahukura and Raurimu, resulting in the traffic being suspended between these two places. The Auckland-Wellington night Limited was partially derailed about a mile north of Okahukura (167 miles south of Auckland). The ordinary expi'ess from Wellington to Auckland struck a minor slip near Oio (19 miles south of Taumarunui). . - The Wellington-Auckland Limited express was held at Waiouru, owing to floods at Karioi. There were no casualties, though it is stated that the Limited which left Wellington at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night had a narrow escape when two Carriages and a van were derailed. The ordinary Main Trunk express, which left Wellington for Auckland at 2 p.m. on Tuesday and which reaches Te Kuiti at 2.40 a.m., ran into a slip near Oio. The engine buried its nose in the mullock, but there was no derailment. Subsequently the line was cleared,, and the train proceeded to Owhango, where it was held up by further slips and washouts between Owhango and Taumarunui.

Floods which have occurred at Karioi, seven miles south of Ohakune, caused the Limited express, which left Wellington at 7 p.m. on Tuesday for Auckland to be held up at Waiouru. After the water subsided the express was taken on to Ohakune.

A train from Stratford arriving at Taumarunui at midnight was delayed by several slips on the line between Ohura and Matiere, and the service on the line has been suspended.

HEAVY STORM.

FOLLOWS SPELL OF HOT WEATHER. On Tuesday night one of the heaviest storms experienced in Te Kuiti for many months occurred. The day had been abnormally hot for this time of the year, but in the afternoon heavy black clouds gathered, and about 7 o’clock rain began. to fall. This falLbecame heavier as the evening advanced, and about 11 o’clock something approaching a cloudburst occurred over the town. Vivid flashes of lightning accompanied the storm, these being almost blinding to those who happened to be out of doors. The outbreak became less violent after midnight, but a steady downpouy continued until the early hours of the morning. The water crossed the road slightly near the racecourse, but went down again comparatively quickly. By the old overhead bridge half-way to Hangatiki, however, the water remained for some time. Down at Hangatiki the residents hardly knew there was a flood, and the employees of the Mangapu Drainage Board were actually able to continue working at the willows. The Mangaokewa River rose rapidly during the night and yesterday morning the racecourse and the lowlying portions of Te Kumi were under water. All the low-lying lands between Te Kumi and just south of Hangatiki were inundated. The racecourse was a sheet of water yesterday morning, but is now rapidly subsiding. Close to Hangatiki and north of where the rivers had been cleared, and also at Oparure, there was no flooding of the lands, showing that when the work of the Mangapu Drainage Board has been completed there should be no flooding of the area being dealt with by the Board. In the town of Te Kuiti the Esplanade at the foot of the Mangarino Road was under water yesterday, but the waters have now subsided. A thousand sheen were being temporarily grazed on the racecourse when the flood came down, and the owners were hard at work on Tuesday night and yesterday morning shifting the animals to a place of safety. None were lost, however, but the rescuers had a strenuous time, being up to their waists in water when saving the stock.

COUNTY ROADS DAMAGED.

Very heavy damage is reported on the Manganui Road, between Awakino and Waikawau. It is hoped to clear the washouts and slips from the route by to-mororw. On the Paro Road, where a contract for metalling is being carried out, the water caused damage, but happily the extent of it is comparatively slight. Water lay over the road to Kopaki after the junction with the Taumarunui Road, which, so far as the area in the Waitomo County is concerned, was free from water and passable yesterday. Slight damage occurred on the Kakara Road, while in the Paraheka Valley the flood water reached the tops of the fences bordering the road. Yesterday practically all of the motor traffic, instead of following the main highway to Pio Pio, was compelled to deviate through Te Mapara. The vehicles which tried the main route had to turn back, while four of the more venturesome drivers found themselves stuck in the water. One man ruined his engine through it being caught in the cold flood waters, and it is estimated that his attempted journe'"' through the flooded section would cost him about £l5O. , J To-day, however, the water had run higher, and this morning the Te Mapara deviation was impassable, with a couple of feet covering the metal. This route was very little longer than the Main Highway, but now cars will have to travel by way of Troopers’ Road, a far greater distance. However, it is thought that the streams would reach their maximum heights this morning. At Aria a quarry was flooded 'out, and the camp and the occupants, who were contracting for the County Council, had to be put up at a boarding house. At the eight-mile on the road to Pio Pio a farmhouse is completely surrounded by water. At least one valuable head of stock, a horse owned by Mrs. Mclntosh, of Wa.itete, was lost during the floods. The 'animal evidently tried to cross the flooded Mangaokewa River, but was dragged down by the current and drow'ned. This was a serious loss, for only a short time ago an offer of £36 was made for the horse.

The damage recorded is heavy, taking into account the short duration of the rainfall, even though this was abnormal for the time. The long spell of dry weather had made fissures in the ground, and the water percolating through these openings was responsible for the many slips on the roads a'nd railways. In the opinion of old residents the rapid rising of the rivers has no parallel in the district. The rain seems to have been general throughout the King Country. All the low-lying lands on the banks of the Ongarue River were flooded, the river rising over 12 feet in a few hours.

According to the rainfall records taken by the Bank of New Zealand officials in Te Kuiti, the gauge registered 2.47 inches between 9 a.m. on Tuesday and 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

MAILS DELAYED.

Mails from the South which normally would have been delivered in Te Kuiti yesterday were not available until this morning. Owing to the blockage of the Main Trunk line, the letter and parcel mails which left Wellington on Tuesday were transported round the slips and were placed on the special train which left Taumarunui yesterday evening for Auckland, arriving at Te Kuiti last night. It is expected that another mail from the south will reach Te Kuiti about noon to-day.

TAUMARUNUI FARES BADLY.

FIVE HUNDRED HOMELESS

Taumarunui seems to have suffered worst than any of the other towns. At least 130 houses had to be vacated and over 500 people had to leave their homes. The people were awakened by the water washing through the houses and had to make a hurried exit.

A vivid description of conditions at Taumarunui was given by Messrs. Myers and McPherson, of the Adelphi Orchestra, who were at Taumarunui on the fateful night. The orchestra gave a performance in the town on Tuesday night, but a steady rain was falling the whole time and it was difficult to hear anything. After the performance the orchestra went to their hotel, when they were awakened by members of the railway staff appealing for assistance to rescue people from their flooded homes. A ready response was made, but the work of rescue was made most diffi-

cult owing to the electric light plant having failed and the only available light was by torches and ca'ndles. There was great difficulty in persuading some of the womenfolk to leave their homes, but this was considered imperative as no one knew to what height the flood waters would go. In some parts of the town the flood waters reached the teds, and blankets and linen were covered with silt. In the stockyard a pitiful sight was disclosed, dead sheep lying in a heap 'near the rails, where they had been cai’ried by the flood waters. The flood waters started to run through Taumarunui about 1 a.m., when volunteers were called for rescue work, this continuing up to 4 a.m. Those who were forced to leave their homes were taken to the hotels and to houses that had escaped the flood waters. A pitiful sight this morning was the . spectacle of householders sorting out blankets, linen and clothing. The electric light was restored at 6 o’clock last night. Yesterday the Adelphi Orchestra went round Taumarunui on a lorry in an effort to cheer the people up. It is reported that 300 sheep in holding paddocks at Taumarunui were lost, and 50 head of cattle are missing. The owners of the stock will be heavy losers, having bought them at the Taumarunui sale on Tuesday.

EMERGENCY SERVICES.

The railway lines are now clear as far as Taumarunui, and the mail which should have arrived at Te Kuiti on Tuesday morning arrived here at 1.30 this morning. Several trains have come through from Taumarunui since, but it is difficult to connect with the south beyond Taumarunui. The railway staff are kept busy with inquiries and dealing with telegrams connected with the dislocation of service. The main source of trouble is with the big slip and washout at Pirihaka, seven miles south of Taumarunui.

TEMPORARY CULVERT.

NIGHT AND DAY WORK. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Raetihi, this day.

A temporary culvert has been erected at Okahukura and is working satisfactorily, and it is anticipated there will be no further trouble here. Another subsidence blocked the up Limited between Piraka and Kakahi to-day and delayed transhipping operations. The big trouble there is that the track has subsided and big gangs are working both through the 'night and day to repair the track. The Limited and ordinary expresses are not running through to-day, but the Department will try to get the Limiteds through by transhipping by motor vehicles.

Beautiful weather is being experienced, and it is anticipated there will be no furtehr trouble. It is not known when trains will be able to get through to Taumarunui, but the railway staff is working long hours to facilitate the renewal of the through service.