THE MAIL SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13389, 18 January 1907, Page 6

THE MAIL SERVICE.

TEMPORARY RESTORATION

Arrangements were made by the Tost Otticf on Wednesday evening to temporarily restore tin' until service between Auckland and the outlying districts by putting a launch mi to run to N";ariiawahia with the accumulated mails from the South, and from thence to be brought down to Tuakau. The mails From Auckland will be sent, to l'ukekolie by rail, carried overland to Tuakau, there put on l>oard the launch, and taken to Ngaruawauia. The arrangements which have been made will ensure a daily service, and the authorities advise that the public a! Auckland can uo on posting correspondence for the Waikato, resting as stued that mails will be carried through as expeditiously as will be permitted under the, seriously disturbed condition of communication. The mails will be sent through to Auckland from the South in the saute way.

EXCITING KXPERI BNCES. Mr. R. Jones and his wife, of the Auckland diuingroome, who have been holidaymaking at Te Aroha. were also among those who were inconvenienced by the floods, and hud one or two exciting experiences. <>m Tuesday morning they caught the train for Auckland, and all went well until they arrived at I'iako bridge, which was discovered to he 9in out of the straight. The driver, guard, and permanent way men held a'consultation, as the result of which it was decided that it was not safe enough to take the train over. The passengers were thereupon given the option of being taken back to Te Aroha or of walking over the bridge and going on to Morrinsville. Most of them chose the latter course, which was not accompanied without danger, as the waters which were surging beneath were rifting rapidly, and at that time had already reached the sleepers. All, however, got across safely and walked on to Morrinsville. where the night was split, On the following morning they walked back to the bridge and found that the ballasting had been washed away for 100 yds on both sides, leaving the sleepers and rails suspended in the air. Tiny also paid a visit to the bridge on the Rotorua line, and found there the remains of the ordinary traffic bridge on the public road, which had been completely swept, away. They let! Morrinsville at. about twenty minutes to one p.m. on Wednesday, arriving at Ngaruawahia. at two o'clock on the sain- day. They weie compelled to put up there and cattle on by launch yesterday morning. DAMAOF. TO THE CROPS. Some of these who came through yesterday «ere farmers, and when been by our representative spoke in a despondent way of the damage done to the crop-: in the Waikato. "It is simply appalling.'' said one. "About two-thirds of the whole of the crops in the district were in -took before the floods, but now they are irretrievably lost. As for the test i hat was standing, most, of this is hardly now worth the cutting." "Thousands of pounds have been lost in the crops." said another, "and the trouble whit the farmers have to lace now is to get them off the land."