CLOUDBURST IN THE SOUTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15138, 31 October 1912, Page 8

CLOUDBURST IN THE SOUTH.

PHENOMENAL FALL OF WATER RAILWAY 'TRAFFIC DISORGANISED. i[VZ TELEGRAPH.PRESS .ASK HON.] . : ASItBUETO,'?. ■: A "cloudburstoccurred at Ealing, on the Ashburton bank 3 of the Rangitata River, and, miles south of Ashburton, at about 3.30-this afternoon. As a"result, the whole countryside for a radius of about two miles was flooded with water, which rose in many ."paddocks and on. the roß.ds to a depth of from oft to sft. The deluge lasted about haH-an-hoi.tr, and damage to the land and crops must be considerable, while standing timber was carried away. The worst feature of the phenomenal outburst, however, is its effect on the rail-,' way system. Tho water soon ran in torrents.over the banks of the railway cutting where the line descends to t,ho Rangitata Railway Bridge. It played havoc! with the. hanks, corrugating and tearing them badly for fully 100 yds. The shingle soon submerged the rails, and the Hood waters converged at tho foot of tho cutting. In the two-chain open embank- : ment between the banks and the beginning of the bridge proper the force of the ; heavy volume destroyed the embank- | ment totally for syds or 6yds, and for all : practical purposes for the whole two chains. In the central part the Fails and j sleepers were left hanging over a gap ; 7ft deep.

The second express from the South stopped at Rangitata, and a goods train from tho North at Ealing. A maintenance gang immediately get to work to clear tho line. A relief train from Ashburton reached the scene at 9.50, and passengers, mails, and baggage were transhipped from one train to another, Ashburton 'being reached on the return journey at 10.20 p.m.

A good staff of men is now on the scene, and repair work will proceed cont-iaou&ly, but there is »r» word yet as to when traffic can bo resumed.