HAVOC IN TARANAKI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18679, 8 April 1924, Page 8

HAVOC IN TARANAKI.

SLIPS ON THE RAILWAY. ' A "MILE OF BUSH'' FALLS. ! MANY ROADS NOW BLOCKED. FLOOD WATER IN URTJTI JPOST OFFICE INUNDATED. [By TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT.} NEW PLYMOUTH, Monday. Widespread damage has been caused in various parts of Taranaki as a result of the floods, due to heavy rain during the week-end. The wash-out on the railway south of Hawera will prevent through trafic for several days, but the usual service is being maintained, passengers transferring at the gap. A graphic description sent from the scene of the wash-out shows that the accumulation of slips is making the repair of the railway a difficult task. The district east of Stratford has suffered extensively. The rivers are in high flood, and slips block the roads and the railway. The east road to Whangamomona is impassable, the railway is completely blocked, and the tunnel near Whangamomona is blocked at both ends. In North Taranaki serious floods occurred at Uruti, and the surrounding districts. Long stretches of the main road were under water, and slips on Mount Messenger and near Tongaporuta rendered the road impassable. A Difficult Task. The main road from New Plymouth to Te Kniti will not be clear before Wednesday. It has been found impracticable to deviate the line round the wash-out near Hawera, and a start has been made to bridge the gap. Railway-men are doing their best with a very difficult task, and no time is being lost to make the line passable. The difficulties and unpleasantness of this work is enhanced by the almost continuous rain, and the slippery papa formation makes the task more

Damage was caused by a short fining across a depression in the hillside sliding away into the gorge 150 feet below, and leaving about a 60ft. section of the line swinging in the air. Had this slip occurred m front of the train and not been detected in time nothing could have saved the whole string of vehicles from being hurled to destruction in the gorge below. To restore the. Ike bridge piles have been driven into the precipitous sides lof the yawing gulf gouged out of the ' hillside, and with the constant danger of further landslides the job is a particularlv uninviting one. The whole countryside in the vicinity is scarred by landslides, and huge cracks, and the banks of stream bear evidences of abnormally high floods. Thirty-seven Slips Counted. The unprecedented heavy rain which cas fallen almost continuously during the past four days caused a great deal of damage in the Whangamomona district. The east road to Whangamomona is impassable owing to washouts and slips on the Whangamomona, saddle. No lea? than 37 sups were counted by a Stratford business man who made the journey vesterday. The creek at Whangamomona has assumed enormous proportions, and has risen nearly 30ft. at the township flowing level with the bridge, a happening unrecalled by the oldest settlers. On the railway line more extensive damage 'has occurred. On Saturday night the Whangamomona train had to stop at Pohokura, as the line was totally blocked. Further on the tunnel near Whangamomona is block at both ends. .. .An eye-witness describing the destruction at the Stratford end of the tunnel said a mile of standing bush had slipped down and fallen across the lin#, and the mouth of the tunnel was hidden in a pile of Anything in the nature ci an exact estimate of the time required/ to restore rail and road communication was not available to-day, but the opinion was held that the clearing of the road for wheel traffic must be a matter of a good many days and that the work on the railway would require considerably longer. A Night in a Train.

The people who were held up for the night in the train at Pohokura were fortunate in having supplies of provisions with them, as the result of having laid in stocks for the week-end while at Stratford. It is understood that Whangamomona is not well supplied with provisions, especially flour, and that the restoring of some form of road communication will bo doubly welcome on that account.

U;*uti an«J the surrounding districts received their full share of the rainstorm. On account of the tide being in, and the sudden rising of the Mimi River, and the jitream _ which joins it, large stretches of the main . north road and the 'Uruti road were under water, and .in many places jest the tips of the posts of the fences were to be seen above the flood v waters. - , On Mount Messenger, and in the vicinity of Tongaporutu, a considerable number of slips occurred, ' and last -night it was reported that the road over Mount Messenger ' was ' still impassable. Yesterday morning the mail coach made an unsuccessful effort to get through. A connection was effected by a coach from the Awakino coming as far as possible, and the intervening space was negotiate by means of pack horses. Mortar Services Suspended.. All motor services between New Plymouth and Te Kuiti, which connect at Awakino, were suspended on Saturday, and the service which runs between New Plymouth and Uruti was suspended between Mimi and Uruti on. account of the floods and slips. At Uruti the river started to rise in the morning at about 5.150 o'clock, and in the space of an hour water was in the blacksmith's shop and house. Mr. A. «T. Smith's motor garage, the hail, the store, and the post office. Mr. -Agate, (the blacksmith) and his wife, had to leave their house, and the water in the post office at one time reached the level of he tables. Last night, however, in conversation with the postmistress, Miss Dempster, it was gathered- that the flood water had gone from the roads, but there was still a steady rain falling at the Okau junction. „ The flooding of the Tonpporutu River partially submerged the Ahititi factory, and, although not put cut of commission entirely, considerable inconvenience was caused.' A number of small bridges in the district have been swept away, and slips have been very prevalent. It is stated that one settler has; had about" 40 acres of his property covered with land' slides.

HEAVY FALL IN HAMILTON.

NEARLY 7 INCHES RECORDED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN COSitESPOjmEM*.] HAMILTON. Monday." Steady heavy rain fell in Hamilton during the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. to-day, and the gauge in that period _ registered 2.82 in., as compared with 2.61 in. for the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. Friday., during which period torrential rain fell for nearly an hour. The fall at Hamilton since the commencement of the heavy rains up to 9 a.m. to-day, has been ,6.92 in. . .. Measurements taken by the Hamilton borough engineer at the Hamilton traffic bridge this morning show that the Yvaikato River has risan sft.. Sin. above the normal level. Prior to the storm -tha river was exceptionally low, and was running at about 2tt;' below normal, *o .that in the last four days, the rivor' has risen about 7ft.. Hamilton and other towns in the-Wsi-kato district have suffered very V. little damage aji a result of the heavy vaia. ■