ANOTHER LARGE SLIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18680, 9 April 1924, Page 10

ANOTHER LARGE SLIP.

WAIHI-PAEROA LINE. RELIEF GANG AT WORK. 800 TONS OF DEBRIS. USE OF GELIGNITE NECESSARY. [BY TItXERBAPH-~«P]KJIAIi REPORTER.] PAEROA. Tuesday. A huge landslide wa* discovered early this morning on the Pa<ffoa-Waihi railway line by a patrol man. The scene of the slip is at a bend on the brink of the Ohinemuri River, six and a-half miles from Paeroa, between Karangahako and Waikino, Over 800 tons of silt and bluestone rock formation were dislodged from the overhanging cliff, and fell on to the line, covering over a chain of metal to a depth of 11 feet in the middle. The mishap must have occurred between midnight and morning. No trains were threatened by the slip, as the discovery was made before they had left either star tions. The direct cause of the fall appears to have been a stream of water which flowed I over the "cliff, undermining the soft bank. At noon to-day 60 workmen wore en the spot. They expect to have tho line clear to-morrow morning. This seems a very optimistic view, since it is apparent that as tho lower portion is moved the rest of the face will fall. The cliff at this point is 80 feet high., and almost sheer. A stop-bank had been built previously where the earth fell, and is now hindering progress, otherwise the men could push the debris over tho river bank. Now they are only able to work it from each end. dumping the earth into the river from barrows and trucks. Some enormous boulders have been dislodged. These will be moved with gelignite. Mail* from Paeroa for Waihi were j transported from one relief train to tho other this morning.

BRIGHTER OUTLOOK.

RELIEF FELT IN PAEROA. MUCH FLOODING OCCURS. FURY OF THE OHINEMURI. [BI telegraph.— SPEClAL REPORTER.] PAEROA, Tuesday. The weather conditions at Faeroa promise to be distinctly better. The rain ceased this morning and -welcome sun- 1 shine ' appeared. The weather shows signs of clearing and patches of Line sky have buoyed the hopes of all as it vras apparent yesterday that were the rain to continue the damage would be appalling. The Paeroa railway bridge is said to have been forced sideways one inch out of alignment by the fury of the Ohinemuri River last night. The river was up 0 the railway sleepers on the bridge and logs and other debris threatened to damage it considerably. The river was then about 12ft. higher than normal. This morning, after the cessation of rain during the night, the lovel was down six feet. For some distance from the water level on both banks driftwood was piled high and everything was covered with a thick layer of silt. The Ohinemuri has been responsible for most of the damage done to Paeroa, the low-lying land at the back of the town providing an easy outlet for the river's overflow. Bound about the Puko and Ngahina wharves it is difficult to tell the actual river. Both wharves are still surrounded, access to the latter only being possible by boat. The Waipu which left Auckland at midnight on Sunday, was alongside the Ngahina : Wharf unloading to-day. She arrived this morning after staying at Netherton on account of the land surrounding the river channel being flooded and making it impossible to pick ox it the actual channel, Mr. R. Stock's house opposite the Puke Wharf is completely isolated. A few miles from P.ieroa, on the main Te Aroha Road, three lonely looking cottages are surrounded by a watery waste. Further along the road is impassable by motor-cars, the water being nearly sft. At a dip in the road in a nearby paddock stands a plough with only the seat protruding. A farmer was in the act of ploughing the field when his work was interrupted. Fences everywhere still have grass or sticks caught in the wires, snowing how deep the floods have been. Some land at Matatoki is under water on each side of the line At Komata North, for about 5 miles, the lowland is also covered. The Komata Bridge has been damaged to some extent by the flooding of the creeks. The land inundated, however, is not carrying crops of any The country surrounding Paeroa has suffered severely and in some places as far as the eye can see, the country is flooded. On the road from . Paeroa to Waihi some idea of the Ohinemun s rise is obtained. The water level to-day had fallen 15ft. or more, but the river was 'still running through the gorge a seething mass of foam in which even the strongest swimmer would be powerless, In several places the water ha» been awash of the railway line. On the Waihi side of the Karangahake tunnel a portion of the bank has been undermined for loft. As the formation is bluestono rock some idea is conveyed of the tremendous force of the torrent.

SECOND FLOOD VICTIM.

KARANGAHAKE FATALITY. SCHOOLGIRL'S SAD DEATH. SWEPT AWAY IN RIVER . IB* TELEfiBATH.—SPECIAL BEPOBTKR.] PAEKOA. Tuesday. Further details of the sad drowning accident at Karangahake yesterday, when Dorothy Poole, stepdaughter of Edward Patton, labourer, lost her life, show that the deceased was .-returning from school with four other children, and in the township expressed her intention of paddling her feet in the Ohinemuri River. In -spite of the warnings of her companions, she went off to do so, but as they would not wait for her she hurried after them. About 100 yards along the road there is a path leading to the water's edge. She ran down this, and put her feet in the water. Then she returned to her companions at the top of the path, and said "The water is lovely. I am going back again." . The other children protested in vain. She stood in the water up to her knees, on a stone. The river in flood was surging past her with great speed. The rock was displaced, and she fell backwards into the water. She seized a willow overhanging the bank, and caught on© of the branches. A pair of spectacles she wore slipped off one ear, covering her mouth. In attempting to replace them, she let go one hand from the branch, with the result that she was swept away. At the time she had a heavy bag of books over one shoulder, and a heavy coat on. A search party has bean patrolling the river banks since, but the body has not been found. The brother of the deceased's mother was drowned in the same river when 13 > years old soma years, ago,