FLOODS RECEDING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22172, 27 July 1935, Page 14

FLOODS RECEDING

• CONDITIONS IN NOBTH . RETURNING TO NORMAL ' REPAIR WORK ON RAILWAY THE DOME VALLEY ROAD With a considerable improvement in the weather yesterday, the remaining flood waters in affected areas in the North receded rapidly, and road and railway conditions were almost back to normal last night. Fairly good schedules were maintained by train services, and motorists experienced greatly improved conditions. No heavy rain fell in the North yesterday, although conditions were cold and there were scattered showers. Reduced speeds were still necessary over some sections of the railway, although no serious delay was met with, and it is anticipated that all trains will be able to observe schedule time-tables to-day, provided the weather remains more or less fine. Several weaknesses in the tracks are being attended to by gangers, who will be employed for some weeks in consolidating the affected sections. Trains are passing over the portion of the line at Hoteo where serij ous slip has been temporarily cleared, but work there has been abandoned until Sunday, to allow a large amount | of debris near the line to consolidate and draiir. Two work trains are en--1 gaged in repairing different sections of the track, and ballasting and general : restoration work is weil in hand, i Yesterday's Opua express for Auck- ! land arrived only 25 minutes late. The express to the North reached Opua 22 ] minutes behind schedule. Special trains ! have been put into commission to re- ] lieve the congestion in goods traffic, j The Dome Valley Road was opened i at five o'clock last evening, but only ] light traffic was permitted to use it. j The approach to the temporary bridge j which has been built across the wash- | out will be metalled this morning, and ! the work should be completed by noon. ! Special warning signs have been erected i by Automobile Association patrols, who | will be on. duty again to-day. Tho slip on the Kaipara Flats road has 'been cleared, and heavy traffic will now be albie to travel by the East Coast route to Warkworth, and then make a detour by way of Kaifmra Flats and Tauhoa to Port Albert, connecting with the main highway at Wellsford. Flood waters again caused difficulty on the Whangarei-Dargavilie highway yesterday. ROUTES FROM WHANGAREI SOME STILL IMPASSABLE PROSPECTS OF USE TO-DAY [by telegraph—own correspondent] WHAXGAREI. Friday Sunshine, alternating with clouds and a few scattered showers, prevailed to-day, and the weather was cold this evening, with showers. The only road to the north from Whangarei open for traffic to-day was j through Mangakahia. There was still | ! two feet of water at Kawakawa. but 1 ! this was receding slowly and traffic I | there should be normal to-morrow. On ! the Dargaville direct route to-day \ there was still three feet of water at I Taylor's Flat, but this should disap- i pear during the night. The Wairere Road, approximately two miles on the Whangarei side of 1 the Paparoa-Mareretu Road, is completely blocked through two chains of the road having slipped away. It will be some time before repairs are effected. Early this morning the flood in the Hikurangi Swamp reached its maximum height and had covered a wide area of land, but this afternoon the water had commenced to recede very slowly. With the better weather there should be considerable improvement during the week-end. With so many farms almost entirely covered with water it is difficult to ascertain stock losses, but from reports to hand the losses are comparatively small. With the exception of the Jordan j Valley Road, which will not be clear for some days, all main routes should j be normal to-morrow.

OPARATJ ROAD BLOCKED WASHOUT NEAR TOWNSHIP [feom oxjb ows corbespoxdent] Hamilton, Friday An extensive -washout on the main Oparau-Kawhia road occurred on Wednesday night at a point near the Oparau township. Erosion took place ;as a result of the flooding of the ; Oparau River and about half a chain of road was washed away. All traffic was held up, and a gang of county workmen are engaged i.n repairing the damage. It is hoped that the road will i be reopened for traffic to-night. PORT HUON'S PILOT RUSH TO MEET VESSEL DELAYED BY FLOODS [BT TELEGBAPH —OTTS COBBESPOXDEVT] TTHANGAREi; Friday When the motor-vessel Port Huon arrived in the Bay of Islands yesterday to load 26.000, carcasses it was found that there was no pilot available, floods having delayed the return of the pilot from a visit to Auckland. Without a pilot it was feared that the vessel would miss the tide and her loading be delayed hours. However, the pilot succeeded in reaching Wbangarei by motor-car and boarded the train which left for Opua at 9 a.m. yesterday. Had the train not | run a few minutes late be would have missed the connection and the tide, but it arrived in time. A launch was waiting at the wharf and soon the pilot was on the bridge of the Port Huon. Loading commenced immediately upon her berthage, but for the first few i shifts it was hampered by the scarcity lof freezing waggons. Only 15 were available, the remainder having been ; held up at Helensville since Monday. j