SCENES OF DEVASTATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21910, 23 March 1933, Page 8

SCENES OF DEVASTATION

FARMS UNDER WATER BRIDGES AND ROADS WASHED AWAY MANY THRILLING RESCUES (Per United Press Association.) TAUMARUNUI, March 22. Passengers on the train which was derailed near Okahukura state that their experience was a terrifying one, and they received a severe shaking though no one was injured. It was fortunate that modern steel carriages were in use, otherwise it was quite likely that they would have buckled under the severe strain with disastrous results. i It is undoubtedly miraculous that the train got across the subsidence before the engine was derailed. The train went south this afternoon and another left for the north at C o’clock. The line between Taumarunui and Owhango is badly damaged in parts, and it will probably be a week before it is in order again. Manunui was a scene of devastation this morning and all the low-lying farms were under water. Several of the roads have been swept away, and the bridge and one of the electric light poles in Tawa street are down. The creek that runs through Manunui carried away ail the dividing fences between the farms through which it flows, and the farmers lost part of their sections. Slide’s Creek flooded several houses out and destroyed all gardens for hundreds of yards on each side and piled firewood in heaps against people’s hack doors. Both the temporary and the permanent dams at the Taumaranui Borough Council’s intake at Piriaka were washed away and workmen are at present doing their best to divert a supply of water into the intake. Taitua street presents a very dilapidated appearance and the flood water caused a large washout at the corner of Schmidt’s timber yard. The footpath right along to the Domain was damaged, and the flood water entered almost every house in Tnmoana, Paraonc, Taitua* Maata, Turaki and Wackrow streets. Many thrilling rescues were effected during the darkness. In one ease the rescuers -had to form a chain in order to bring half a dozen people to safety. The electric light came on again at 7 o’clock to-uijiht.

PLIGHT OF TAUMARUNUI AN EYE-WITNESS’S ACCOUNT ALARMING EXPERIENCES OF RESIDENTS. (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, March 22. “ I would not care to have gone through the experience of some of those Taumarunui people who had to abandon their homes during the night,” said an Aucklander who returned from the King Country to-day by aeroplane. “Many of the people were obviously terrified. They woke up in the night with the sound of water lapping round the bedposts, and on turning on the light saw their boots and shoes floating round the bedroom. I saw one man with a wound on his forehead, received in a wild rush to escape. He had been sleeping peacefully when the shouts of his neighbours awakened him abruptly and he realised that Ids kitchen was under water. •“ The fact that stock sales were held at Taumarunui was responsible for the trapping of many sheep and cattle last night in the sale yards. To-day carcasses of animals were lying all along the rails. Three of the larger yards where sheep were penned are still totally submerged and many animals lie drowned beneath the water.”

In lighter vein was the Visitor’s description of poultry roosting in the topmost branches of the trees, whence they had flown to escape the rising waters. Although the floods had subsided somewhat the birds still stuck doggedly to their lofty perches, frightened to come down.

“ What impresses one most of all is the suddenness of the whole thing,” he added. “It all happened in the night. Rain fell in torrents and swelled every creek and trickle until they attained the dimensions of raging cataracts which swept away roads and hillsides and then subsided as quickly as they had risen. Everywhere you go you have to step or jump over rushing streams of dirty yellow water. Where it all came from beats me.

“ Passengers on the Limited express which left Auckland on Tuesday evening owed their lives,” he, said, “to the fact that the train was stopped at a slip before it reached the spot south of Taumarunui where the rails were twisted round into the Wanganui River. If the train had got past the first slip nothing could have saved it,” he declared. “ The rails take a sharp turn and run down a slope right into the river,” The racecourse at Te Kuiti, he eaid, was under water with the exception of a small island of dry land in the middle, where several sheep were huddled for safety. Approaching Taumarunui the main highway appeared to have received more damage even than the railway. Torrents of water which appeared to came from nowhere came down from the hills and swept whole portions of the roadway out of sight, so that traffic would be held up for days. At 3.30 p.m. the low-lying streets were still covered by 18in of water. The residents were busy sweeping mud and slush from their verandas, and clothing and bedding was hung out on the line to dry, Garments which were hanging on the line all night showed a water mark or, more accurately, a mud mark, whore the flood waters reached. CHATEAU TONGARIRO STILL COMPLETELY ISOLATED FLOODS CAUSE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, March 22. Except for telephone communication the Chateau has now been isolated from the outside world for 30 hours since the bridge over the Whakapapanui River was washed away yesterday a'fternoon. A gang of men from the Public Works and Prisons Departments and members of the Chateau staff have been endeavouring to erect a new low-level bridge to take its place. In the meantime no one can reach the Chateau or leave it. Thirty people who intended visiting the hotel to-day found that they were unable to cross the flooded stream, and had to return the way they had cpme. Several guests who wished to leave the hotel were unable to do so and now find themselves stranded with little hope of getting away before Friday. _ They include a party of Australian visitors whose tour of the Dominion has thus been unexpectedly thrown out of ’ gear. “We are fortunate in having ample stores of food in hand,” said the manager of the Chateau (Mr R. Cobbe), this evening. “ As it would have been unwise, however, to wait fot the completion of the new bridge, we have succeeded in running a wire rope over the stream so that fresh foodstuffs can be brought in.” Some idea of the extraordinary nature of the downpour which wrought the damage may be gauged from the fact that no less than 7in of rain fell last night. Rocks which had stood in the Whakapapanui River for hundreds of years were swept downstream, the roar made by the progress in the rocky creek bed keeping people awake all night. Not a vestige remains of the broken bridge. It has been swept completely away. At 10 o’clock last night another bridge was destroyed. It was the structure recently built over the Whakapapanui above the Chateau on what is known as the new mountain road. The headwords of the hydro-electric works have disappeared and parts of the waterworks on which the hotel depends for its water supply has been destroyed. The stream has changed its course in several places and at certain points is chains away from its original course. The road to Taumarunui is completely blocked by washouts and slips. Gangs of men from Taumarunui are working on the obstructions, but it may be days before the road is clear. Motorists report that the road to Tokaanu is only slightly damaged, and that traffic can negotiate the obstructions with some difficulty. The warm rain has melted all the ice on the Whakapapa glacier, which now presents a most unusual sight. TRAINS FROM AUCKLAND SERVICE STOPPED AT TAUMARUNUI. (Per United Press Association.) » AUCKLAND, March 22. | “ The department cannot guarantee the i transhipment of passengers, parcels, and i goods past Taumarunui to-day.” This j announcement was made at the Auckland | railway station prior to the despatch of i the two Auckland-Wellington expresses to-day. When the afternoon express left at ;i o’clock the passengers were advised that the train would go no further than ; Taumarunui. Passengers intending to travel by the Limited express, which left at 7 p.m., wore informed that the train would not proceed further than Erankton Junction. Many people wishing to reach Wellington immediaetly cancelled their bookings, not desiring to run the risk of being stranded cn route. A few people with i urgent business in the south took the chance of travelling with a minimum of luggage. Only 03 persons travelled by the 3 p.m. train, of whom 3.") were booked for stations past Frankton. Departmental officials stated that tintwo expresses were run solely to keep faith with people living in the districts

along the route. As the majority of the passengers for stations between Auckland and Taumarunui travelled by the 3 p.m. train it was not considered necessary to send the Limited express further than Frankton. Had it been possible to transfer passengers and their luggage easily round the obstructions on the line every endeavour would have been made to maintain a through service to-night, but the only roads available in the neighbourhood of the slips were in such a shocking condition owing to landslides that transfer by night was out of the question. THE STRATFORD LINE SLIPS BLOCK TRAFFIC. ROADS suffer severely. (Per United Press Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, March 22. Serious damage to the railway and roads in the Matiere and Pohukura districts occurred on Tuesday night. Slips at both ends of the Matiere railway tunnel completely blocked the line. It will be at least some days before trains will get through, and probably three weeks before the, line is completely cleared. The train that left Stratford this morning was held at Ohura, and later trains in a temporary service on the new line were cancelled. The flooding is very severe in the Matiere district, and some losses of cattle and sheep are reported. Damage has been caused to the lines in a number of places, and practically all the roads have suffered by slips. FLOOD WATERS SUBSIDING BRIDGES WASHED AWAY. (Per United Press association.! OHAKUNE, March 22. The flood waters are subsiding quickly, which will help the work of railway transhipment considerably. This will go on all night. The Wanganui River at Pipiriki is 35 feet above normal. The residents saw four bridges go down the river. Higher up, the bridge near Erua prison camp was washed down the river. EAST COAST DISTRICT ROAD TRAFFIC BLOCKED (Per United Press Association.) GISBORNE, March 22. Heavy rain has fallen along the eastern seaboard. At Gisborne 110 points were registered in five hours last night. Matawai reports 3.44 in in the last 24 hours. Service cars for Auckland are blocked both on the Waioeka and Motu Valley routes owing to flooded streams. The main road at Motu is waist deep near the Post Office. Telegraph communication north and south is temporarily interrupted. DOWNPOUR AT WANGANUI BRIDGES CARRIED AWAY. (Per United Press Association.! WANGANUI, March 22. After a day of intense humidity torrential rain fell in Wanganui last night, temporarily flooding the streets and business premises. One hundred and seventy-four points have fallen in the last 24 hours. At Pipiriki the Wanganui River has risen 30ft above normal, and is carrying with it vast quantities of timber and several small bridges. The weather is fine and clear to-day. CRICKETERS DELAYED (Pee United Press* association.' AUCKLAND, March 22. Three Auckland cricketers —Whitelaw, Vivian, and Weir —members of the New Zealand team to play England at Christchurch on Friday, are among the passengers held up at Taumarunui by the traffic block. They must leave Wellington to-morrow night to be in time for the match.