THE NORTHERN FLOODS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22295, 22 June 1934, Page 10

THE NORTHERN FLOODS

RECURRENCE OF HEAVY RAIN HOUSES IN WHANGAREI EVACUATED (Per United Press Association.) WHANGAREI, June 21. After a fine day yesterday rain fell during the night, and very heavy showers were experienced to-day. This will probably again block the roads which had become negotiable. The Hikurangi swamp, an area of thousands of acres, is a huge lake, and a number of houses in the town had to be evacuated to-day. One farmer has 80 cattle marooned. The Railways Department completed a roundabout service from Auckland today, the journey being by rail to Helensvifle, steamer to Dargaville, motor to Kirikopuni, train to VVaiotira Junction, and thence to Whangarei. THE THAMES DISTRICT GENERAL TRAFFIC DISORGANISATION. -(Peb United Press Association.) THAMES, June 21. Through rail traffic to Thames was suspended to-day owing to floods in tho Waitaki, between Paeroa and Te Aroha, no train arriving from Frankton with southern mails and passengers. The road traffic has also stopped. Trains between Thames and Paeroa are not affected. There will be no details of the damage, if any, available till the flood water subsidies and an inspection is made. Fish consignments are meantime being despatched by railway officials to Pokeno by motor to connect with southern trains. TRAIN TRAFFIC DISLOCATED SECTIONS OF LINE FLOODED. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 21. After being impassable for two days the railway route to the north was again open to traffic to-day, and normal services were resumed. Both the up and the down expresses experienced practically no delay with the railway traffic to the north restored. Communication with the east coast and the Thames was ,dislocated to-day by the flooding and washouts on the line between Te Aroha and Paeroa. The trouble occurred between Waitoki and Tirohia, the flood waters from the Waihou River covering the line over a considerable distance to a depth of over two feet on this section. The ballast was washed out to a depth of about one foot over a length of several chains. It was reported late to-night that the flood waters showed little signs of .subsiding. As soon as the level of the water goes down sufficiently work trains will commence repairs from each end of the damaged portion of the line. An exciting passage was experienced by a mixed train which'left Paeroa for Frankton shortly before 7 a.m. It wis forced to traverse a mile of line covered with six inches of water. When the train reached the portion between Tirohia and Waitoki it was found that tin: line was becoming covered with flood waters and the driver decided that it would be wiser to proceed rather than turn back, and the train reached Te Aroha after safely negotiating the section, of flooded line and then continued its journey to Frankton. No .subsequent trains were able to get through. The early morning train from Thames, whicb carried fish for the southern centres as far as Hawke's Bay and Taranaki, was held up when it reached Paeroa. The train returned to Thames. The railway officials immediately arranged to send the fish by motor lorry to Pokeno, where it caught the fast train for the south. RELIEF CAMP FLOODED HURRIED EXIT OF FAMILIES. (Per United Press Association.) ,\. HAMILTON, June 21. When the Tauhei Stream overflowed its banks to : day as the result of heavy rain the rising waters inundated the married relief workers', camp at Orini. Over 20 families hurriedly seized their belongings from the huts, and are being accommodated in the Orini Public Hall. Many of them have left to live with relatives in Hamilton. The whole camp area is badly flooded, and the Taupei and Te Hoe relief camps were also inundated.