A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3019, 24 January 1912, Page 10

A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE.

WEST COAST-CHRISTCHURCH JOURNEY. (Fbom Our Own- Correspondent.) GREYMOUTH, January 18. Tho 70 odd passengers who left Greymouth yesterday morning, hoping to reach Christchurch last night, are sorely disap-, pointed people, w‘>o are to be commiserated with in their misfortune. Early on Wednesday morning rain fell by the proverbial bucketful, but nothing undaunted, the passengers left Greymouth at 8.40 a.m. to make the journey which was destined to' be brought to an end at Otira, where a howling gale had raged all night, swelling the Waimakariri River and causing such a flood in the Otira River that tho approaches to the Otira bridge were scoured out, while considerable damage was done near the Goat Creek bridge. After spending a few miserable hours at Otira the weather-beaten travellers were only too glad to return to town by the slow goods train, and such a journey it was ! To sit in a train from 1.45 to 6.45 p.m. is no joke. Yet this was the fate which befell the weary travellers, who, thoroughly tired out, reached Greymouth just about a quarter to 7 last night, after a day’s experience which they will ever remember. Thisyniorning the Railway Department despatched a special for Otira at 7 o’clock, and many of those who were disappointed yesterday again braved the elements, but, alas, cruel fate once again ordained that the passengers should not proceed beyond Otira. During tho night the rain again fell in torrents, so that the Otira and Waimakariri Rivers remained uncrossable to-day. Although the damage at Goat Creek bridge had been repaired, the passengers had perforce to remain at Otira, the greater portion of the day being spent in the railway carriages, no other accommodation being available on account of the hotel having recently been destroyed by fire.