HEAVY RAIN IN THE NORTH.

Otago Witness, Issue 3277, 3 January 1917, Page 5

HEAVY RAIN IN THE NORTH.

SLIPS ON MAIN TRUNK LINE. AUCKLAND, December 27. Slips which occurred on the Main Trunk line on Tuesday afternoon and evening near lloropito, six miles north of Ohakune, had the effect of delaying the arrival at Auckland of the early morning Main Trunk expresses by about four hours and a-half. The two slips which occurred were directly' due to a thunderstorm accompanied by heavy rain, which swept over the Ohakune district on Tuesday afternoon about 3 o'clock. The first slip, which was a small one, camo down in a cutting near the viaduct between lloropito and Ohakune, and was cleared by 8 p.m. Shortly afterwards, however, a much larger slip came down in the same spot. A largely increased gang was necessary to deal with the obstruction, which was attacked energetically, and by 2 a.m. to-day through communication had been restored. The Main Trunk expresses from Wcllinsiton to Auckland, duo to arrive hero at 6.43 a.m. and 7.50 a.m. did not put in an appearance until a few minutes before 11 a.m. The first express reached the slip about 10 p.m. and the second express followed about an hour later. I When the obstruction was removed the two j expresses, carrying 350 passengers, were ; formed into one train, and completed the j journey in that way.