MAROONED IN TRAIN.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13174, 5 February 1936, Page 5

MAROONED IN TRAIN.

BREAD AND BISCUITS-

THREE DAYS ISOLATION.

United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. WHANGAREI Last Night

A dismal scene is to be witnessed in the Hikurargi swamp drainage district where some 15,000 acres have been converted into a lake with the tops of trees peeping but of the yellow water.

Passengers who left Auckland by train for Whargarei on Saturday arrived to-day. They spent three days in the train which was marooned at Tahekeroa, the only food being biscuits, bread and tea provided by the train crew and the wives of the railway employees at the station.

Late yesterday afternoon they were taken by lorry to Helensville, where they caught the steamer for Dargaville and then motored to Whangarei. So great is the damage done in Whangarei county that an urgent appeal to the Minister of Public Works has been made by the council, and the member for the district. Telephonic communication is being gradually restored throughout the north, and many stories of hair-ran,-ing experiences during the floods are being i*elated

- AT MERCY OF RIVER

El l ‘ct ri -1 Telegra ph,—P ress .V s so.oiat ion PALMERSTON N., Last Night.

So serious a breach has been make by the flood on Monday in the stophank protecting the Makerua Plains from the waters of the Manawatu river, that unless something is hastily accomplished, thousands of acres of fertile ‘farmlands will be at Ihe mercy of the slightest rise that may eventuate in future.

The situation is alarming, and realising the urgent need for the gap in the protection bank to be filled, members of the Makerua Drainage Board assembled on the spot to-day with Mr C. L. Hunter, member for Manawatu, and appealed to him for national assistance. The settlers, it was pointed out, are so heavily jrated at present that it was impossible for them to do anything from their own finances. Mr Hunter agreed that the breach in the stopbank at Seifert’s drain would have to be closed immediately, otherwise between 6000 and / 000 acres were at the mercy of the •river.

RANGIOTU HOUSES TAKE IN WATER.

PALMERSTON NT, Last Night. I-> get into Rangiotu . rom his water-isolated home, a farmer on Monday had to crawl along the railway line holding on to the rails with his hands, so strong was the force of the floocl waters were sweeping across the iron wav.

In an endeavour to rescue cattle and sheep that were half submerged in the flood waters and nearing exhaustion, two young farmers had to swim to and fro for at least an hour through water over their heads. I hrough one homestead the dirty flood waters poured to leave a deposit of mud and silt in every room.

While making his way homewards a factory worker, while in water up to his waist, had difficulty in keeping his feet and preventing himself from being swept away. These are one or two of the exciting experiences through which the settlers along Moore’s road, Rangiotu. passed when the floods descended upon their farms almost as an avalanche on Monday.

FLOOD SW E EPS IMKONGI A. TH AWAMUTU. Last Night. f Investigation discloses that the cause «»' Sunday s havoc at Pirongia mountain, near Te Awamutu, was a landslide which blocked the course of the river. The water finally broke through and rushed the valleys befow. Settlers say that a solid wall of water from eight to ten feet high swept the valleys carrying everything before it Three bridges were swept away, two ol them on ft he* main highway to Kawhia. The scene is one of utter desolation. Hundreds of acres are covered with debris and silt. Crops and pasture s are destroyed and fences levelled.

The willows lining the normal watercourse bear evidence that the water level was at lea sit 12 feet high. Huge logs and boulders are scattered over the country. One bridge* lies in the middle of a paddock nearly half a. mile away and almost completely covered with logs and debris.

It is impossible' yet to roach the central portion o the main highway as a huge slip blocks one end and the bridgeless rivers make access impossible at th ( * other end. On the alternative road across the mountain it is known that the hillside has fallen into the valley, ear•rying several chains of road, also that a tangled mass of logs and debris will have to he cleared. On the main highway it is known that at least five slips have occurred .

Fortunately the oncoming flood waters sounded a warning, enabling the settlers to make for the higher levels. Two men had a narrow escape, one being actually knee-deep in water in his rush for safety ns the torrent .overtook him.

•Stock losses are heavy, bujfc it is impossible yet to muster the sheep and catt'e as fences an* clown with the surviving stock wandering over the mountain tides.

AUCKLAND RAILWAYS SUFFER AUCKLAND, Last Night. The work of repairing the railway lines damaged by the week-end stoi*m was pushed on at top speed to-day, hut in spite of the strenuous efforts by railway gangs there are still many gaps in the tracks, especially in the north, and the services remain considei-ably disorganised There is scarcely a section of the northern line which did not suffer from the storm and the damage in some cases is worse than was expected. The obstructions between Auckland and Helensville were cleared cni Monday evening, but it j>roved impossible to run trains beyond Helensville to-day. The traffic north of hangarei is still seriously disorganised. A service was running as jar north as Whakapara to-day and it is hoped to get a train to Towai to-iiKirrow. The damage from that point to Otiria Junction is extensive and will take several days to repair.

Negr Otiria especially considerable work will he necessary, several bridges having been affected. Work was p roceeding to-day on a washout on the line at Kawakawa and on a large slip just before the tunnel outside Opua. The section of the Otiria-Opua line as far as Kawakawa was restored to-day and this enabled the train which had been marooned at Kawakawa since Saturday to be taken back to Otiria Junction. Those of her 66 passengers who wished to travel to the north were taken to Kaikoho by motor-cars. It is hoped to have the branch line from Otiria to Kaikolie clear to-morrow*, but little is known as yet as to the condition of the track north from there to Okaihau.

Trains were running normal!v over the; Taneatua line to-day hut reduced speeds were necessary on the Thames branch.

LIGHT IN SOUTH TARANAKI. HAWERA, Last Night. In comparison with other parts of the province South Taranaki escaped lightly as regards storm damage? hurt repairs to loads, bridges and .private property will cost somewhere in the vicinity of €30,01)0. With the exception of some hack roads all road communication north and south has been re-established. In Hawera the damage was mainly confined to fences and gardens while some stocks were damaged by rod leakages. In tin* ou ( ter districts the wind played havoc, uprooting hundreds of trees, smashed buildings and wrecking the telephone and power lines. From three o clock on Saturday afternoon lor 24 hours, rain fell continuously, ranging from 0.40 inches at Hawera, to 16 inches at Dawson I* alls. The rivers are in high flood and all access to Opunake from the south and easrt was severed by the erosion of the northern approach to the Waiaua River, the bridge on the Main South Road, the oolla.nse of two spans of the railway bridge and tin* demolition of Batik? river bridge. On the Kith am-Opunake Road the bridges and culverts in Waimate West County* disappeared in the flood and beach cottages at the mouth of tlu* Kanpokonui River were washed out to sea. St. Cuthherffis Church at Manaia was unroofed in the gale. Hawera. was isolated tor a time by the* flood waters of tin* Tangahoe river which submerged Hu* Main South bridge' and inundated the detour road.

TOLL OF THE FLOODS

SEVERAL MORE DEATH'S. BUKEKOHE, Last Night Ihe body of a man named Smith was found in the* Mangntangi stream. When Smith, a bullock driver, and a workmate named F. A. Mikoz. of Auckland, employed by a sa wind lor in the Mangatangi district, did not report for work yesterday morning fears were entertained for their safety, as the clothing of both was found in their lint situated on the hank of the stream. During tin* week-end storm the water rose 20 feet and entered the* hut. A search is proceeding for Mikoz.

WHANGAREI, February 3. A young man, Mr Walter Botheri'l, of Kaitaia, was drowned last night. He and a companion were endeavouring to salvage effects from a flooded house when the building collapsed and he was washed away with tlie building. His companion managed to escape. The occupants of the house had previouslv left. The bodv was recovered to-day. Deceased lived at Balmoral, Auckland.

LI Mi ETED ’S LO N G DI; LAY. WELL! NGTON, Last Night. Delays all along the line through damage by storm and flood were experienced by the Limited express from Auckland on Monday which arrived in Wellington at 42 minutes past five this evening, nearly eight hours late. The principal hold-up an as a/t Tangiwai bridge, about 230 miles from Auckland, where the passengers had to he transhipped from Karioi to Tangitvai. a distance* of four miles by rail. Four hundred passengers arrived bv the Limited. The three p.m. Main Trunk express from Auckland was an hour late arriving.