TRAVELLERS’ ORDEAL

Taranaki Daily News, 23 February 1935, Page 7

TRAVELLERS’ ORDEAL

STORY OF CLOUDBURST CAR ALMOST SWEPT AWAY LONG DETOUR NECESSARY A graphic story of a series of unenviable experiences in the floods of Thursday night and Friday morning was related to a Daily News reporter by Mrs. R. MacMillan, Palmerston North. Mrs. MacMillan received a telephone call on Thursday afternoon to say that .her husband was seriously ill at New Plymouth. She engaged a driver for her own car and set off immediately. Shortly after leaving Waverley they noticed a most peculiar cloud over Mount Egmont. “It reminded me,” said Mrs. MacMillan, “of a child’s large balloon' half full of water. The bottom portion kept moving about” The rain continued to fall steadily, but it was nothing unusual until, just after they had passed through Stratford shortly after 11 o’clock. Here there Were several vivid flashes of lightning in the ominous-looking cloud, one mighty crash of thunder, and down came the rain. “The whole heavens Seemed to open put Upon us,” said Mrs. MacMillan. “The only way I can describe it is to suggest a huge fireman’s hose being directed on to the car. We wete unable to see even the froht of the radiator, and the car lights could not enable tis to see the sides of the road. The driver had to pull up and wait for a while before proceeding.” Though the rainfall continued to be torrential, they made their way safely to Tariki. Just, after crossing thfe railway line and passing the station they rah into a rushing torrent. The front of the car was carried round and it half floated down the stream until checked by sbhie trees. They both scrambled out and managed to get the car to safety. It was soon seen that there was no chance of the car proceeding, but after rousing one of the residents it was found possible to hire a lorry bn the other side of the stream. To cross the stream Mrs. MacMillan had to crawl on her hands and knees across the railway bridge. This accomplished she was once more oil her way to New Plymouth, but the journey Was anything but an easy one. Their progress was slow owing to the presence of logs and debris on the rbad. In a number of cases they had to get out of the lorry to move logs in order to proceed. Nevertheless they made slow though steady progress. The waters of the Waiwakaiho were running over the Chain Bridge When they passed over. When almost within sight of their destination they came upon the wash-out near Lake Mangamahoe. This effectively barred that road to New Plymouth. They had no alternative but tb turn round, go back to Inglewood and take the route through Lepperton and Corbett Road to New Plymouth. Mrs. MacMillan arrived at her destination at about 4 o’clock after having taken six hours to make the 48 miles journey from Hawera.