GREAT CLOUDBURST AT ARTHUR’S PASS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19270, 6 January 1931, Page 5

GREAT CLOUDBURST AT ARTHUR’S PASS

MOTORISTS MAROONED BY TORRENTIAL RAIN.

(Special to the “ Star. ’) After several weeks of excellent holiday weather, Arthur’s Pass and the Otira Gorge were swept by a terrific cloudburst on Saturday. Light rain and westerly winds on Saturday morning gave place at noon to a gale of considerable velocity, accompanied by heavy rains. All watercourses rose with such speed that several cars and motor-cycles were caught between Pegleg and Twin Creeks. An Oakland eight-cylinder car, nearly new, went into Twin Creek, which then carried only six inches of water. The hack wheels dug into the bottom of the creek, which is always very soft. All attempts to get the car j out failed, though gallant assistance 1 was given by two motor-cycle riders from Wellington, who got stuck themselves, and by the occupants of two more cars which had arrived at the scene and could not get past. At 1 p.m. the unfortunate owner of the Oakland arrived at Arthur’s Pass, absolutely soaked, and asked the guide to give further assistance with his car. But in the meantime the torrents of rain had made it impossible for any car to cross M’Grath's Creek, threequarters of a mile out of Arthur’s Pass’ township. Guide Coberger and the. owner left the former's car and took some wires and ropes to the scene, another two miles away, only to see that the water had already risen two feet and any chance to pull the Oakland out without horses had vanished. The nearest horses available were at the Bealey Hotel, ten miles away. Secured With Ropes. The only thing to do was to secure the car with ropes and wires to some heavy rocks in order to prevent it from going over the edge, five feet downstream. This helped to hold the car against the rushing waters, which came over the top of it at 4 p.m. At six o’clock the horses arrived from the Bealey. By this time M’Grath’s Creek was a rushing, browncoloured torrent, and the utmost care had to be taken to cross it. even with horses used to ford the Waimakariri every day, as the creek was continuously shitting its course and could be watched washing away the banks. \\ hen the horses arrived at Twin Creek, it was at once evident that there was no hope of getting the unfortunate car out even with their help, as the creek had washed up a wall of stones and shingle on the side of the car, and it would have been impossible to drag it out without pulling it to pieces. The car had to be left until the waters would recede and it would be possible to dig it out. Hundreds of Waterfalls. A feature of the cloudburst was the hundreds of huge waterfall*; down everywhere, a wonderful sight to many visitors to Arthur’s Pass. Most of the marooned motorists are staying now at the hostel waiting for a chance to get their vehicles down from the road, but the Pass road is in a very bad state, washed out at places,'

anything to a foot deep, by the water running down. It will prove very difficult to get the cars down to the station after the rain, which is still continuing, has stopped. It is hoped that some unemployed men will be put on to the road to get it quickly in order again.