A SEVERE TEST

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14583, 4 February 1921, Page 7

A SEVERE TEST

WELLINGTON-HAMILTON BY LORRY STORY OF AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE. An achievement stated to have been accomplished for the first time has been successfully performed by Messrs John and Philip Seabrook, who brought a 3-ton Leyland motor lorry through from Wellington to Hamilton without misha p. Naturally such a journey was inter- j esting as demonstrating the endurance possibilities of the lorry, which emerged triumphant from the ordeal. The journey, too, had its exciting momenta. A start was made, from Wellington at 7,15 p.m. on Friday, ov-t the Paekakariki hill to Levin. Motorists will appreciate the daring of Lie duo when it is stated that this dangerous hill was negotiated with a kerosene side-light j as the only illumlnant. They left Levin at !L3O the following, morning, arriving at. Eltham, 150 miles away, at 8.30 that evening. The next call was at Whangamomona, which was reached after climbing the Whangamomona saddle and the Polmkura saddle on route, two difficult ascents in heavy, wet clay, which tested the lorry severely. A start was made from Whangamomona at 9 a.m. on Monday* ihe party entering the Tangarakau Gorge, where the scenery is equal to anything in Lie Dominion. Ohura was readied at 3 p.m., and the journey contimed to Waitcwhena, where the roads were practically impassable. This portion of Lie journey was right in the lit art of the King Country, some of the ruts being four or five feet deep and washed out by water-courses. Hemmed In. Near here, the two were hemmed in by hush tires, the burning logs failing across the road, blocking ihe path. After some exciting moments the bottom lof the Waitcwhena saddle was reached, only to encounter another difficulty, which proved to be impassable. This was a bubbling spring right in the centre of the road. The front wheels of (lie lorry negotiated tlie water, but. the hack wheels became clogged with the mud. which was several feet deep, ami Hie result was that the lorry became wedged and immovable, with a soring bubbling up merrily underneath ! All efforts to shift the lorry proving unavailing, the duo started off to find accommodation for Hie night. After a long walk they arrived exhausted at Mr Evers-Swindcli’s place. Next niornj ing, assisted by the settler, they cut saplings from the bush, which they used as levers, managing to jerk the lorry from the embrace of the mud. This particular portion of the trip necessitated extremely careful driving, ■ as Uie road over the frills left only a foot to spare with a thousand feed drop yawning beneath. A single mistake i would have been responsible for a j tragedy. Tim lorry went through Aria, acros? | the Mokau bridge, and through Pio Pm ! I |o T, ; KTiili, which was reached al j i ( pm. on Tuesday, Te Awamulu being ! reached at 10 p.m. The duo departed from Te Awamutu at 8.30 a.m. on Wed- I nesday, and reached Hamilton without, j mishap, the lorry looking none Hie 5 worse for its experience.