FLOODS AND SLIPS

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20426, 17 February 1938, Page 10

FLOODS AND SLIPS

PHENOMENAL RAINFALL WASH-OUTS ON MAIN TRUNK NORTH AUCKLAND ISOLATED (By Telegraph.—Press Association) AUCKLAND, Thursday Torrential rain last night and this morning over a wide area in the Auckland province caused a succession of floods and slips which have led to a serious dislocation of road and rail traffic. In Auckland the phenomenal total of 4.8* inches of rain was recorded for the 2-4 hours ended at 0 a.m. today and most of this fell between J a.m. and 9 a.m. This fall brings the total for the month to 9.95 inches, which is three times the February average. By mid-day North Auckland was cut off from the city by a chain of floods, slips and washouts. Helensville and other centres were almost completely isolated since motor traffic from ! Auckland could proceed only to Kumew with any degree of certainty and for several hours trains were aide to run no further than Swanson. Transhipment of Passengers To add to the extraordinary difficulties faced by the Railways Department there was a washout fop about line at Opaheke, between Drury and Papakura, neeessiting a transhipment of passengers and luggage by road. A simii lar transhipment between Glen Eden i and New Lynn on the northern line | was also necessary on account of a [ subsidence endangering the track, j The low lying areas in the Auckland } suburbs were flooded and in parts of I the .Mount Roskill district muddy ' water flowed under houses and over ; gardens. i Rain fell off and on throughout the j morning and no work is being done I on the waterfront. DELAYS ON THE RAIL TRANSHIPPING OF PASSENGERS EXPRESS TRAINS 34 HOURS LATE With goods train services between Frankton Junction and Auckland temporarily dislocated as a result of slips on the main trunk line between Pukekohe and Drury this morning, the railway officials devoted their resources, to-day, to maintaining the express trains between the two centres. In order to maintain connection with Auckland and the Waikato transhipping from trains was resorted to ami although time schedules could not be maintained on the route all passengers between the centres were able to reach their destinations. The Auckland-Taneatua and the Auckland-Rotorua expresses were J running about three and n-half hours late to-day but it was anticipated, this afternoon by the officials at I Frankton Junction, that the WellingI ton express and the Limited would he ! able to maintain their usual time•j table to Frankton Junction. Bridge Perhaps Down I This afternoo n information from | the vicinity of the slips was fairly I vague but it was thought at Frankton ' Junction that possibly two slips hod I occurred near Karaka, while it was probable that a bridge had been carried awSy in the same length. The south-bound express trains from Auckland were blocked at Papakura and transhipping was resorted to. There was a fairly large number of passengers affected and they connected between the two trains by means of an emergency bus service between Papakura and Pukekohe, which was provided by the Railway Department. Lorries and private cars were also used to tranship the passengers. Large gangs of men have been employed in the area of the slip ever since its occurrence this morning.