NORTHERN FLOODS

Evening Star, Issue 21752, 21 June 1934, Page 2

NORTHERN FLOODS

PASSENGERS' LONG JOURNEY FIFTY HOURS’ TRAVELLING HAWKE'S BAY RIVERS RISING {Pbb United Pwsbs Association*] , AUCKLAND, June 20. The rail wav route to North Auckland was still blocked by flood water m the Waybv-Hoteo area to-night, but the clearing of the Waitakere tunnel slip this afternoon permitted the full iaiiwav service between and Helensville to be restored.' It is hoped that the full service to Whangarei and the far north will be restored some tome to-morrow. .... . ~• , Passengers who left Auckland foi Whangarei by the express on, Tuesday morning and were hold up at Helensville will reach Whangarei to-morrow morning after a journey occupying nearly fifty hours. The nqrnial tune for the journey .is five hours and a-halt. They were taken by steamer from Helensville to Dargaville to-night. From Dargaville they will be. taken by cars to Kirikopuni, where they will arrive this morning and will go by train from Kirikopuni to Whangarei. The railwaytrack in this section is clear, loose passengers, who number about fitty, were offered the choice by the railway officials of being transhipped by boat in this wav or of returning to Auckland. The" others, who elected to return, arrived back by train this afternoon after the Waitakere tunnel had been cleared . For the convenience of travellers wishing to leave Auckland to-day - for Whangarei, a train was despatched from Auckland in the afternoon for Helensville. Passengers on The tram joined pthers already m Helensville, and with them continued the journey by boat and train. . ' No attempt was made to get railway passengers through from Whangarei to Auckland to-day. Intending passengers were warned of the. of transit and there were no bookings for ■places south of Maungaturoto. Tho Whangarei-Ancklond express, therefore, did not travel tbeyond that point, and’resolved itself’more or less ,into" a ’ local train, handling the traffic between S Maungaturoto ;and Wlfengarei'. So far as is known only slight damage has occurred to the line. It is considered that repairs could be effected in a few hours dace the water has fallen below the level of the track, and a constant watch is being kept so that the work can be commenced at tho earliest opportunity. Gangs of men are being kept, at Wayby all night so as to be called out at ,a moment’s no--ICe‘ NAPIER, Julie 20. Heavy rain throughout the district to-day caused the rivers to rise, and warnings are to be issued to move to safer localities stock in the flood-threat-ened areas. A sudden rise in the Ngaroro and Tutaekuri Rivers took place about an hour after darkness this evening,- and precautions were taken by the settlers in the low-lying areas near Napier and Hastings. In both rivers the rises amounted to between Cft and Bft, and occurred within about two hours. However, the danger point had not been reached, and. later in the night

the steady downpour which had ruled throughout the day had slackened off to occasional showers. Road communications between Napier and AVairoa, ami Napier and Taupo arc not so far affected.