The Recent Floods

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 31, 5 August 1893, Page 2

The Recent Floods

NARROW ESCAPE ON THE MANAWATU LINE. The passengers by the fiye o'olook train to Wellington on Thursday night had a rather thrilling experience. Immediately . after the afternoon train from Wellington to Palmerston had passed over the Waikawa bridge, the bridge was washed away. The occurrence was noticed by a Maori boy, who, with admirable fore--,: :.. thought, at once started post haste to the Ohau station to apprise those on the down, train of the fact. Fortunately he arrived* in time to give the warning and ayert a serious catastrophe. But for the presence of mind of this boy, there is every * probability that the train would have dashed into destruction, so to speak. A ; sum of £3 was collected on {he train for. '.. him, and there is no doubt the Railway Company will recognise the" great service he did in a substantial manner. The ■ passengers had to sleep in the train at Obau all night, and yesterday morning were taken on to Wellington by a train ; despatched from Paikakariki. Yesterday morning's train from Wellington was an hour and a-half behind time, owing to a culvert near Paikakariki giving way. Planking was laid over the Waikawa bridge, and passengers had to walk across, a train being in attendance on this side to. convey them to Palmerston. It is stated that it will be about a fortnight before the bridge can be reinstated. In connection with the above incident, we are informed that, leading to the Waikawa bridge, there is a steep incline, down which the tram travels at the rate of from 30 to 85 * miles an hour, and this fact makes it almost certain that the train would have been doomed but for the action of the boy. < — Standard. , , . ; The five o'clock train, yesterday after? noon, from Palmerston to Napier had fio r return to Palmerston, owing to a slip on the line near Stoney Creek. ' ■ ' '■ ' '