RAILWAY BLOCKED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20119, 13 December 1939, Page 7

RAILWAY BLOCKED

SLIPS AND WASHOUTS WAIRARAPA ROUTE LANDSLIDE ON HOUSE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Trentham military camp was not flooded as a result of the heavy rains in the Wellington, district. The drainage system proved a thorough success. Rail services to the Wairarapa are completely interrupted. The storm caused a series of washouts and slips on the Rimutaka Hill and the department is unable to say when the line will be restored. Trains cannot get past Kaitoke from Wellington nor past Cross Creek from the Wairarapa and all traffic, both passenger and goods, is proceeding via the Manawatu, the storm jnot having interrupted the main line to Palmerston. Passengers on the Woodville-Wel-linglon express yesterday had a trying time. They were transferred to buses at Cross Creek, taken back to Featherston and thence by road to Kaitoke. Suffering delay by slips on the highway, they did not reach town till late at night. The damage to the railway line is extensive, about a chain of the bridge just north of Mangaroa station is completely washed away. There is a washout between Kaitoke and the summit and near one ol' the tunnels on this section a great deal of debris has cope down and must be removed before traffic can be resumed. A seetibn of the hillside in Nottingham street, Karori, carried away yesterday afternoon, causing considerable damage to a house occupied by Mr. R. Norton.

The slip engulfed the wash-house and crashed through the house, which was thrown out of plumb. The doors of the house jammed and Mrs. Norton had difficulty in escaping. She was slightly injured.

The Hutt Valley, floods have so receded that motorists can now get past Silverstream, and the main road is sufficiently cleared that cars can get through to the Wairarapa. The bridge at Te (Mania, however, has collapsed, but cars may use the old wooden one between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. at their own risk. Vans and lorries cannot pass. The Akatarawa road is closed till further notice. The Moonshine road is blocked.

EAST COAST CONDITIONS

This morning's weather report showed that Gisborne had escaped lightly in the southerly storm that swept the North Island last night and to-day. High winds accompanied by heavy rain were experienced in several places, but the 9 o’clock report indicated that the force of the wind at Gisbbrne was No. 5 on the Beaufort scale, or a fresh breeze. No rain was recorded at the Gisborne aerodrome for the 24 hours ended at 9 a.m. to-day. The rainfall at Wellington for the 24 hours was Gin. and conditions were cold, while a high wind was blowing. The storm wt<- severest at Cape Maria van Diemen, where the force of the wind was No. 9 on the Beaufort scale, equivalent to a strong gale of 41 to 48 miles per hour.

Some of the heaviest falls of rain were— Wellington, Gin.; Cape Palllser, 3.07 in.; Castiepoint, l.SOin.; East Cape, 1.51 in.; and Auckland, ,92in.