A ROUGH TRIP.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 517, 13 September 1902, Page 2

A ROUGH TRIP.

TOLAGO BAY COACH BLOCKED.

LARGE SLIP AT TOLAGO HILL.

THE recent rains have put the roads throughout the district in very bad order, and from the reports received it would appear that the Cook County Council will have to face very heavy expenditure in repairing the roads during the next few weeks. Yesterday afternoon the Chief Postmaster, Mr Sampson, received word from Tolago Bay that the mail coach which left Gisborne on Thursday morning had not reached its destination, and some anxiety was in consequence felt. A telephone message was, howover, received later in the evening, stating that the mailman had arrived at half-past eight, but that he had boon compelled to leavo his coach at the foot of the Tolago Bay hill, owing to a large slip having taken place there. Further particulars received at the Times office from Mr J. B. Morris, of Ilauiti, showed that Mr McKinley, the mailman, had had a very rough journey, and it was only through tho kindness of Mr Loisell, who resides between Pakarae and Tolago, that he was able to complete the journey. It appears that tho mail coach, with a lady passenger, Miss Robertson, who was going to tho Kia-Ora station, left Pakarae early in the morning, and for tho first part of the journey the road was found to he in a terrible state, tho coaeli being often axledeep in mud and slush. Great difficulty was experienced in getting round the rocks at Loisell's, hut careful handling of his team enabled Mr McKinley to safely negotiate this dangerous part of the road. When the coach reached the foot of tho Tolago Bay hill it was found that the road was blocked, a large portion of tho hill having been completely washed away. There was no possible chanco of Mr Mclvinlay getting through, and he therefore decided to return to Mr Loisell’s for assistance.

The distance to Mr Loiscll’s from the Tolago Hill is about two and a half miles, and this meant a delay of two or three hours. Upon being informed how matters stood Mr Loisell supplied Mr McKinley with pack saddles and also with a side saddle to. enable the young lady passenger to complete her journey'. The horses wero taken from the coach, and used as pack horses, and in this way the party proceeded on their way to Hauiti side of the river. Here a fresh difficulty confronted the travellers, as the Uawa river being in flood, the punt could not be used. . Accommodation was found for the lady passenger at Hauiti, and by a special effort Mr McKinley and ihe mails were conveyed by boat across the river. In order to get over the river the boat was taken a good distance up the stream, and it was carried some distance down before the bank on the other side was gained.

When the telegraph office closed last evening it was still raining heavily at Pakarae and Tolago, with no signs of abating. Both rivers were in high flood. From Mr J. Shaw, of Pakarae, wo learn that the Tolago coach had a very rough trip from Gisborne to his place. The coach left Gisborne at 7 o'clock on Thursday morning, and did not reach Pakarae until 5 o’clock in the afternoon. There was a very heavy sea running and it was found impossible to get round the Tapuwai rooks, the coach being detained there from 10 o’clock until half-past three. “ The state of the road over the Whangara Hill is something terrible,” remarked Mr Shaw, “ and it is a standing disgrace to the County Council that such a state of affairs should exist.”

The damage to the Tolago Hill is considerable, and unless a gang of men is at once sent out it will he some time before the road will be again open for wheeled traffic. A good portion of the road has sunk right down, and the slips that nave also occurred will take some time to remove. Travellers on the Coast road are warned against attempting to cross the Pakarae river without the punt, and persons journeying that way are warned against following what they take to be the tracks of others who have preceded them. A Native who attempted to cruss the river yesterday had a narrow escape from drowning. There was a very heavy sea running yesterday along the Coast, rtt Pakarae the rollers were very heavy, and breaking right up to the punt. It is expected that Mr McKinley will leave Tolago again this morning with packhorses, but he is not likely to attempt to bring his coach back to Gisborne until the weather moderates.