RAILWAY BLOCKED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 2, 18 January 1937, Page 4

RAILWAY BLOCKED

Pier on Bridge Shifted TRAIN TRAFFIC DELAYED Pouring into a cutting at the northettt end of the Tahoariti railway bridge spanning the Tamaki river, about three miles from Dannevirke, flood-waters which rushed down from the hills at 5 0 'elock on Saturday afternoon se.our^ ed out about 12 feet of the bridge ap DrOUch, shifted a pier and made the line impassable to traffic. Heavy rain falling for three days culminated in a cloudburst on the Glen. garry block at the back of Dannevirke on Saturday afternoon. In a short time water was pouring over the countryside and down the hill slopes in the dirbction Of L&ws ROad «on the SOUth side of the town. It flowed in a torrent down the highway and swept across the flat country behveeii the l'oad 'and the -Dannevirkfi golf cotlr.se. The flood raced on with iiiereasing voiume and ran down the railway line toward the Tahoraiti bridge. Entfering a cutting near the north approach to the bridge the water rushed between the banks of the ctitting like a small river. In pafts the floW was four feet deep before it emerged at the bridgeend and spilled into the river. Imffiediately the exteiit of the damage to the bridge had been investigated the Railway Department arranged for repair gangs from Palmerston North and Napier, nearly 60 men being brought to the bridge. The work of restoring the abutment, repairing the waslied-out line and re-packing the damaged 400 yai'ds went ou throughout SaturdUy night, the task being facilitated when the rain ceased at 7 p.m. The line was opcned for traffic lisfc night.