TRAVELLERS' PLIGHT.

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

TRAVELLERS' PLIGHT.

280 Excursionists Packed Into Space For 160 FQUR-HOUR DELAY . , - > ■ .--V A cloiidburst a few iniles on th* southefn side of Daniievii'ke Was responsible for 280 excursionists ih a train from wanganui bound iot various parts of Hawke's Bay being mafooned for some hours saturday afternoon because of ihtt railway line being under water fet a considerable distattce. The Railway Department Officiais considered that the affected length of ime wai UnSafe for use, and it waS decided . to make use of the 4.30 train from Napier which stopped at Dannevirke and return to Napier With the excursionists who were takou by motor bUs from the flooded' atea to Dannevirke. The relief train with fotif Oafs had normal accommodatidli for Only about 160 people, with* the l'esttlt that the remaining 120 had. to pack into the two guard vans and stand in ihe other carriages. Travelling under such conditions was far from comfortable, but the visitors from Wanganui made light of the iilconvenience, most of them treating the ineident as part of the week-end excursion fun. At Waipukurau, however, the congestion was relieved when two extra oaro were added to the train. It arrived at Napier at 12.15 o'cloek yesterday morning, about four hourB behind schedule. Fortunately, Sunday dawned bright, and sunny in Napier, with the result that the visitors spent a pleasant day, watranting the excitement of the journey north. They left Napier for Wanganui agahl at 5 o'cloek. yesterday afternoon. Because the road, which is some distanee from the railway line was not flooded near Dannevirke, nothing untoward happened On the journey by mo-tor-btis from the flooded atea to Dannevirke. The train from Wanganui retraced its steps to Tahoraiti where ihe people alighted and boarded.the buses. A large gangf of workmen worked uutil late last night repairing the damaged railway line. A breakdown train wa* despatclied from Wellington yesterday morning with cranes and other material to carry OUt repair wOrk. A similar tram left Napier at 2.30 a.m, yesterday with men and material. Some 700 tons of ballast were used in the work, 500 tons being from Wellington and 2(J0 from Napier. This wa» sent to the locality by ipecial train.