A DEVASTATED REGION

Hokitika Guardian, 27 June 1929, Page 3

A DEVASTATED REGION

GEOGRAPHY CHANGED

THE REFUGEES JOURNEY TO NELSON.

NELSON, June 25

The evacuation of residents to-day practically closed the most exciting .and - tragic period of Murchison’s short history. This little centre- ot population was gradually emerging from the gold-mining days, and was becoming a dairying-and sheep-raising centre. Now it lias slipped hack almost to a primeval state. The geography of the whole country has been changed. Where once were pleasant farms, now rocks andsclny, with huge logs, are all that is to be seen. Many of the farmers have lost all they possessed, walking out with only the clothes they stand up in and what little they could pack on their backs. The great spirit that has permeated the whole community still is evident, and already men ai.o locking for other means of earning a living. Leaving Murchison at 1.30 p.m. todav, it was not till after nine o’clock that nearly 100 men, women and children reached Nelson. The journey was not without its thrills.

. A .(‘Lyttelton Times” reporter left in the last car to start out, and it was Mrot with' pleasant feelings that the passengers looked down from the road to the- yellow Buffer which flowed at a rapid piicc, being swelled by numberless mountain stream s due to tlie heavy rainfall throughout the night and early . morning. The road had fallen into tlie river in places, and was badly cracked in others, calling for the highest degree of driving skiff.

All had to leave tlie car at Doctor’s Creek and cross the swollen stream while the car'was taken gently over a rough bridge made of logs which had been brought down by last night’s slips. The car took the passengers for a few more miles, when the firs! slip at Claybank was met. Hundreds of tons of rock and clay had come down a steep hillside, effectively blocking the road. Climbing from log to log and from rock to rock, the party negotiated this safely. Then a walk along the rain-sodden road for a quarter of a mile to where a bridge was carried away. To cross this it was necessary to follow a path down the hillside and make a precarious crossing oil a plank. A, steep climb up the other side brought the party on to the road again. By this time all were covered with mud while in most cases their hoots were full of water. Tlie next section of the journey was made in mi open truck, pouring rain and a cold wind coining off the hills, upon which snow fell last night, making conditions anything but pleasant. All along the. road tlie effects of the heavy rainstorm can be seen. Newlymade slips were numerous, and in places dead timber was littered along •tlie roadway-for a quarter of a mile, the road being inches deep in water. Some of these logs have been carried by rainwater for a quarter of a mile across flats, giving an idea of the volume of water which bad come down.

At the Owen Hotel, a change was made to relief cars from Glenhopc, and the remaining portion of the journey was made to Glenhope under more comfortable conditions, athough the soaking which all had received prevented anyone from becoming warm. A quick change was made to a specia l train at Glenhopc, and after a journey of three hours Nelson was reached. A spirit of helping one another was shown all the way along the line. At the first stop, at Tadmor, • residents were waiting for the train with hot tea and food, a kindly action which was d°epy appreciated hv the refugees. Then again at Wakefield residences supplied hot tea, hot soup and food, keeping up the spirits of the travellers. A representative of tho Nelson Citizens’ Committee hoarded the train a I Tadmor and made arrangements for accommodation for all refugees at Nelson for the night. At each off the two stations where refreshments were provided, the passengers on the train showed appreciation by lusty cheering as the train pulled out.