DEFECTIVE WHISTLE

Hokitika Guardian, 23 June 1932, Page 6

DEFECTIVE WHISTLE

TOWN AND COUNTRY DISTURBED.

DUNEDIN, June 21

A high-pitched and sustained screeffi. ing disturbed thousands of residents and settlers between Waikouaiti aid Dunedin last night. Rising from a duM distant noise to a crescendo screech and fading away again, the whistling was ee.To. Coastal and harboursid e dwellers were alarmed. They looked into the blackness of the night over the «ea and harbour with the anticipation of seeing distress rockets from a ship. Re.ays of telephone messages heralded the .approach of the ear-splitting whistle, hut it passed on without the mystery of its origin being revealed.

In the city the distracting noise penetrated to the furthest suburbs. It was hideous, waking the curious from domestic torpor and perturbing the tinud. Many had the fear that the warning was being sounded of a tremendous blaze, but qualms in this direction were allayed by the absence of glare in the sky. The screech was caused by the whistle on the Oainaru-DiinediiT train due to reach here at 8.10 p. m, . becoming blocked at Waikouaiti. The efforts of tlie driver to throttle the whistle were imsuccij-sful, and for over thirty mi'es the train careered through th e country and along the coast with the weird effect of the ghost train of stage fame.