A FEARFUL EXPERIENCE.

Motueka Star, Volume I, Issue 6, 30 August 1901, Page 4

A FEARFUL EXPERIENCE.

One of the most tlirilheg incident., of the storm that devastate*i the wliole regi. >n !••wtween "Vivian uad the western slope Indian ttr ige imam cams (U.H.Aj Weis tsie eXj-erie.ico of tlie ; ixr.seap ■ > t.': ~-A i: ■ 1 Cm.- N./. aOx.,-, ■ and \Aestern Rail way c m.i g f -•-nitae v e.-.t. .Dmiag th.e 1.1 gat. it .-tsiu-k fud i.i the teeth ei me -1 uni as soon as it. emerged from tin* On.ubevh-nid UiOUatains. Wiien two miles f 1 om the j.. hit lie was at ten q ting to make, the engineer saw ahead of him the whirling sea cl water coming down tlie wdley directly in his trade ana be «u-ii:g on its surfs re the bodies of men, csircu;s.es r.-f a nnrlo ami tr.c-:es ; that had been torn up I.y ton rom.and hurled into it ?, am tlie mountain side. 9dm fifty-two pa.-/.seng-a3's on the tr; in huddled top rsher and gazing at the approach of what seemed to lie ce ta 11 beats, watched the water creep inch by inch till it reached the level of th.e car floors. On one side of the track the mount.--ui rose sheer and forbitiuing, cutting -if any possiblemeaus of c. rrq.e in that direction. On the ot-hei was a ridge fiftec 1 feet above them a nd topped by a doze 1 big col e ovens. In a few minutes .h-leimined men wen-rr-ciijg t > tlie- >< ke on.Mi ridge --it li all the ropes they c: ulil lay hands on. Gelling the ropes un they liegnji, to tbr.ro them, and: a 1 the ends were caught by eagei lambs they drew the passengers to tr e ed.-.o 1 e‘: th.e r’dgc now the bank o. a swiftly-rusiiirig river. The men aboard the cars got the women away in safety, first- tying the ropes around their waists and forcing them into the cur* ent of the flood from which they were dragged to trie bill above. Tlie engineer, fireman and. conductor, at the risk of their lives uncoupled the engine and let it run down the track, themselves seeking safety in the baggage ear. The locomotive ran for a hundred yards, and then struck torn and twisted rails}• eeling ove rand burying itself in tlie waters. Meantime passenger after passenger was hauled a.-rose the tarreunt until evei-v, one had been dragged out in safety.