HUGE SLIP FALLING

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1056, 21 August 1930, Page 9

HUGE SLIP FALLING

HILLSIDE MOVING ON TO ROAD LANDSLIDE NEAR WOODVILLE Special to Tilß SUH PALMERSTON N., Today. An enormous landslide has occurred near Matahiwi Hill, about six miles east of Woodville. The whole face of a hill has slipped, leaving a great fissure, and it is feared that if further rain falls the whole hillside will come down, blocking the main DannevirkeWoodville highway for many months. The area affected is about ten acres and many thousands of tons of earth are involved. A great mass is still moving abdut an inch daily, and even if rain does not fall the position may become serious. Already a small portion of the highway has been encroached upon. The erection of a retaining wall is out of the question, and the only hope is that with a few days of fine weather the mass may settle on its papa formation. The County Council engineer is inspecting the slide daily, but beyond erecting danger flags and removing, the small quantities of debris which come down from day to day, little can be done. The hill is the property of Mr. W T . H. Gaisford. SERIOUS POSITION A most serious position will be presented if the slide continues further Traffic on the main highway between Dannevirke and Woodville will be suspended, probably for several mouths, and to restore it will be a very expensive task. Traffic between Napier and Palmerston North will have to make a detour of several miles through Maharahara West. This road is in good order, but is very narrow.