RAILWAY INTERRUPTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 October 1918, Page 2

RAILWAY INTERRUPTION.

o. RECENT EXPERIENCES N THE MAIN TRUNK. The Manawatu Standard gives particulars of the recent interruption of traffic on the Main Trunk line, in the course of which it relates: Through passengers from Auckland state that the first intimation they had of anything wrong was when they arrived at Taihape at 6.30 a.m. on Friday, when they were informed' that there were slips between there and .Mangaweka. It was raining heavily, making matters very unpleasant for the passengers, who were waiting in a state of uncertainty, but the weather cleared up during the morning, and their position was much improved. An inspector who had been down the line returned soon after 1 p.m. and reported that in addition to three slips, there were several wash-outs on the.'tine, on which repair gangs were'engagedv.'JJhe traingot under way again .soofl.aftjsi 1.3Q p':ra., and had not proceeded fa^' sprAe of the damage, done by the "heavy rains became visible to the '•passengers. The main road, which here rims close to the' line was 1 seen' to be badly damaged by a.'huge'wash-out, the volume'"of water haying. brought down some huge'trees, #hich 'Were piled' up across the road, completely blocking traffic. Shortly after-; wards they came to the first slip ori'thej line Itself, which had been cleared away J. The'train had libt"proceeded far when' a v ?resh; slip was enebUntered, which had| just come down on the permanent way,; and ,1s there were* very few workmen; available it Wan-three-quarters of atr hour before the' line" was clear, ■■ and .the' joilrney'was continued." Just 'before this! slip had coirie down a goods train, whichhad been derailed in the morning, and' i which' was again placed on the track, 1 had passed the spot and crossed down train, the slip coming down :in the interval between the two -trains'- passing the spot. Progress was then made to the main slip, which completely blocked the line about a mile and a half from Mangaweka.' This had not been cleared away, and it Was impossible to take the train further. A few vehicles had assembled at the spot, and into these some of the sciigers had to walk the mile and a half through the mud to join the relief train, which had been sent out from Marton, while the mails and baggage were transferred in waggons. The relief, express then proceeded on the journey, arriving at Palmerston North at 7:35 p.m., and reaching Wellington a little before midnight—over ten hours late. .The passengers from Rotorua, who joined the train at Frankton Junction, were on the train for over thirty hours.