THE FLOODS IN OTAGO.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1763, 14 July 1888, Page 2

THE FLOODS IN OTAGO.

Dunedin, July 11. Railway eommunication with Dunedi a, both north and aoutb, is now atopptd. The southern express only came as far as Clarkvi'-le, just south of Miltoo, and hiad to stop there, as there were font feet of water on the line. The Ontram branch line is also under water, and trains bars ceased running on i f . All efforts to get the northern line clear by dark failed, and the railway it blocked. Arrangements have been made to send tbe aalfls by coach to Waitaki, and connect.with the train there. 1

In town the damage done by : the persistent ra : nfall ia very slight, but as-it still continues, although not so’ heavy, there ia a serious danger of 'slips occurring ua the ground /become* saturated. Ia Northeast Valley about two feet of water cover the lower portions. .... j iuiy.ia.. The train for the south man Aged to get through this morning after a little delay. The Southern express train reached town all right to-night, the water having subsided. The northern Hoe . is.-still blocked, and passengers had to be brought from Waitatai in the eoacb.- This line is expected to be cleared on Saturday. The Min still continues, but it is much lighter, with only occasional heavy shower*. : A SLIP AT PURAKANUI CLIFFS, The < Otago Daily Times supplies the following particulars of the recent.fiooident to the express train atthe, .Purakanui CliffsAn accident; occurred .to the express train from Christchurch? On Tuesday evening which, although Ijy wonderful good fortune it was not attended by any serious results, was startling in the extreme, owing to the perilous spot at which it occurred. The line that winds along Purakanui Cliffs at a dizsy height is regarded as safe because of the special watch that is kept upon It and the extrema caution exercised by drivers at this point. But the danger of landslips froip the cliff above is onn not easily guarded against by any precautions, as jthe incident .of Tuesday evening: showed. The- line may be perfectly clear before-the panage of a train, but the vibration of an approaching engine may supply the /Slight impetus needed to dislodge tome" portion of the overhanging cliff loosened by heavy rains and held in auspetias. - This, evidently, is the moat serious danger to be apprehended at Purakanui. There was heavy rs(o all day yesterday, and as the express, loaded with passengers, was about the . centre of the cliffs, a short distance the north side the caretaker's house, this very thing occurred. It was shortly after 7 o'clock, a dark night with ? heavy rain, And 'the train according to regulations, WAs travelling very slowly. The watchman stationed at this section: of . the line shad just signalled the train all clear and turned his back, when, without any warning's large rock with its accompanying athrit fell fairly upon the engine. It struck 4 the locomotive lo w do wn about the wheels, dint* log it over inwards and breaking up the ittts where it fell. The engine left the JriiU immediately and fell over against th«.cliff on the landward side, two waggons •)*© following it off the line before the train was brought to v standstill, Neither driver nor fireman were hurt, fortunately, but tbe engine was considerably damped, and the steam that escaped in clouds prevented people approaching toaaewtain the position of affairs. At this/particular spot there is a low outer bank of rps|, but had the accident occurred a few yaffts further on, the engine would 2 have running on the very brink of the precipicb, and a fall outwards instead 'of' inwards might have entailed consequences too terrible to think about. As it-waa, there was considerable uneasiness felt among the passengers, of course, but no,symptoms of anything like a scare. Tbe susden stoppage was unaccompanied by much jolting, and many of those oh bdsra did not know till some time afterwards what had occurred. After the nature df tbe accident was ascertained, most of {the passengers _ kept their seals;, for a • considerable time, but small quantities fit earth and stones continued to fall.upon the carriage roofs, and eventually all were glad to alight, despite the rain, and take sheltvr in the signalman’s house or where else they could. Communication was, of course, made with Dunedin at once,, and by a quarter-past eight a train, -with-Mr Ashcroft (stationmaster) on board, left the terminus in order to bring on the passengers. The run out to Purakanui was made in forty minutes, and r no time was lost in transferring the passengers, with the exception of some few who preferred to go back to Waitatai, and thft mails, etc. The special train reached Dunedin at a quarter to 11, the passengers thus having suffered a delay of some three hours. All was done by the railway officials that could be done for their c6mfort and safety, but nothing couid be done to clear the line _until the following morning.