Engine perched on cliff top

Wellington City and the country districts were visited by a strong gale and a heavy rainfall last night. Slips are reported on the railway lines in several places, including one near Paekakariki, about 30 miles from Wellington. Here the engine of a goods train was derailed by a slip, and traffic was temporarily disorganised, passengers by incoming trains being transferred at the scene of the slip. A railway official who has just returned from the scene of the accident states that the driver and the fireman on the derailed engine had remarkable escapes. The engine fell over on its side, though the tender remained upright, both having left the rails. The driver (Southall) escaped with a sprained ankle and the fireman got off with a shaking. The engine pulled up on the brink of a precipice, and the fall to the sea beach is about 700 feet. When the rods connecting the engine and the tender were sawn through the engine slipped slightly down the cliff. If it goes right over it is likely to be a total loss, and, as without the tender its value is 9000, the cost to the department will be heavy. During the past three days a big cyclonic disturbance has prevailed over the whole of the North Island, extending through the districts either side of Cook Strait. Yesterday the storm was very severe, and continued with unabated violence all day.

 

In English numeration a billion is a million squared, a trillion is a million cubed; in other numerations, European and American, a billion is a thousand millions, a trillion a thousand billions. As we have little use for billions and trillions this diversity is of no great consequence. In their celestial measurements astronomers do not talk of billions and trillions, but of "light years." Light travels at the rate of 186,000 miles a second: the miles of a light year are 186,000 multiplied by the number of seconds in a year, I don't set out the figures: imagine them if you can. This measuring stick in hand, the astronomer moves about in the abysmal depths of space, disporting himself at ease. Of Alpha Centauri, thought to be our nearest neighbours (one of the two "pointers" to the Southern Cross, is it not?), it is more convenient to set down the distance as three or four light years than as 25,000,000,000,000 miles. - by `Civis'

 

The local office of the Government Tourist Department is experiencing a busy period just now in coping with the holiday traffic to all parts of Now Zealand. The bookings are heavier this season than they have been for some years past, and the most liberal patronage has been extended to the South Island resorts, such as Franz Josef Glacier, Mount Cook and the Milford Sound Track, the last-mentioned place being particularly popular.

 

The Chairman of the No 16 District Highways Council (Mr J.K. Marks) wrote to the Waikouaiti County Council stating that he had received advice from the Main Highways Board to the effect that the council's application to have the Mt Cargill section of the Dunedin-Christ-church highway declared a Government road could not be granted. In view of this decision the only basis on which a subsidy could be granted was 1 for 2, and he suggested that immediate necessary repairs be proceeded with, the Main Highways Board to fund one-third of the cost. - ODT, 20.12.1924