History, always repeats

March 18, 2007 1:29 AM

While the Queen was in New Zealand on Christmas Eve 1953 a lahar destroyed a rail bridge in Tangiwai. When the Wellington to Auckland Express tried to cross the bridge, the resulting accident killed 151 people. On behalf of her mother, Prince Andrew is currently in New Zealand, commemorating a hero, and another lahar has errupted, from the same volcano. The death toll is zero.
posted by Samuel Farrow (13 comments total)

Some images of the lahar [link to NZPA Images - I work for NZPA]
posted by Samuel Farrow at 1:30 AM on March 18, 2007

It is good to read about someplace where humans have managed to integrate themselves in a landscape where these kinds of naturals events take place, without loss of life. That's progress.
Thanks for the post, it was really interesting to learn about. And I had difficulty stopping following the wiki links once I started. There's something very fascinating about the mechanisms of natural 'waterworks' I think.
posted by Catfry at 2:01 AM on March 18, 2007

On behalf of her mother, Prince Andrew...

Do you have information about Andy that the rest of us should be privy to?
posted by Grangousier at 2:06 AM on March 18, 2007

I like the Split Enz homage in the post title.
posted by litlnemo at 2:10 AM on March 18, 2007

Grangousier - a slip and I apologise to HRH Andrew Windsor.

Thanks for pointing it out though, made me laugh.
posted by Samuel Farrow at 2:17 AM on March 18, 2007

1953 Tangiwai railway disaster Media Gallery.
posted by cenoxo at 6:20 AM on March 18, 2007

Grangousier - a slip and I apologise to HRH Andrew Windsor.

Don't you mean HRH The Duke of York?

HTH. HAND. BBQ!!!1!
posted by eriko at 6:24 AM on March 18, 2007

More about Mt. Rapehu, including a map of historical lahars and floods. Not much going on currently at Volcano Cameras and Seismographs - New Zealand.

Mt. Ngauruhoe, about 20 km northeast of Rapehu, was Mt. Doom in Lord of the Rings.
posted by cenoxo at 7:15 AM on March 18, 2007

... Mt. Ruapehu ...
posted by cenoxo at 10:02 AM on March 18, 2007

While the Queen was in New Zealand on Christmas Eve 1953 a lahar destroyed a rail bridge in Tangiwai. Prince Andrew is currently in New Zealand, commemorating a hero, and another lahar has errupted

When the British royal family visits down under, the shift hits the land.
posted by fandango_matt at 10:32 AM on March 18, 2007 [1 favorite]

Someone mentioned to me that there are some people who have been planning for this event for a decade now - and now that it has gone off without a hitch, they're out of a job.
posted by Paragon at 5:42 PM on March 18, 2007

So what disasters happened the nine times that the Queen has visited New Zealand since 1953?
posted by Hogshead at 6:38 AM on March 19, 2007

Do you have information about Andy that the rest of us should be privy to?

There have been a number of rumours about Prince Andrew and his sexuality over the years. To take just one, in the mid-90s I was told by someone who was in a position to know that since his divorce Andrew had been living with a male partner, partied excessively, and was now HIV+. Should it develop into AIDS, an announcement would be made that he had cancer.

I proffer this not as a hidden secret but as an example of the sort of stories that the Royals attract.
posted by Hogshead at 6:48 AM on March 19, 2007