THE AKAROA RAILWAY.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 315, 25 July 1879, Page 2

THE AKAROA RAILWAY.

Mr M'Grath, the contractor for the formation of the Akaroa railway, who commenced operations on July 10, has already made highly satisfactory progress. The work in hand has nothing to do with the laying of the" permanent way, but includes simply the formation of the road and the construction of bridges. The length of road, from the end of Lake Ellesmere to the junction with the Southbridge Jine at the Lincoln station, is 17 miles, and there are ten small bridges to be built, their aggregate length being 460 feet. ; Operations were commenced at the Akaroa end, at the rear of the Beach Arms Hotel, the working force employed being 30 men and 30horses, and uptoTuesdaj evening nearly a mile had been accomplished, this first portion being the most broken ground along the entire distance. At the same time a highly important work, necessary to the line, was also achieved. This .was the letting out of the water from Lake Ellesmere. in order to lay bare the marginal portion of the huge depressions ; and in order to give some idea of the task which has been accomplished, it may first be mentioned that the surface of the: lake in its normal condition presents an approximate area of 250 square miles, separated from the ocean by a ridge of shingle, a formation in some respects similar to the famous Chesil beach which connects Portland with the main land of England. At stated periods it has been customary to let out the water <of the lake, the Opening being, however, soon filled up again by the action of the sea, and the effect of reducing the level of the water as low as possible is to expose some 20,000 acres of land. A part of Mr M'Grath's contract is to reduce the lake to its lower level, and to preserve the opening during the. term of his contract, which extends nine months from the date of commencement". The cutting was made through the shingle ridge a fortnight since, the length of cutting being about 8 chains, and the plan adopted was to use horse scoops similar in construction to these used in the formation of roads, first throwing up the shingle on either side, and then, when the" sides become too steep for the horses," working longitudinally. It need scarcely be mentioned that the weather during the past fortnight, and the stormy sea,; has made the undertaking one of more than ordinary difficulty; while in so exposed a position the men had to experience not a little discomfort. The cutting is at the

Maori pah, about seven miles east of Southbridge. Three times the water line was reached, only to have the cutting refilled by the action of the sea; but yesterday the contractor had the satisfaction of seeing the water flowing steadily from the lake, while his men kept on pluckily in their efforts te deepen the channel, until they waded waist deep. When they knocked off work, the outflow had acquired sufficent force to cause a scour, and for some time the channel will go on deepening. Subsequently Mr M'Grath hopes that an occasional use of the scoops may keep the passage clear. One portion of the railway road runs within the ordinary margin of the lake, and to keep down the water this becomes a matter of primary importance. For protection against any possible action by the water of the lake, the contract specifies that the south edge of the roadway is to be faced with storife. It is quite possible that Mr M'Grath's experiment of nine months, if it results successfully, will determine the Goverment officials to continue the dredging or scooping system, and to abandon altogether the proposal to construct a solidly built permanent opening at an enormous cost. — Lyttelton Times. ,