TUNNEL SHELTERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 20, 23 February 1942, Page 4

TUNNEL SHELTERS

Sir, —Quite a number of people In New Zealand are under the impression that all pumice country requires to be timbered to> hold it. This is not the case. Surface pumice that is loose pumice requires timbering but at a depth, pumice gets compressed and in many cases will hold without timber. I had the job as a foreman of the Arapuni tunnel that the Waikato river now flows through. That nel was 28 feet by 28 feet and in the clear two--thirds of the distance w was pumice or compressed pumice or what the geologist call riolite, and not a stick of timber was used until "running country" was met with. Running country means alluvial s£ind and loam etc. so that is proof that pumice will stand without timber. Now if you take a trip to Rotorua you will notice many cuttings that could be driven into and woukl hold without timber. I do not want people to think that ! could put a tunnel through loose > - pumice. And I say again that the bluff at the back of the store ,at Awakeri could be tunnelled part of the way without timber. I have worked in all classes of country. I was sinking for the 1 foundations for • the powerhouse at Arapuni and met with all classes of volcanic formation-. I got down to volcanic black glass and then as the country turned to warm mud it was getting too , hot for me. Had I gone on further t might have met the devil but did .not want to rush into Ki.s arms. When he' sends for it it will suit me if his turnout is not any worse than the 1 days of the dole house in New Zealand. I am not the man , that composed that softg "Take my boots off when I dies."

Now Sir, getting back to tunnelling the Hillcrest country is not difficult to tunnel. Many years ago I put a tunnel in those hills about r mile further round for the East Coast Freezing Coy for a man by* the name of Myers, secretary of the company. The tunnel was to. carrywater mains. The company got its water from a stream near the old Ohope road. I <lo not know.the exact date but it was when Harry Tancred, the man that owns High Caste, was working at the works, Keepa fathered the Maoris, Regan kept the pub and Tim was King of the Tcwn—about 1916 I think. Yours etc., O. PARK, Consulting Mining Expert.