A THIRD VISIT TO KLONDYKE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11489, 23 January 1903, Page 3

A THIRD VISIT TO KLONDYKE.

THE RUAPUNA WATER-KACE.

At the invitation of the Ashburton County Council a. large party assembled on Wednesday at Klondyke, a rugged and picturesque spat away up in the gorge of the Rangitata, a point at which this river has •been tapped to supply with water a block of some 18,000 acres of land down on the plains in the Ruapuna district. Amongst those present were Messrs C. J. Harper (chairman of the County Council), J. Lambie T. Harrison, J- Studholme, junr., F. Milton, W. Morgan, M. Stitt (members of 'the Council), E. Herring, J. Johnston (exnrumbers), W. Baxter (engineer to the Council), F. Mainwariog (the chief clerk). C. W. Purneii (the Council's solicitor), J. Matbia* (cf the Union Bank), W. H. Collins (Mayoi of Ashburtonj, Joshua Tucker, Douglas Wright, W. Balkntyne, A- J. Sleightholm (a visitor recently from England), G«o Scott, C. Morrison, W. G. GaKagher, and many otheri. Those starting from Ashfourton were driven up and'back in a four-in-hand drag by Mr J. Newman. The 70 odd miles was accomplished without accident, except that the near poler etumblect on »• rough bit of road, and slipped its shoulder, and after practically going on three legs for a coupCe of chains stumbled again and dipped tbe displaced joint bacn into position. A atari had been made at 7.1& a.m., and Ktondyke was reached at 12.45 pm. An al fresco luncheon, catered by Mr Dellow, of Mavfjeld, was ijnmediaitely enjoyed. The party then proceeded to inspect the headworks of the greatest and most difficult undertaking in t£e whole water-race system of the Ashburton County, in which is in a£l a not work of about 1500 miles. The headworks were formerly opened three years aao, but some months afterwarda an unusually heavy flood came down and extensively damaged about sixty chains of a deep open race running along the banks of the Rangitata,, and underneath a steep high terrace of a loose ehingly formation Some thirty-two chains of this channel has since been enclosed with c continuous Df shaped concrete culvert, 3 feet in diameter, and about 2| miles down from the headworks a heavy timber culvert has been* put in for 100 yards to carry the water along the side of a high eteeptliff of loose Shingle and huge boulders. . The total length of terrace formation, including the part in which has been placed the concrete culvert, is about five miles, and at the end of this five miles the water will be carried out on to the plains. The tota 1 cost of the original work wafts £6263 15* 3d, end the co«t of cleaning out of the channels after the big flood, puttin? in the concrete and wooden culverts, lms run into another £2516 9s Bd, making a total of £8780 4s lid, towards which the Government gave a subsidy o£ £1000. Dnring the proceedings on Wednesday Mr Haiper gave some interesting particulars of the history of the work, and congratulated the settlers of Ruapuna on it* successful completion. He paid a high tribute to the late Mr E. G. Wright for the active interest he had taken in furthering the work in every way, and also to the late Mr Ballantyne, who had so long held and so successfully farmed land in the Ruapuna district. Mr W. Ballatityne responded, as did also the Mayor of Ashburton.