60 YEARS IN USE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19175, 5 December 1927, Page 11

60 YEARS IN USE.

DIAMOND JUBILEE OF TUNNEL. A RETROSPECT—IBG7-1927. Sixty years ago, on December oth, 1867, the first passenger train passed through the Lyttelton tunnel and the line was opened for traffic between Chrißtchurch and the Port. The commencement of the tunnel works maybe said to date back to July 17th, ISGI, when the first sod was cut in Heathcote Valley, in connexion with the contract for the completion of the last six miles of line. The handicaps to communication and transport, with which the pioneers of Canterbury had to contend, may well be imagined, but the amenities enjoyed by posterity are proof that the surmounting of such natural obstacles as existed had no terrors for the handful of settlers who founded the Province. In November 1854, the Provincial Government established a Department of Public Works under the professional superintendence of Mr Edward Dobson, which commenced at once the opening up of the country. The necessary funds, depending entirely upon the progress of the land sales, were all too inadequate for uninterrupted development, which advanced only fitfully and with great difficulty. It was between Lyttelton and Akaroa that the first important road of the settlement was built, but more important works were early debated. Various small steamers and coasting craft were accustomed to ply between Lyttelton and the different shipping places of Christchurch Quay, Kaiapoi, and Timaru. It was an uncertain service, and soon it became apparent that better communication between Lyttelton and Christchurch had become imperative through the growth of settlement.

Bridle Path. The Bridle Path was constructed across the hill, and a cart road was made from the foot of the hill on the Heathcote side to the river, to be followed, by the establishment of a ferry there, and the construction of a road to the town. River traffic, including that to The Bricks wharf, was improved and that on the Heathcote developed. Not satisfied that these facilities would suffice for long, the founders of the Province discussed the construction of a more efficient means of communication. Debating at length the various proposals for lines of road over the hill, the Provincial Legislature at length cast them all aside, as furnishing no adequate solution, and the settlement began, to envisage a railway with a tunnel as the only logical and efficient means of overcoming' the handicaps under which it was suffering. A tunnel had been spoken of as early as December, 1851, but it waa not until 1854 that a Commission was appointed to enquire into and report on the several modes- of communication between the Port and the Plains. Mr William Sefton Moorhouse was the superintendent to whom is due the credit of carrying through the great object of Mr Dobson, the Provincial Engineer. Ultimately the difficulty of finance was overcome, although —and it provides an insight into the indomitable spirit of the settlement —it was always regarded as something much moro serious than the engineering problem.

Sumner Road. The Commission, of which Mr Dobson was a member, decided on-the Sumner road as a pre-requisito. This was far short of requirements, and in 1858 another Commission sat, Mr Dobson again being a member. Shortly before he had reported to the Provincial Council that a tunnel would pass entirely through volcanic rock, and that its construction would entail from five to seven years of labour. The 1858 Commission considered two leading schemes —the one now in existence, and one via Sumner to Gollan's Bay. Not only did it recommend the first scheme, but the same decision was -eached by a Commission sitting in London, the greatest engineers of the day, the Stephensons, having given it their approval. Political opposition to the tunnel was strong, but, like.the financial obstacle, it was eventually overcome. Mr J. E. Fitzgerald,, first Superintendent of the Province, was one of those most impressed by the Sumner route. Wc find then that Messrs Smith and Knight, of Londqn, entered into a eontract with the English Commissioners to construct the tunnel and other works (exclusive of railway stations) for the sum of £235,000, the work to be completed in five years. On December 24th, 1859 the agents for the contractors arrived in Canterbury, and at once began the sinking of trial shafts. There was a condition in regard to the possibility of the Government raising the money attached to the contract, but when the money was ready the contractors were not, .and the contract was not ratified. .. Government Starts Work. But if the contractors the Government was, and Mr Dobson commenced the work of opening the ends of the tunnel meanwhile. Labour was-not very plentiful-the gold rush in Australia had reached its height The' Provincial Council bore the initial expenses, including trial shafts, up to £3OOO. In November, definite P° were obtained for the prosecution or The work; but Messrs Smith and Knight declined to ratify their contract, obliging Superintendent Moorhouso to visit Australia in connexun with fresh tenders. In May, 1801, that of Messrs George Holmes and Co., or Melbourne, was accepted, the conditions being the completion of six miles of line in five years ending Juno Ist, 186G, for £2-40,-500. the cost of the tunnel 2338 yards long, being fixed « £195,000. Up till this .time all that had been done was the sinking of trial shafts and the driving of 96 yards of heading—3o vards at the south, and to yards at the "north end of the tunnel. On July 17th, 1861. the first sod m connexion with the new.contract was turned in Heathote \ alley, and. rather more than a year later-on September '9th IS62—Mrs Moorhouse laid- tne first'stone at the north end of the tunnel, Mr John ft'nll performnic a similar ceremonv at the south end in April, 1864 Water was encountered in considerable quantities, until both sides and roof ran dry. and. with comparative ease, the difficulties inseparable from, tunnelling, such.as ventilation and alignment, and the shortage of labour, were overcome.

Good Progress. The work proceeded without interruption and with a remarkable immunity from accidents V orthr of the highest Praise were the skill of the engineer Mr Dobson, and the ability or the contractors and their, men. On the Port side, the largest spring encountered had a temperature ot 70 de S re , es '- n Geologists were very interested >n the work, which afforded the first complete section of the crater wall of a" extinct volcano. The rocks formed.a series of lava streams and beds of tu a, intersected by vertical dykes of phonolite. The lara streams generally con sistH of scoria, overlvnig a conr.e, pink trachyte, passing R«»ilunti> through shades of grey, purple,. an«i blue, into a black, finely-grained dolerite. intensely hard and tough. ' * lightest and softest rocks vrere'it I''* 1 ''* top. and the densest and blackest at tha bottom. Boring was conducted ir°m

both ends simultaneously, entailing strict attention to alignment througn°UA tower was built on the dividing, ridge, nearly midway between the two ends, and on this a permanent mark was fixed, m the centre-line of the tunnel On the tower a permanent mark was made by means 6f a batten six inches wide, with a black stripe an inch wide down the centre, and observations were taken with a transit instrument to see that the mark on the batten and the flame of a candle held inside the tunnel in the centre-line ol the work were in the same vertical plane. . The Borings Meet. When the two borings met in the centre, the alignment was found to he exact within a few inches, but, when completed, the tunnel was found to be 2870 yards long, 32 yards longer than the estimate. • Communication was effected between the gangs working from cither end on May 24th, 1867, although the breach was not large enough to allow trolleys to run until May 29th. The latter was a day of great rejoicing, as can well bo imagined, and prominent citizens enjoyed a trolley ride through' to Lyttelton, where the contractors entertained them at dinner. The formal opening took place on June loth. It is interesting to note that only two serious accidents occurred during the course of tho work, both being due to faulty handling of explosives. One man lost his sight, and another broke a legWork was carried on day and night, and the contractors finished their contract satisfactorily and successfully. Many hundreds of people availed themselves of the free trains run by them on June 10th. when the tunnel was illuminated and thrown open 1° the public. The Superintendent made a present to the workmen at the formal opening, and in return they entertained him at a banquet in the centre of the tunnel on June 29th. The first passenger train passed through on December 9th, 1867, and it is very fitting that this 60th anniversary of an event fraught with such momentous results in the development of Canterburv should fall within twelve months of the electrification of the line and "hole in the hill."