DARING BUT SAFE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 928, 22 September 1910, Page 5

DARING BUT SAFE.

THE DESIGN AT SOLOMON'S KNOB. LAURELS FOR MR. MORTON. CONGRATULATIONS ALL ROUND. The Mayor, Mr. T. M. Wilford, and a party of councillors yesterday paid a visit lo the new Solomon's Knob dam at Wainui, and were conducted; over' the works by Mr. W. H. Morton, city engineer. Councillors present were: Messrs. - Trevor, Smith, Cohen, Shirtcliffc.Carmichael, • Luke,.. Morrab, Fitzgerald, Barber, and Thompson.; In addition to Mr. Morton and Mr. L. Birks, cnginoer-in-chargeat Kotorua, who is on a visit to Wellington, Mr. Morice, assistant city engineer, Mr. Palmer, Town Clerk, and other corporation officials accompanied the ■party. Tho journey was made in motorcars, which covered tho ground so ex- , peditiously, despite a strong head wind I encountered both going and returning, that a return to the city was made at S p.m. " , *.

: The dam is; a structure of .-"peculiar V-' > ; ; design, and.thojpart played by the' City' ? Engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton) nection withrit. is sufficiently indicated-:'- : ' .by the. speeches made, yesterday. : It; ig. a*''.•collular, arrangement of walls of concrete, but a' detailed account of," itJk would male; rather? tortuous : and_ >;: reading; however.interesting it might-ba'i-i/ to;: experts; ■"-. Prom ;endv-tovend : the. 'dam "''- measures' about-;s4o'.feet,-' and,.its visible;;; height of some 40 feet seems slight by -" comparison;with -its great: length, >Tha" : ; :; i r : reservoir "has 'an 7 estimated -storage '■''■-■ capacity of 120,000,000. gallons.

; i. :::The; Mayor on*vCostLatidLutilfty;;: '-•"Before .'the party ; lefttfe:tte city,:Hr/V ; Wilford : said : he: felt; something should-•. be said on this occasionrif 'only with*ths~: V idea of giving the oitizens'of '"Wellington. some.conception' of .this' great;-work; ■:" If;-) they ;had realised ■': its "importance- WbenH .7 the late poll was taken: on'the proposal ' to raise a loan of ,£IOO,OOO 'to' be spent" a-"--taking the water from -that v to tho''-?' city,- there would- have: been-/a /larger '• poll ■and greater interest in /.- importance was .perfectly councillors .and inimself. -\v They/-'recog-'' J :v nised that'; tospend.; .£46,000 in providing: "-.' : ; an: up-to-date^darn"would/ie .nie're-mad-1 ;; ness' if they did "not. provide the -'means ■£' * of conveying: the-water-to:the'cityrs-.The' . : : larjje number, of that,were: • being made,with.tho'^Wellington-'-maiii l-V'- 1 had' convinced the council '"that -by.-brihg-t*-" : i?f>..to au additional supply ; it'would de-i; nve-_"a' revenue far'ii excess : of;that :now- : ''.. ,obtained. One, firm alone,' of which: he •-: knew,yvouldz-be■ paying; the council four-; ■; or-five ;hu'iidred',a-year for• .water for. power .purposss. ; = He: believed: that'--V when; the £100,000 -loan.-had'.been' spent/':-'.:. in reticulation and the formation of a daia'i'i-j' at Nairn Street, the-public would. say,ih: : -;' viefr-of the; provision madeVforisafetyin-i'V tinie;of■fire as.wclL.aslfpfcdomesficlcon-D2 - yenience, that the" expenditure: ~w'a6v ' ie,;i": right one. There was no' Mssibility.-ri:- v a rate being struck to .provide ithe'loahl;. He,-was-satisfied;-.the'.vloaaS:' /could.,be \. obtained:-pm'terms.'.that'.'.would' Sbe "unanimously, approvedvby"theccoun- : cil.andi. by ratepayers;; 'Already, he :had;:"": been in communication with the' London ' Hnion- Bank and other sources, and,'thero,:.should.be no reastih:to money could be. raised on excellent. terms;- ■:':

:. c ; :v" _'Ee jvpuld like,'tb ; pay 'a'toribute"torth«'•': Citr:.Eßg;ii€Br for the>manrier. in Vwhich' ''. "ne.'had;. carried ; o'ut:th^w6rfa-- ; Thevd&m" : ' ; ' : L'T«6i-the ; :first",6f; its .kind:; thatlmd'-tieenJ'' ..-'-■; .«^.^-iffi/tK.r4ustfaladaa*.Mlbiu^vTha--': : plans Lhad,.;been /somewhat- improved^by• : : Mr.-iHorton, after-' taking into'-.consider^ '-M--tion a dam': of similar' constriction'which* - '-■ - .had, - been; erected.:• .at -"/Schuylerville ): ■Amenoa..'---'lts'/apparently :'light -constriio--'-. tion enabled ;the i work .to. ;be .=carried 'cut \ ■■■ at' i avminimiim>6f-l , c^t ; --'and;a''maimi(jnj''' ; ''- ,fli efficiency. ' '. The:' city,', was "'.fbrthnuto-- 1 ?* : ' in possessing Mr. Mort#'ac'*" attainment. When this ;work '.'was':finish--' : -'- : ed- in.'tffp'months'y.taniei : :and. .mains-''■-'-'•■ . brought in' from "the'. other" side of "Wainui*'--. '■ '■ Hill ;to/Wellington,'-.citizens-.'would- ! hiv«':'" : ajirat«T,siipply;,suffidentto iserre'dbubte'v v; ■~™Si:P^ nt :- : -P 0 P' M suburban- residents', '.who''had-' '-fong^fiif-S-*. : measureable -'distance '-of-'- obtaining- 1 "itho-V' ' .slipplyi - they;' desired:::.; .This' dam,. the-Maypr. stated i: in. conclusioni'.he'' .: regarded as.'a'.monumentUo.tho-engineers l :•>■-■'• and .bfficere' whbi.'.had-Vcarried'.'put ' : ' .work.:.;/ •:;;.- "jo-.^-j'-^.C'riVr-ViiiAs^;

-Councillor Luke .heartily', endorsedftKex'S Mayors eulogy.of th'e;City,■Engihee^^and; : .V bV^, l ! ? taff •.,/: TheyKall;. /-{hia'// loyal service,, and, ; having ■: full confidence; ■-■■"':■.'. 'J 1 , 11 .™' er « Valways; pleasetl- -'■■-' and .give 'effect to. his recommendations.''-- " ■S? " tos..very,: "pleased ■ that his ■-.'Worship^/had .made..reference to 'the .value- of/aa!A' : efficient;' water•::supply;,;-;iforv.itsVimport-^v-aneerbould> not'be .overestimated; ; /new/reservoir -would havo -'&'. storage/capa* ''i ."■ ,city./ of. 120,000,0001.gallonsifthV:' old-'',Wai. : V nui .reservoir- stored gallons).-* ■•?•' ■The reservoir',erected;, at' Karori .two■' years >.■;' ■ago:, : -had'-/a i ;'ioapacity.'-bi- :; '80J/milli6i''gffU ; '?. : -- lons,. and . the ■ old, Karori '.reservoir' 1 of 'iit ; V; million gallons. /-'.; It. was evident';that:a - ; -:" copious .water-.'supply forWellington''.and;: /.; its suburbs ■.Trae..ensur.ed-.'for. , many.;years:/. ; '' to come/; All credit, be" given'::Mr.,; ! ;'■ / Morton.'for, his'.work ;ii- this. MnnepHpri/f. The., contractors ..to. whom;;.the construe-' ,:' tion of the. dam>. had;'been' entrusted ivshould v not/be» ; forgotten.': ;They,*"hadfe-: shown- excellent 'capacity/' and a desire:'to ■ i'-\ do what was;right. a ;; ; i^WS/A;;;/::;^ •■'•[■ "Going to. Keep:' " Councillor .Smith;' saidCthat: without^- : -' • doubt- they had the very, best-professional >- : advice, .that- could: be obtained south. :'ot-il/-the'/Line... In a:re'cent:;:-risit:;by';;tha':''-: speaker, to. Australia, he. had/:been win-''•/■■ : formed by, the (ohief 'engineer,/.for -Mel-/'-i ■.bpurne-:ana : by;'the.;--Lbrd , .'May'6r'';oif/'thaf^''-- : ;' city ;that Mr; -■■ Morton <jwas ,one- ofkthe':'>: most'; capable '.engineers : .,south .of^'ths-- - ? Line. • :'fihey were : sorry /in-Melbqurna/' that they had;,let -him .go'.W* : ; /;,-- ;;V:, ; ./' ■'.' .■.v.-SeT"erat-\'Co'unbUk)rs':TH^" ; fa»'' : going" ; to-- ; v---' keep, him!;'- v ; ■;:';■//:'.-;.":.;*. : ::: : ,,;.; ~,./,;;;,-;;;; .Councillor :Smith > concluded - by: expressv ; ': ing. his -belief ..that .the 'work /-would ;r<sK ''.'• dbuhd to Mr. Morton's credit long after'.": those present had.passed/away. ;//i:.;; v -/'-■;; ■ A Brother ,7Brush. ;V::./;>-:%/;'■; 'Speaking-as'ra visiting-,engineer,' -Mrv'?:'- : Birts ;. congratulated the -.council -V.' excellent way! in-.'which.: the .work oh;,'the' ; ''•■ danV had;been..can-ied but.- 7 ::-The.design 1 was daring, but -at the- same time.appar- - '■ '■'-•■■ ently. perfectly safe.,;Evidently-;the payers' money had- been conserved to- tha- 1 ■' -fullest possible extent;'.lt-was-oasy : in'do- v .- signing.a work; of this^kind.tb'fair.ba'ck-': 1 V oh 'precedent,; and ./build something-' 'a> '- little stronger, but. it required Vcouraga ; / and ability, to. strike out;on: new lines :; and-produce ■a ; structure'like; tkis'aam.^r' 'i< : -; Councillors.Barber, Trevor, Cohen;- and / ShirWiffe. heartily endorsed the, mehtary references .made 'by ."previous" speakers to the/engineer, and his staff;-:..;..;..; How;.the : Design was Conceived. f'&C - Called upon for" a speechj-Mr; Morton-■ ■ said that: after reading: of /the .construe- ' ; tion of one of theso dams in- America:it:'' was impressed upon him that this form'-'■'"■'-of; -construction offered a possibility."--"pJF' great-initial: saving- in the: way of.- trans- ; ~/ porfation. oharges,'- and Ton' further exam-'.."': ination he. became convinced that-it:' was ■•':'-/ the system to adopt here. The alternative: ' was to build a solid wall from 60 -'feet- to ■■'-<' a probable maximum;bf 68 feet in depth.; : « : The, saving; effected under'.the.'-,-: method -.- : adopted/was enormous.. The "dam erected '-.'■■'•'■ would be a lasting work,; arid -would not' ■''- need, anything in repairs: or- : - -:; maintenance. The officers associated-- 1 with - : ' -'- him;.4iad- all-had -something to do'Trith" ' this work, and .equally deserved credit. Ho did', not like people to tliink that the .; .work.of his office was,done by. hi gi, alone.;; /; He 'had' ablb :tissistahts,.;ffom : ;whbm' he ' received loyal aid. 'work generally,'":■'. Mr;: Morton concluded, was very - satisfac. : :; tory, -and there.. had boon /little.'bWh« : trouble "with'the contractors.:' ::-.<<i : '<'-.ay^^