RANGIOTU SUSPENSION BRIDGE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 174, 12 April 1918, Page 10

RANGIOTU SUSPENSION BRIDGE

COMPLETION OF A. BIG TASK. This bridge, erected by Mr. Joseph Dawson for (he 'Pane Hemp Company, acquires a unique significance because it is the largest and lonpiest suspension .bridge yet built in New Zealand, or, in fact, in Australnsia. The naxmille where the bridge is erected are situated on the Mniiivwntu. River, about nine miles below Palmerston. In this part of (ho country are several fiaxmills, one of them the largest in the world, scutching over a hundred square miles of flax swamp. A year ago one of the millers met Mr. Dawson.

"I've been hearing about your bridges," he said. "Do you think you could put up one to 'carry our flax across the Manawatui River?"

"It's a big river," eaid Mr. Dawson, "but I can. do it."

Forthwith the site wns examined and an estimate of cost furnished.

"Get on with the bridge," eaid the man of flax, and Mr. Dawson went to work.

He had unforeseen difficulties. It was not the want of material which the war had made unpurchasable, but the difficulties of getting the kind of labour he required, fortunately, in Mr. N. Malcolm was a foreman who constituted a labour gang in himself. The river rose and fell, was flooded, and they had to wait till the Hood subsided, but Dawson and Malcolm worked hand and glove, for they had never been beatem Down went the foundations ten feet deep, and up went the towers, of concrete CO feet above the level of the banks, and 52 feet above the flooring of tha bridge. It, was a huge work, the building- of the four white concrete monuments, and it needed no ordinary strength to haul sixteen heavy steel ropes over the saddles on their summits. Hut'- it was done. The towers on which the ropes are suspended, strongly built'of reinforced concrete, are double, two on each side of'the river, each pail' connects! by three arches, and their tota* weight'is 288 tone. Besides this, 80 tons of buried concrete are used for the anchor!!. The length- of the bridge is 473 feel, aw' the width eleven feet. At the. top of the towers the cables rest on saddles armed with 21 wheels. Each cable measures 750 feet. t>o that altogether 12,000 feet of steel rope has been used. 'I'lin timber used for Hooi-ing, joists, and chords is black birch, hard as flint, and more durable than ironbark. The weight of the bridge, as hung from the ropes, is 80 tons. Near the bridge U a strong wire rope on •which Tie flax in huge bundles used to travel. Now it is coftveyed on a tramline, eight tons at a time, drawn by a couple of horsM. Seeing the mills are keeping about a hundml hands employed and producing hundreds of tons of hemp, the advantage of tile bridge over the system of rope transit is obvious. It means a frtign saving of time, labour, and cost. On Tuesday the bridge was well examined, tested, and formally opened in the presence of a large gathering of settlers and experts. Mr. Dawsou was present to expTnin fully all details, and lie was wannl.v congratulated en, the success ot his latest achievement.