TIE WEATHER

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 204, 24 May 1920, Page 4

TIE WEATHER

DISTRICT REPORTS. (Prom Our Special Correspondents.) Featherston. May &£—'Very severe gale last nieht: westerly vrind.

A novel method of constructing a ooffer dam was employed by a British engineer in India when putting in the foundations for the abutment of a bridge.

Piles were formed by joining old 20 feet double-headedi rails head to head by iron bands. The lower ends were pointed, and the piles driven, at six-feet distances. Mango -plants were pushed behind tho piles, and when bedrock was reached bags filled with clay were used to keep 6and and water out of the dam. All tho material used in construction was recovered after the work was completed, and the total cost was remarkably low. In epito of short working 1 days and war Weariness, Britisli engineering lLrms manage to achieve some remarkable results in rapid production. In connection with an important Government soheme it' recently became necessary to construct an entire railway station. In little! more than a fortnight after tne decision was taken tho contractors had | their plans ready, and two months later the work was completed. It involved tli-o excavation of 17,000 cubic yards of <arth, the construction of two 600-foet platforms, the exectipn of a footbridge (wadch [ took only 17 days), and the laying of over 1 1-8 miles of railway. A welcome home and smoko concert to members who participated in the Great War is to bo given by tho Federal Club on Monday evening, May 31. A roll of honour will bo unveiled the Enme .evening.