WAIPOHI SLUDGE CHANNEL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 775, 23 February 1877, Page 3

WAIPOHI SLUDGE CHANNEL.

(Tuapek.v Tiwf.s). The Waipori sludge channel may ho said to he a thing of the past. Some days ago we hoard that the damage done was of a very serious nature but wo preferred waiting till wo received some reliable statement concerning it before publishing them Wo now learn on good authority that the channel has been to all intents and purposes rendered completely useless by the late floods. The channel is tilled with debris from bank to bank, all the claims and particular works have hoen washed away, it is estimated that it would take at least L2OOO to repair ' the damage done. As there is not the least shadow of a hope that such a sum or anything approaching it will he expended, the channel may bo considered completely closed to mining. By this disaster 81) men have i been thrown out of work, and an exdendi-

taro of from LCD to L7O a week in tho town . of Waipori has been suddenly cut oil'. Tho I minors on the flat are men in a worse position than they were before tho channel was constructed as they cannot drain their claims. This is n very pitiable termination to tho Waipori sludge channel which was to be so much for Waipori and upon which the large sum of LI 1,009 of public money was expended. The engineering in connection with that work has been quito on a par with the other public works of the province, and to all appearances bears the stamp of incompetency. The floods in the Waipori district did a great deal of damage, other mining property besides the channel with races broke away iu every direction and a largo number of sluice boxes and mining plant were carried away by the flood. In the township the water rose very high. The inhabitants on the north side of the river had to seek higher quarters, Cotton's Hotel and Lewis’ Store being inundated. On the other side, the flood water was a foot deep in Johnson’s Bridge lintel. Altogether the damage done in the Waipori district has been very great, and it will be a considerable time before it is repaired.