PORT CHALMERS RAILWAY.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2566, 9 May 1871, Page 2

PORT CHALMERS RAILWAY.

Few people are aware of the rapid progress made in the construction of the Port Uhalmers I? ail way. Perhaps not many have gone out out of their way to look at what, has been done at the Dunedin end. Yet, from Stuart street Jetty, across Pelichet Bay, the line has been formed as far as is at present necessary; the only further work required not requiring to be done before the arrival of the rails. Mr Barnes has nearly completed his contract at Pelichet Bay, and his succeeded in making a good solid embankment. Owing to the exposure of this portion of the work to tidal action on the one side, and the discharge from the Water of Leith and Boyd’s Creek on the other, more than ordinary care has been requisite. Outlets for the stream waters have been made, across which arc timber bridges sufficiently wide to allow free egress to the current. Of course these also admit the tide, and as impediments to its rise and fall, afford a curious study to those who through profession desire to master the science of hydraulic engineering. A little pondering of the action and reaction of the tide, the direction given to the scour by obstructions to its course at given angles, and its effects, might induce some happy modification of the training wall, which at present tends to cause the silting up of the harbor. Mr Barnes had the advantage of a quarry of stone, not difficult to work, from which he has obtained material to form a solid embankment. It would be tedious, minutely, to describe every section of the work. It has been let to men who have executed it mainly on the co-operative principle, and it is remarkabe how uniformly well it has been carried out. When it is considered how many different minds and hands have been employed, this uniformity must necessarily be attributed to the vigilant supervision of Mr Simpson, the engineer. A skilled eye may detect slight variations in the workmanship. The pitching of the embankments of one section is occasionally manifestly superior to that of another, although both are good work. But throughout the whole length of the embankm -nts not a sign of incompleteness or insufficiency is to be observed. This is the more remarkable, as the unusual, dryness of the past season lias not been favorable to the consolidaficn of embankments, and it is no unfavorable symptom that the late rains have done good service, that here and there they are settling down to their permanent positions. From Dunedin to within a very short distance of Burke’s brewery at this end, the line is up to the formation level. As occasionally springs of water are met with gushing from the hill sides, and here and there little bays are crossed, it has been necessary to provide against the embankment being undermined, or inclosing a pool of water that will become stagnant and offensive. To guard against both these contingencies, when necessary culverts have been formed from 5 feet 3 inches to 4 feet 0 inches high, with stone walls built in cement and brick arches. They are neatly finished, and bear every appearance of being good substantial work. On the other side of Burke’s brewery the work is heavier, although it is considerably advanced. Here the permanent level is some four feet above that of the jetty—an arrangement that was purposely adopted to keep the Hue above the tidal wash at the highest spring tides. That this is a wise precaution is shewn by the fact that on Friday night the tide rose nearly to the levcd of the jetty. Proceeding onward to Curie’s Point, one of the deepest cuttings on the line is reached. It is 57 feet in depth at the deepest part, and has been contracted for by Messrs Crawshaw and Proctor. As the lino approaches Port Chalmers, more expansive bays have to be crossed, and, as at Pelichet Bay, additional precautions taken. At Curie’s Bay openings 15 feet wide, to be crossed on timber bridges, have been left, to allow the free rise and fall of the tide. Here are the remains of the unfortunate steamer, the Pride of the Yarra. The cabin stove, rusty and worthless, lies on the shore, and part of her side shows just above the water a sad momento of the gloomy tragedy connected with her memory. Wo need not dwell upon the crossing at Arden’s Bay. The embankments across ono bay are so like those at another, that those who see what is done in one place, where there are no special engineering difficulties, know all. Where tillmgs-in arc required, matters are so contrived that cuttings through banks supply the material. Thus beyoud Arden’s Bay is a saddle, dividing Sawyer’s from Blanket Bay, the summit of wh ch is 91 feet above the formation level. It will be less labor to tunnel through this hill than to out it away, as, including the slopes, more earth would be cut away than could be made useful. Accordingly there will here be a tunnel four

chains in length, fifteen feet wide, and eighteen feet high. The material from this tunnel forms an embankment across Blanket Bay 24 feet high. At this point, also, will be the steepest gradient on the line, which for a very short distance will be I in 60. The promoters themselves have undertaken this portion of the line, and are progressing rapidly with it. We believe that there are impediments in the way of letting the contracts between Sawyer’s Bay and Port Chalmers, arising from extortionate demands on the part of the lessees and owners of property. We hear that some most outrageous demands have been made and supported, under the plea of philanthropy. It fact some very amusing tales are told of the value placed by a legal gentleman on a corner of a cabbage garden. It really is too bad that when men undertake a work in which the public are so deeply interested as in railway formation, they should be liable to be fleeced just because a line of railway happens to barely touch an old woman’s fence. It is a mistake to suppose that the public are not losers in such a case, for as this tendency on the part of lawyers and owners.of property is known, in self-defence the promoters expect and require, in justice, a higher price for their work. We do not know that any very remarkable geological disclosures have been made in the courss of the work. Hock cutting has, as a mat er of course, been avoided as far as possible, excepting where material for pitching or walling was required. Here aud there are deposits of blue limestone, but mainly the rock appears to be basalt in different stages of formation or decay. Sometimes it is nearly as light and porous as pumice-stone, sometimes nearly as soft as clay, and in other coses, where the action of fire has, accompanied by pressure, been more deciced, it is firm and closegrained. Here and there are large boulders which seem to have been detached from the m.iiu stream of lava. One of them, containing about 2000 tons of stone, was a most acceptable help, for it was broken up to form pitching for an embankment. The only organic remains that we heard of having been discovered were some Moa bones. The bird seems to have lived some ages ago, for his mortal skeleton was discovered in a state of dislocation beneath some twenty-four fest of deposit. As may be imagined, a coast line necessarily abounds incurves. Whereev( r these occur they are constructed on a radius of 10 chains. This thanks to modem improvements will be hardly felt in travelling. It is amu;ing to contrast the predictions regarding this line with what it is likely to be when finished. One authority pronounced it impossible to do the work for the amount contracted for—another, in imagination, saw it being carried on piles, which in the course of a few months, devoured by worms, were to leave the beams on which the rails were laid, and railway trains were to run a rickety course, suspended between heaven and earth. All these visions, however, are belied by the reality. Our conviction is that, when finished, there will be a good substantial railway between Dunedin and Port Chalmers—creditable alike to the enterprise of the promoters and the skill of the engineer. In conclusion, we thank the promoters for their politeness in so very handsomely placing a boat at our disposal for convenience of avoiding difficult places on the line; and the engineer for the kindness with which he supplied any information that was desired. It is scarcely a journey for ladies; but for those who feel an interest in engineering, and who enjoy fresh air and beautiful scenery, if they can endure an occasional muddy climb or descent, we commend a walk along the line.