THE CLUTHA RAILWAY BRIDGES.

Evening Star, Issue 3745, 23 February 1875, Page 3

THE CLUTHA RAILWAY BRIDGES.

‘One who knows” writes to the ‘Bruce Herald ’ that that paper’s leader of the 16thiustant convey 3 to the public mind an im pressinn injurious to the carrying out of the Meisra Brogdm’s contract on the Dunedin and Clutha Railway. He says “ fhe wooden bridges you particularly refer to, viz., Salmond’a Creek, North and South Tokomairiro Rivers, are constructed of the best materials obtainable in the Colony and Victoria. The piers of the bridges in question are totara and black pine, the longitudinal beams are kauri, and the traverse (or floor beams) are Australian ironbark. X am sorry your authority did not inquire more closely into the nature of the general conditions provided for the carrying out of all contracts under the General Government, which apply the. same to Messrs Brogden and Sons as to other contractors. The three bridges were a long time in course of construction, and u very large proportion of timber was rejected as unsuitable, which delayed the progress of the works in general. To any impartial observer it must be clear that the Government engineers and inspectors have carried out their respective parts honestly, without prejudice.” Replying to this letter the ‘ Herald’ say’s it has to thank certain of its contemporaries and the Press Agency for being credited with statements it never made. Al' it did was to mention that a report was current, on good authority, that the timber in three bridges on the Clutha line had been found to be of a character likely to decay in a short time. The letter of “ One who Knows” apparently disposes of its statements, but is scarcely a specific denial of the assertion that it has been found, on inspection, that the timber in one or all of the bridges at Salmond’s Creek, the Tokomairiro River, and AVc olshed Creek is of a nature likely to yield quickly to decay, and to need replacement. Tho Herald calls upon a high authority under the Government to say that this is not his opinion.