OPENING OF THE DUNEDIN AND CLUTHA RAILWAY.

Evening Star, Issue 3908, 2 September 1875, Page 2

OPENING OF THE DUNEDIN AND CLUTHA RAILWAY.

(By our Special RcpoHcr.)

A finer day than yesterday could not have been hoped for to celebrate the opo’ring of the Main Southern Trunk June to Balclulha. The weather was really magnificent, there being a warm sun and cooling breeze. *he first tr.»in from imnedin consisted of eight cairiages and two break-vans, drawn by a couple of small engines, and muse have conveyer! at least three hundred persons, amongst whom were his Honor the Deputy-Superintendent and the Executive, the Mayor and Town Councillorr, the Mayor of Port Chalmers, Mi Conyers (railway manager), members of the Provincial Council and the Waste Land Board, M. Justice Williams, Mr H. S. Chapman, the Mayor of Lawrence, tho District Engineer (M Biair, C.F ) am] staff, the University Professors, Messrs Brogdcn’s representatives, Bishop Nevill and a number of clergyman, the leading merchants and warehousemen of Dunedin, several members of the legal pro'essiou, the Press, Ac. This train left Dunedin at 10 1.0 a.in. and arrived at Green Island at 10.27, when a short stoppage was made to pick up passengers. Owing to the large number of curves before entering the Chain Hills tunnel, very slow progress was made for a time after leaving this station. The run through the tunnel (which is bricked throughout) occupied ninety seconds, and Mosgiel (nine miles) was reached within forty minutes. After a stoppage of four minutes the train again resumed its journey, and arrived at Greytown exactly an hour after leaving town. A lengthened stay—some seven or eight minutes —was here made to take in water, and at nine minutes before noon Waihola (twenty six miles) was reached. The journey between this and the previous station w;is simply delightful, the line on the one side running oarallel with the main road, and on the other, for a considerable di-tance, running alovgs'dc the aihoia Lake. The journey to the Waiho;a Gorge occupied till 12.14, and at 12 26 o’clock .Milton (thirty-five miles) was re.died. Here the townsfolk mastered strongly, and as the train came alongside the railway plat orm those waiting gave idiree hearty cheers, ihe Tokqinaiilro brass band—a capital one considering that it is only two months since it was formed—then pbyed “Pule ! rifannia ” and “ God Save the Queen,” after which Mr Dyer, the Mayor, on behalf of the Tokemai' iro Town Council, welcomed the Deputy-Euperiu-teudont, the member* of the Executive, an! the visitors tr Tokomairiro. He congratulated the engineers and contractors on the carrying out of the great woik, and, while unable to pasa practical opinion upon it, he could say. Corn what he had heard from experienced men, that the line had been properly and speedily carried out ids Honor, in reply, acknowledged tho kind sentiments expressed by Mr Dyer, and said he considered the undertaking the commencement of a new en in the Province. The Mayor and Town Council of Milton then got into the train, which, after fully half-an-hourC delay, proceeded to the railway terminus, which was reached at twenty-one minutes to two. I’ho visitors were then conveyed across the Clutha, which is to be spanned by a large bridge, in Mr G. F. Beid’s steamer Balclutha (kiuoly provided,!, and the township was reached shortly afterwards. The residents turned out pretty web, and Balclulha was in holiday array. Bunting was displayed from the various stores ami public hous-s, and on<storekeeper presented a picture on canvas of the train, witn the words, Welcome to the iron horse.” The visitors having lauded pio ceeded to the Newmarket Hotel and brill shed, where ’

LUNCHEON was partaken, of. ihe repast having been done ample justice to, and letters of apology read from the Mayor of Baklutha and the Kev. Dr rituart, The Deputy-Superintendent, who presided, proposed the toast ot “ The Queen,” which was duly honored.

•Mr H. S % Chapman, in proposing the toast of “ His Excellency the Governor, ” said that his Excellency occupied the position in relation to the Constitution of this country that Her Majesty the Queen occupied in relation to the British Parliament. In proposing the health of the Governor, he could hardly sit down without congratulating that gentleman and the people of the Colony on the event they that day had witnessed. The line had been well constructed, and it offered a brilliant hope and a brilliant prospect in the future, (Applause.) Mr Dees proposed the health of “his Honor the Superintendent,” which was drank with great enthusiasm, and the Chairman, in the absence of his Honor, responded. He said that no man had spent more of his time, or had devoted more attention to, or shown a greater consideration • for thewelfa-e of the settlers than Mr Macaudrew; and noth ug, he was sure, would be more gratifying to him than, thaff tbe toast should have been proposed, and so favorably received in connection with an undertaking to which he had devoted many years of his life. { tpplause ) it The Chairman proposed the next toasf, “ • ueccss to the Dunedin and Balclutha Kaiiway,” tbe formal opening of which'tlwy am! rhat day witnessed. Ever since his first collection with public life, and long before, tins Hue had been a subject of great anxiety to the settlers in the Balciutha district, as well as one of much interest to all persons in the Province. There had been, and no doubt always would be, doubters as to the success of schemes such as the present, and many obstacles had beeu thrown in the way of the completion and the carrying out o. the undertaking. But latterly the whole community had come to the condition that this was not only a line which should ho,ye_b; i,n made long ago, but that it w-m one wmch was ahsolu'eiy certain to pay; and if there should still be any Didymuses amongst them, the traffic during the next tour or five months would induce them to see and believe as he (the • hairman) aud others now did. The opening of the railway constituted a new era in the district through which it passed, and the advantages which must result from iis construction could be better imagined than described. It was undoubtedly a red-letter day iu the history of Balclutha, and he was sure ii would afford all great pleasure to come here in twelve months hence, to witness the opening of a railway to go still further south.—(Applause.) Be concluded by adopting wordy similar to those of the Governor aud the --uperinteivlents wiieu they open the respective Parliaments, namely business”—(ap. dause) —and before anyho ly declares it to stand p. orogued, the Va .rch of human intellect and the genius of uum will ha.e to devise some better means of locomo-tion;--(Great applause.) He asked them to drink Success to the Clutha ami Dunedin Dine,” The toast was received whh cheers. •r ItIACKtLLAR proposed “ The health of the Engineers and Con Iran tors.” To swell the enthusiasm in favor of the railway engineers and contractors, it was only necessary to say that tuey had made ami completed successfully the Dunedin and Clutha line.—(Applause.) With

the toast he coupled the Dens of Mr Blair, on the part of the engineers, and the names o‘ Messrs D«?es amt A. J. I'myUi on the part of the eon tract' >rs

Mr Hlaik said it gave him the greatest pleasure to meet them under such aus icio"s circumstances as the present. All difficulties had been overcome, and tin* line pioperh open* >i ; .ad it was seldom tile privdeg- o' all • ngineer to be connect i with 'he/ailwny from first to last as he Ir.d b-eu with Hu* one. It wa difficulr. to nay when this jailw.y w is first proposed; l.ut when opening the l J iovincnd Conucil, in 18G0. Mr Macandrew first alluded f o the subject- The first practical etc > .owards its construction w».s taken in 1864. lie (Mr Ida r) came out ro Sa-.lu'c Hill early in tnat year in charge of a survey party, end he, claimed to have seen the first chain sne'ched the ivs; so 1 turned, and the first train 'u,. : on he Dun .-din and Cloth,i railway. —(Applnus- ) In March, 1871 —exactly seven years ufier dc completed the survey—the first sod was turned by ids excellency .Sir George Bowen, and th .n 1 ho engineering work began in earnest. The - h:du Hills tunnel had been looked upon as nus»fe, but us every lineal foot of the arch contained 200 square incuts of the best brickwork, and as each inch con'd sustain a wei lit of -Wi> tons, there had been rio force of nature since the glacial period anfficitiit to overcome that resistance. ,As to dr- char;.me* of the works, there was certainly entiling very imposing- in any of them, but infelt confl lout that they w< uld he f.-und substantial and durable, ihe damage done bv toe flood of last week, which w.ib one of the heaviest ever experienced, did not amount to T3 per mile, although the works were .ill new and untried. With reference to t.he -pc -.1 it was purposed to run abnnt twenty miles an hoar. This gm-s a Glut ha sett'e. the whole ou.'iuoss day in Dunedin, and ho <’>u!y spends a third of the time he used to bo in travell ng ; but ; the saving in reality is much greater, for by coach he could not do one day’s business in town without spending three. Ii should be borne in mind that they were ali shareholders in the undertaking, and, as such, aie directly interested in tin*, returns. — (Applause.) The line would meet the requirements of the traffic for many years to come.—(Hear, hear.) He could not allow this op -o- (unity to pass without acknowledging the great ssistau' che had received from his subordinates in c.inying out the works ot this ailway. lo them m a great measu.e is to be attributed its succi si. It gave him great pleasure to -«e many here who weye at the Turning of the ffist sod, and one or two who were on the first survey, and who haw been on the work all through. ‘in again thanking them tor the compliment ho must congratulate. not only > his district, but the Pr vince generally, on the completion of this import nit adjunct to our material progress. The benefits to be derived from the opening of the railway are incalculable, and no doubt the enterprise which has characterised the Otago people in the past is a guarantee that every ail vantage will be taken of them in promoting the prosperity of the State. —( ontiuued ap lame.) , Messrs Dees and A. J. fcMYTH also responded. Mr Ghees proposed “ The Commercial, Pastoral, and Agricultural Interests of the Province,” coupled with the names of the Mayors of Dunedin, P re Chalmers, Milton, Lawrence, and Bdc!ucha;aud Mr CIIAPMAv that of “ The Press.” THE niCTHRM. After spending a short tone in Balc’utha, a start for town Was made at 5. lUp.m, ;-top. pages were made, at Milton (for over half-an liom), Wadiola, Greytown, Mosgiel, Green Island, and Caversham, and Dunedin was reached at 9.5 p.m. In cone ndon, vve mutt congratulate all concerned on the successful opening of the line ; and, on behalf of the guests, think M.-ssis Iliad- and Conyers for their uniform kindness.

Pully two hui'dre;! i"*rs"ns mum to town by th- iiivlelntii.i tram (.Lis morning. id win.; to a want of j.-unetualiiy in tin; time of . taVting front B.deiutiia. die Wade a people Were kept; waiting for the Gain for (üby tiire -qu. ner, of a.n hour.