THE ROUND HILL TUNNEL.

Evening Star, Issue 4013, 6 January 1876, Page 3

THE ROUND HILL TUNNEL.

The information we have succeeded in obtaining re the Round Hill tunnel leads us ( Tuapeka Times ’) to believe the work has become more disorganised than ever. Since the change adopted in carrying on the work some three or four weeks ago was carried out, satisfactory progress has been made. Indeed, it was expected the work of pierciix" would be finished about the latter end of next month; and that, with the through passage, the permanent lining operations would then be prosecuted more advantageously. This purpose, however, has been doomed to disappointment. Without any apparent cause the contractors were ordered to change their modus operandi, and get .the permanent lining completed before proceeding further. This they refuse to do on the groxxud that it would be dangerous to interfere with the temporary lining or wood props at present. The chances arc the roof would cave in, and with only one mode of exit the workincu would run a great risk of being buried in the mine. When opened up from both cuds the same amount of danger would not present itself. If the mouth on one side got blocked xxp by an unexpected fall, they would still have the other to depend upon. With a contempt for danger, which speaks volumes, considerin'' hey have got no personal interest in it, the” engineer, or engineers, insist that the readjustment of the lining should be gone about forthwith. The sum total of this new ernbroglio is that the men have knocked off work, and the Hound Hill tunnel is once more in the position of a dead-lock, while there is udt more than two and a-half chains of the Glen ore tunnel to pierce, and the line on this suit* of the Hound trill section is ail but finished, the Round Hill itself is at a complete standstill.