THE TUAPEKA RAILWAY.

Evening Star, Issue 4061, 2 March 1876, Page 2

THE TUAPEKA RAILWAY.

(From, tl w Times.)

long-delayed operations at the Bound Hill tunnel have at last beOn-resumed, and there is' now some prospect of the tunnel being pierced withiu a reasonable time. ( The tractors, if not■ settled. amicably;: id’ so far decided thr»t|Mes3rs Morrison and Co. appear determined to complete the work with aif possible despatch. They have already a large number of men on the ground, and are ’ using them utmost! endeavors' to obtainafull completueut. As sooufto haevest is r over they will no. donbt be. enabled to. secure .nny. number of , laborers; bufc iu tbe meantime'they sire workmg short-handed. Practical are_ alsp very sosfre, and coraeqnently : oiriy two shuts are at present employed in the tuinnel.; i The’ unemployed miners, at the Thames gclflflehis, of whom we have heard so much of late, would havea B°°d chance of employment in Otago at the prosent tune, as mining work is . plentiful' and rule at 10s per diem far good men. Messrs Mqrnsou and Go. are prepared to .-make a biding at their own expense as far as their contract is finished if the Government: choose to lay the plates and open a tempo?ary station at the Bound Hm. If this liberal offer is taken'advantage of, it’ will brmj railway communication within twelve miles of Lawrence before the'winter sets in, and a.so enable the contractors to' complete- the ■ re- : mainder of the work at an early date. Smyth and Co, s contract is so for aJvanced' that the contractqis expect to be ready for the plate-laying in about six weeks. Of the Clenore tunnel there only remiics some SOft or 60ft to be pierced,-and-Mr Davis, the manager, is confident ot having the through distance pierced by the middle of the present month. Every possible expedition is being used bn this contract to complete, the works. Three shifts of:men are constantly employed drivxng 'toe heading, and when once that is pierced .he whole of the bottom %ill soon be luted, as that work is being prosecuted sftnuU taneously with toe heading by large relays of men. The cuttmos m the denote aide are .now being finished off by. large gangs of European and fib worfcmen, and ballasting will sooube commenced, Qoodfellow and CO. are rapidly finishing off the Lawrence end of the line, aud the work they have now to complele is very trifling. The work will probably be off the contractor’s hands in a few weeks* , ■ ,