Last Spike Driven

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 140, 30 June 1937, Page 5

Last Spike Driven

MOHAKA VIADUCT Minister Dedares Open. 908-ft. Rail Span INSPECTION OF THE LINE, The ftnal spike in tha 908-foot span of the Mohaka viaduct wqs driven hy the. Minister of Public . Works, the Hon. B. Semple, after* noon to-day. The offimal party journeyed from Napier this morning in the rail-car Arai-Te-TTru and after the ceremony at Mohaka proceeded to "Wairoa, where they will emhark "by c,ar ppon an inspection of the remain- » der pf the East Ooast line. Less than three hours was the time taken on the trip to Mohaka by the smoath-xunning rail-car, which m^ntained an averagp of almost, 3ft miles an hour for the major portion of the running time. . At every Station and house along the, route a, small knot of people gathered te wave^ a friendly greeting to the motor pioneeriiig the route of the reconstructed Tailway "between Napier and Wairoa, A shoi't diatance from Mohaka, th# Minister of Eailways, the Hon- D. Q. Siillivan, called the attentiqn of thi Xmgsengers to the high wcoden towor at tho aeuthern end of the, viaduct, and a few minutes. later the vivid orange* painted ateel-work of the. hridge itsfelf came into eight, . ' To the accompaniment of tunetful blasts on the hom of the rail-car MrBullivan took the controls and proceid.ed slowly over the viaduct 310 i«it above the. surf'ac© of the. Mohaka^ riyer and separated from It; by. a veritable network of intrioatoly-fabricated ataejL FoHowing a haka of welc.ome and a poi dance by children of tje Huapunga Native School tho ceremony of welc.ome was opened by Mrv E, L. Cullen, M.P. for the district. He was followed by other spe.akers, including the two Ministers. On behalf q£ the local bodie* of Wairoa, Mr A, O, Kolan, chairni.aPt of the Wairoa Couuty Councal, preeehtod Mr ^empie wfth a siiver roplicas.of the. last. spike as a. token pf gratit,ude( for his work in tho intoTests. of tho dia« trict in pushing ahead wiwi ifte tCftk way. ,An interested orowd oi workmen^ farmers, and school-children gathered at various vantage, pointa ta watoh Mc Semple, complete the work of hiq der partmenh iu thp cons.trucfjpn «f tho viadnot. To, the datter of the rivottfflg machine and the, cheers, of the crowd the last rivet was driven, **"