ARTHUR’S PASS TUNNEL

Hokitika Guardian, 15 September 1921, Page 4

ARTHUR’S PASS TUNNEL

ITS STORY AND T.M I’ORTAXCE. Tip ■n< wus a hurgo atti'iiilanci’ at tlie Town flail last night wlion, under tlie auspices of the Westland branch of t lie Canterbury Progress League, Mr ISushbv Cowing of the Dahlia Works stall' on tbo constructional works of Arthur’s .Pass tunnel, delivered a very interesting address in the story of the tunnel. Mr TV. Jeffries. President of the League presided. Tn introducing the speaker for the evening, the Chairman referred briefly to the objects of th Progress League. The desire was to explore and make' public the resources of the district to the best advantage, so as to afford opportunities for development. Ibe League’s purpose was to create a uenlthv public interest in that work, and the public support was invited. The League had influential support from the parent horly in Chrislehureh and the people here should not discard such a golden chance to advance public interests. All- Jeffries then referred to the lecturer, and indicated the divisions into which the address would b" divide. TTe bespoke a cordial hearing for AD Cowing, whom the audience received with hearty applause

Mr J. 1L Cowing gave a very interesting illustrated address, lie opened with a historical review of invention unvoting trait ion. dealing notably with steam and it* application to rail-

ways. Passing on be dealt with notable railway tunnels tbr*ngbout the world, and then addressed himself more particularly to the Arthur’s Pass tunnel works inside and outside the mountain eonelllding with a fine series of sienie gems depicting the la'auiifu! scenery of tlm Otiva fiorge and the Westland road. Mr Cowing said the oldest thing in history was lie 111:1kj„„ „f roads. Man was essentially u vnadmaker. lie had to move abroad in live and in his wanderings lie had

{., make highway- for transit. Huron lmd written that there were three

essential things iieee-sary to secure prosperin'. These were: fertile soil, busy workshops, and easy trnuspoH. Nations had now come to regard 'plies and easy means of tiansp-u-t as im-l e.-srn! iai to dome-tie prosperity. The countries had to be opened up. and railways in these modern times were the oeiieral course adopted. I here had |,con great d-velopmetit ill 'Mllw ays during the past hundred ears, and now with tic llight of aeroplanes, another , r;i «a- being entered upon. Hut tlmy had that night the railway development, in mind. Heat eansed motion, and goto, . back into early history, tic gave examples and illustrations how the scientific fact had been applied. The first locomotive had been made in 1781 by William Muidoeh at Heilnilb. but tbi- " "s.dile oiiL on a -moolb Mat. road. It we- 1825 Mure Stephenson from a verv hum I,'e lieoinniug. ran his lost p:i s.-dlg'-i' t, ,m. 'and it no- till 1829 that he built hi- famous engine the "R"ekel" Two veins earlier tile I nited Stales had had it- lii si railway, but it.

ISA:! before Caiiad.i bad il- first , : ,j|v.;iv. and ISI iff the first iimlergi ound latilivay was made in I.oiuloil. and from limn, , on. rnilwnv I anmdliiig e.nne into \ 1 eg 11 ' *. AI any vi.-ws of lamoiis ii"i'M lumiel- and spiral- in iivcivuiie high hill- and even mountains were shown, this portion of tin' programme being

lin ( -011110; to : lie main -iibjret ol in,, address. Mr Coning begun the -i.iiv ,! 1 h l. Midland line at I’att. ■i si - 11 vek on the ( aol ei’l.o i\ -id' 1 . no. II- n here Ihe til-si tunnel -t rucicd. The lir.-l -iitwey "j the overland route was made by Mr Arl bur D. Dobson in lSi',l. By 187, S there were • 'Ver:i| railway route.- from (aiiler tony to Ibe West Coast, and in IBBJ l.’ttyal (’immissioti Wiiy set Up l j ‘

coils ii L• j' >ame. Milt* mule vi:i Arthur's |» ; ,sv. tli>’ii known ;b tin* Sj»ri !*uli**l* *- Si illwnhT rmi-te was decided upon. In 1 *',-,1; what was known ns tin* (‘iirvsi ill syndicate set about tin l formation of a Company in put t.lir* *ll till tin* lim*. and eventually tin* Midland Railway v'oni|.:my ol’ England was formed. and took up a ctuitrant with tin* < lovcrnim-nt <if New Zealand to put the li»i»* through. In lS’lo I In* New .Zealand (.'ovtii iiicni stepped in and took over tin- lint*, or so much of il a* was const rut ted. The work* went a.hcad hut hy 1 2-*0 when tin* mountain harrier was within sight. a ,-nitimis*inn of engineers was set up to deeith* tin* modi' of overfolliill!;- the Soutliern Alps. The Fell system of climbing "ns tirsl under

t onsideration. hut ultimately a tunnel was resolved upon. This was approved in IJMVJ by Mr Hogue. an Alll- - mean engineer who was called in to advise. However, it was not till live years later that tin* contract to d. Alt I.can and Coy of Auckland was lot lor tin* tunnel, tin* contract price homo within Ihe region of and the lime specified live years lor completion. In April. 15KIS tin* bottom heading was commenced at tin* Otira end. and on May o. Joseph Ward then Premier tired the first shot.. Work was commenced in July of tin* following y.-ar at the Arthur's Pass end. Tin* work slowly for it was nine years later in May of 10IR when t»ic wtirkiiej; parties at cither end could hear each other at work. They wnv then 7<‘*7 feet apart. I’ardd progress now made and hy tin* cm! of June they wore only P>fi feet apart. On July 20. the headings met actually. iii'j; only t hre«*-ipiarters of an inch out of alignment. On August . Sir William Fras<*r tired tlio last shot to complete the tunnel heading. On Au-

gust l>lh of this year. owim;r to the state of tin* weather on the Pass, th,* first lhrnu"l> service Fast and Wes' was run. “Next week.” said Afr f'owi njr. ‘ f flie final block of tbe lininjc will be laifl.” Tin* lecturer now showed a series of verv interest ?n«r slides dealing; with the actual works. Tin* funnel makine the brid"e lmildin*r. the cuttings, tin* protection works et-e. The operations of the steam shovels wore explained, and details given of the hampering delays by flood damage and storm water. Explanation was made also of tbe harnessing of tbe Devil’s Punchbowl waterfall for power purposes; also of Holt’s Creek for similar purposes. At tbe former station up to h.p.. is derived. excepting in the frosty weather when the power is only about 100 h.p. TPnrtienlnrs woro give?) of the pumps.

the rock drills, tlm concrete mixers and other mechanical devices to overcome difficulties. Speaking of the wonderful success which marked the engineering precision with which the great work was carried through, Afr Cowing trihuled the survey work done liv Lite original engineers who had laid off the line, and who to get the necessary rights for their data had to climb all over the high hills and snow-capped peaks often waiting for days for the clear atmosphere to give them the views required for their more distant -’shots. The longest tunnel in the world is the Simplon, which is 12 miles 458 yards. This was built in 4900. The second longest is St. Gotliard tunnel, 9 miles 304 yds. The Arthur’s Pass tunnel ranks as the seventh longest in the world, being 5 miles 545 yards long. It is by the way. the longest tunnel in the British Empire. The work had been carried through W’illt a minimum of labour, and remarkable freedom from serious accidents In this latter respect there was a remarkable difference in favour of the New Zealand work compared with that of Europe. The lecturer also mentioned that compared with the ratio of men employed the Dominion tunnel was being finished with notable despatch, as if measured ], v the number of men employed on St, Gotliard tunnel where (>.OOO m-n were engaged to do the work, there was a margin ol 150. years still in favour of the Arthur’s T’ass tunnel! Air rowing gave Millie very interestiupr particulars of the prolot-i inn \vnr]< employed outside th*- tuniH’l t n hold the railway embankments in the river beds. Blocks of eonerete 10f> tons ill weight bad been utilised, but even these were made play with at times by the river vagaries in floods. On one occasion Jli.Ofltl yards of material hid been washed out of an embankmeni l,y a Hood of short duration. Th. -e damages delayed progress from time to time, hut gradually the most dangerous places were being held, and the more solid work put in. was holding. An idea was given also of the damage to rolling stock l>*' runaway accidents, which often arose through a simple cause. The address concluded with some very line panorama views of the (Mini Gorge showing many points of interest along the route, and various spots more or less associated with the fortunes of the tunnel works. At one spot, the dividing post on the summit mad marking the division between Canterbury and Westland was shown, fn remarking on that object of curiosity Mr Cowing expressed the opinion that wii'ii the tunnel was in final operation lor through traffic lie hoped there would not. be any need tor any dividing line between Cnnterbiirv and W"st!and.

Mr ('owing was very heartily applauded at tile close of his very lllter-e-tiug address. Air Jeffries spoke appreciatively of the instructive nature of the lecture, and the delight they had derived from the evening ~||eidid !\ Mr Cowing. lie moved Dial i l,e meeting having heard with muoh pleasure mid great interest, the leelure just delivered by Mr .1. Hiisbby Cowing, tenders him hearty thanks for h r s iHull Ii 11 :■ Li v e address which lias afforded a clearer insight into the magnitude ami high importance of the arterial '■■lihvnv 111 I elllloet the East alld M e-1 (‘•'.lists of this island, and the meeting rppreeiales the difficulties -o jiimsleri'nlly overcome, and the engineering -kill so wonderfully displayed by the -tnj u eirrying through the great work. Mr Evans seconded tile motion, which v ■ inrried bv acclamation. It was further lesnlved: Hint tin’s an et in g 11 1 a ilk s the past and | i e out Governments for their nttentirn 1“ thi--11 ali<i in 1 1 work, and recognising the immense service ii will prom as a niest ioieurl am feeder ~t the South isboul railway system, considers the iii(horilies would he well advised at. this lUlleture to concentrate on the speediest romplrtinll of the work as was ’ me a tew years age in t h.* ease ol the North 'lsland Main Trunk line when Am 1,land and Welling! nil were linked up. -e that months of valuable tittle could l.e saved and the through Midland railway converted into a rich earning power by then supplying the menus of transport, for tile great volume of Irallir which will spontamsmsly Hiiilt i,nee the railway is available to tarry the bulky goods traffic offering ihroiigh not the year for East anil West Coast r rn flic.