THIRTY YEARS AGO.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5387, 13 February 1929, Page 4

THIRTY YEARS AGO.

(From, the “Ohinemuri Gazette,” February 12, 1898.) THAMBS-PAEROA RAILWAY. Satisfactory progress, is being made •in the advancement of Works in connection with the ThameSrPaeroa railway. The erection of the bridge ovqr the Puriri River is to be commenced immediately, the requisite timber having arrived. are being made for the bldwing up of thq Omahu hill by explosives. The hill contains an extensive quarry of gpodi stone, which Is to be used, in ballasting the line. The stone is difficult to break out, owing to the hard face, and Mr Stewart, the engineer of works, has. decided to have one effective explosion. A tunnel 50ft long has been driven into the hill, and from the face two cross-cuts have been driven 40ft each. In these drives between five a.nd six tons of grain powder will be placed and fired off simultaneously by means of electricity, a powerful battery having been prefcured from Auckland for the purpose. The result of the explosion, if successful, will lift a; tremendous body of stone, as taking the powder into consideration it is estimated that nqt less than 15,000 cubic yards ef stuff will be lifted, besides the shaking of a great quantity more. The; explosion of six tons cif, powder at one shot is a very rare, occurrence, and it is hoped no accident will result on the day ptf the firing. The day has not been definitely fixed, but it is ajnticipatejdf that it will take place some day next week. A member of the Auckland Torpedo Corps is to have charge of the firing.

day ptf the firing. The day has not been definitely fixed, but it is ajnticipatejdf that it will take place some day next week. A member of the Auckland Torpedo Corps is to have charge of the firing. , THE QMAHU QUARRY. the explosion. The powder, six tons, was taken out. to the quarry the previous evening, placed in the driven mentioned, which were tamped yesterday. The explosion, the arrangements for which were under the charge of Captain Coyle, late of the Royal Engineers, and! now electrical engineer to the Torpedo Corps, Fort Ceiurtley, Auckland, with his assistant, Sergeant Kimmins, of the Torpedo Corps, lifted up an enormous, body of stone, estimated at not less than 39,000 cubic yards of stuff, besidep loosening, up a larger quantity, rendering it a comparatively easy and inexpensive task to get out the meta) for both ballasting purposes for the railway and for metalling the county roads. The shot wa.s fired by a 60-cell fir-, ing Le Celanche battery of 45 volts, dis 3 ohms; insistence of the six branch circles, .15cihms. The current along the main lead 9 ampers, andi current through each of the 12 fuzes equal 1% ampers, or nearly double the current required to fire. To Mrs Ste|wart, wife of Mr Stewart, railway engineer, was entrusted the duty of pressing the button to fire the shot. It is} very satisfactory to be able to state that, this explosion of so large a quantity of powder at one shot as six tons, a feat of very rare occurrejiice in this colony, wag attended by no accident, the whole going, off without. a hitch. Messjrs Vic.kerman and Stewart, railway and Mr Thos. Shaw, assistant engineer, were present superintending. , We learn that three trucklciads of coal came through by train every week from the Waikato, and are being landed here and bagged and shipped on to Thames. This is .but the; commencement of the great traffic in coal which will take plac.e as soon as the line is completed right thrpugh to Thames. MINING. CROWN MINES. •Mr J. Napier yestejrday banked bullion to the value of £3OOO, being the return fr.om three weeks’, treatment of ore by the wet. crushing process, up to the end of last, month. Considering, the;'shortness of, the run this is a most satisfactory result. WAIHI BEACH G.M., CO. A. special, general meeting plf shareholders of the above company was held bn Wednesday in Auckland. Mr N. T. Dufaur (chairman of. directors) Presided. Resolutions were passed authorising the directors to dispose of tlhe property on such '< terms and conditions, as they deemed fit. The chairman said it was necessary that the directors should have this power, as should an offer; be received for the property the directors could discuss and deal with same without delay. On February 12, 1898, the following advertisement appeared in the “Ohinernuri Gazette”: “You can- purchase your drugs and patent medicines cheaper, at the Pharmacy than elsewhere. Pure and npl imita< tions kept.—Geo. P. de Castro.” Mr de Castro is still with us, with a much bigger stock and up-to-date pharmacy.*