THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1873.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 206, 7 February 1873, Page 5

THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1873.

The effective power of water, as a removing agent needs no demonstration to the practical miner. An agriculturist tied to his farm—probably situated near the mouth of a river, where the current, arrested by the tide, is always rather torpid—is apt to underrate the constant force of a perennial stream. An observer of average mental faculties cannot help beingc struck with the deep and precipitous gorges of the interior, cut, in many cases, out of the solid rock by the very insignifi-cant-looking streams eddying along below. The Taieri Kiver, both above and below the Lake, contains very fair samples of the natural river-cut gorge. If we mistake not, the very outlet into the Taieri Plain at Outram is an instance in point. Carefully considering nny of these natural cuttings, it is impossible to believe that the fine silt deposited on its course by a Groldfield's river can have any effect in impeding the flow when increased by a fresh or flood. In our own district many instances have occurred in which the bed of a creek, composed of heavy shingle, has been cut out five or six feet in depth in a single night. On what is known as the short road to Eden Creek the abrupt broken track at the Eweburn shows what can be done by such a small agent as the farthest branch of that streatn in one flood.. This occurs not where the fall is great but apparently pretty level. The Hogburn Creek, which has hitherto carried all the sludge, from iYaseby, runs some 13 miles from the workings before reaching the river, and has never yet carried to that distance, any matter except the finest sand and silt. The Sludge Channel that is in future to take the place of the natural outlet, is to end some three miles from the river, a distance quite sufficient for the deposit of any matter that may come down. As an additional safeguard, the lake intervenes as a silt trap to catch all matter brought down by the river, except the finest sand. When the Taieri is very low, some of the fine sludge may be deposited at Outram, but only to be swept on by the first rise in the waters. It is very difficult for residents on a river to judge of the rsal changes that 1 * are always occurring in all New Zealand Rivers. The shifting bottom sets j in from some surface cause to one spot,' and the resident there concludes the 1 river is silting up; on the other hand, j the occupier of land, where the bottom ' has shifted from, decides that it is deep- j ening. Hence private opinions in mat- i ters of the kind have very little weight,, and reliance can be placed only on! careful examination by skilled experts. ■■ In 1871, Mr. Carruthers, the Engi-; neer-in- Chief, being especially sent to enquire into the reported rise of the Taieri Kiver, and the consequent supposed danger to be dreaded on the Clutha Kailway Works, says : " About fifty miles above Outram, it (the Taieri) passes through the lake, where, its velocity being checked, it deposits all the sand and shingle it had hitherto carried, the lake aciing as a silt-trap, allowing only the finest silt in suspension to pass. The upper part of the river where its degrading power is greatest being cut off, it carries to the Gorge at Outram, less deposits than ordinary torrents of its size." He goes on to state," it is almost impossible to say, whether the bed of the river at Outram, is raised by any deposit carried that far. ■ The rise, if any, must be very small, but it would seem great to any casual observer, who would naturally notice where material had been deposited

but would not see, where, in other piaces, it had been cut away." In another part of his report' he says*: —" Any deposit of silt, in its bed, would, as a mathematical necessity, cause an increase in its velocity, which would, at once, cut away the obstruction, aud restore the old level. There is no instance of such a river having its bed raised by deposits of silt." Uhe real cause of floods in the Taieri Kiver, putting nside extraordinary floods such as occurred in 1867, is the bar, and in this direction, if in any, Governmental aid should be sought. When the river is low, the bar is apt, at special periods of the tide, to heap up into very solid sand banks, which have the effect of damming back the line of river, as far as Outram. "Should a rapid fresh occur against a high tide, and a strong gale blowing on to the land, this temporary bar is quite sufficient to place a great part of the plain under water before the river can cut it through. If the bar could be kept open in times of drought, by dredging, or by the erection of some contrivance to give the sea a set in a contrary direction, as is being tried for different purposes at Oamaru aud Timarti, these constant inundations, so unhappily occurring on the plain, and so falsely atiribuled to the Goldfelds, would be greatly modified, if not entirely removed.

At the beginning of January Ave began to ask for information as to the alterations taking place in the mid-weekly mail, at the same time intimating that we forbore further remarks till we were in receipt of some definite official intimation. This we have never received. The Trade Association, taking heart from the fact that the General and Provincial Executives had recognised it as a useful local body, and had ..at all times courteously entertained its proposals and recommendations, ventured to write a letter to the Dunedin postal autocrat, Mr. B<*rr—which we publish, at the request of the Secretary, in another, column—requesting information as to how the mail service was to. be carried out. Mr. Barr has not condescended'to take any notice of this communication ; doubtless, wrapped up in the importance of his own official kingdom, he has made the strange mistake of supposing that the country is made for Mr. Barr, instead of Mr. Barr being a paid servant for the country. It will be the duty of our members to enquire, in the Council, what right or authority Mr. Barr has to insult the district by a studied disregard of its communications and interests.