THE CENTRAL RAILWAY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 173, 19 June 1884, Page 2

THE CENTRAL RAILWAY.

THE VARIOUS ROUTES.

MR ROCUFORr's LINE. Starting from Murton, the line follows up the Porewa Valley, past Hnnteiville, and tbonco crosses the Rar.gitikci. and thence follows the Hautapu Valley till a dis'ance of 8* miles is reached. Near this point the lino follows a small branch of the Hautapu, .called Waiouru. It traverses part of a table -land, which extends from Raitihi to Mangainii-a-te Ao. It crosses the Waimarino Plain.", and here, at a point 124 miles from Mart on, is the highest point of the line, being some 2600 ft. Thence 4he i. line follows down thei Piopiotea (a branch of the Wanganui Kiver) for some 20 miles. It wonld then run along the flat of the Wanganui "Rivet- -to' Trtumariinni ; thence it would follow up the River Ongavuhe; thence, at a distance of 194 i miles, it crosses the ;Havitikona, which is followed for a few miles ; and thence again it comes to the Mokau, follows iis bed for seven or eight miles, "and comes into the Waititi j thence direct to Te Kuiti ; and thence, almost m a direct line, to Te Awamutu. • Ma holmes' route. n VSlailing frb m Stratford,. fcije'l line runs through : flat '.country's^ tsb as the Toko Kiver; thence up the Makuri Valley, where it ascends the ridge between the Makuei ami Mangaotuku Rivers; Thence iip the Mangaotukti Valley and ascends again to the Makatiu Valley ; up the Pohokura Valley and through the PateaWanganui Watershed. The line then follows up the Wangaraomona Valley and falls into the Waingangara,yalleyv dpwn>whi<shri|/ continues to its junction with the Tangarakaa at 51 miles,;, Up . the Tangamkau Gorge to" the saddle m the range the line ascends, and thence descends into the Eao Valley, up which it passes to the Valley of the Mangaroa ; crosses to the Ohura, and ascends to the saddle m the Wanganui-Mokau watershed ; crosses . the low .hills fbefcween; the Mokauiti and'' iMokau rivers, runs up the Mokau Valley, and fallows the Mangapu Valley to Mr Roclifort'a jinc. • V MR WILLIJLMS' KOUTE. After leaving Hastings, the line passes to the crossing of the present channel of the N^aiuroro River, and would then strike to the Tutaikuti River, which /it wonld follow up for fifteen niiles:; then follow up the Waihau creek to its source, then follow up the Mangatuhi stream as far as the Puketitiri .-Bush.* After leaving the bush, it descends on the right bank of the Anawhcnua «nd there reaches the Tepia. At a. height of 2600 ft the summit level of the line is reached at 65 miles. . This. point is on the wateisheH betwe.en Hawke's Bay aud the Bay of Plenty. The line then follovys ,-■ near the Rangitaiki, the Tau|>o road ; then the village of Opepe is reached, and the line , drops 'Ho'wn.'jlii .the Waikato, whence it rises m: cuttings to above the junction of the "Wairakei creek, which is then followed to his head. The line descends to the Ongaralro> which,is/followed to near Pukemoreniore; Following again |; along ,the ; Waikato river, whose bantit would leave at l ; 6,7 u iniles,|it would; n<e through some undulating downs and reach Te Awaumtu at 170 miles. : ; ; ; -