WEST COAST RAILWAY

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 27, 15 October 1884, Page 2

WEST COAST RAILWAY

;■) The lVortn<*rn Section. $ ,'. /' [By oar Special Beporter.] The mil way works which are now being earned on by the Wellin»ton- . iauawattu .Railway Oompauy Limited, with the object of connecting Pulmevston with tl-.e City of Welling^ ton by means »f a first-class line i>qj* railway, are of special interest hothto sliareholdersjn the company, anil the pirtllic at nirgeVforlhTirndertakingirt a bold, one, and, the manner m which every detail is lieing worked, first class. *Perhap^fm>stp^>f^tltre-iKterested public, at jtuy rate, are acquainted with jthfl details \pf that portion of the rline which tip nearest Wellington, since a few sfeejtches of that partlmve already-.appear^d m public point, and al*> because She greater portion of fch.e works themselves are not so far renidvod' from the city, and are cou» i»^uei»tly reach of those who have the inclination to go alad see g them. . ThJ^i applies .to the . souift'etf the^"Waikanae River. Nnorth^of this, however,lhe same cannot be said, and it is with this portion •f.gftliytei.thliCShe present ,<jfcetch F wiu, ih&aisequew, deal. The distance from Waikanae to Palmerston Norttf i*s2'ni«fe§ and to Long- j. 'mi®! /OalF^ffSnlf 15 mile« re{£ *hikih' iinlet^U iJ the rest being under" contract, and m a state ,xnore or less iiearin(^ ! cbmpl«idife' y ' tfffele 1 5 miles lie ati-the 1 ih&> rarest to Waikanae. About -four t miles further north, a a atijfrfypimtf>itiM&kfg(iWMr Beaton, isW natfa^ga&era linally laying but the remaining , nortion of the line and >Ufl% to Am^ l4lerMi» no very great natural far, the - u w t ■ lI l nin f i a !°E& <4i >L a^ most *he whofe' distance/ -"There is a swamp, ihaweveiJ.HtoMiijaiJtile end of the four miles* ( which will require a certain taijue>jn| tkQ depth varying from 9ft Jo T4fn,, but .there are so mty'jmi' twisted ''ahf entwined around e&cti other, that il is thought veiyfewrfascines. wfjl be required to Rosd'the :i! ibrln lat1 ati < (yu !t np. This means tt Si'«at~saviug m costly and possibly a »er lid^lven^Kn&Tkl bottom is w rfefeKfia. Jtl *ffi i 4biiVlj i< Vißi'to. the surface water- is wonderHljl^ cteal and flax and itUu and JWn'ij'^iilhyj'grass grow all over the- uwaia^ 'TtfeTe is about a mile of thisWcro&iftttJgelher m this locality. It was here, that I caught •a gliin|^of f oUe* J< bf the grandest pteceSlot'^Q^uefy thalloriK would wish .to pee,, and I >rest©dbn a raised trigS^aidu atyl !adiimwedftt.Ori>irectly m front. of we roge.thtffntecipitous island afi,Kapiti ) .QAfe6f ite'.'wrtUlry bed, the i. sunlight flittingaefefis its alternate , bush 'and- fe»ttj>hill»/!^dd(^ullies, each of which was £er.p«foyily changing to isomfe different hife.v/f.'EoHike left the .flat cou»t line. ran &Kay towards the south, until it was lost -ia-haze, with ..Mie Breakers beyebdr>iit,(RHd the blue was fnjL same endless, limitless exfflce«:o^,wtjch iftjpfd to corapletje^hfc hj^d margin to the central object of-the picture. Between the iahimlindjihetsKowJlwa's/alsparkling' line of wurter, which separated it from YS&tB nfflßfll&nn, wJ^&t m the immediate foreground the rugged sand-hills kdod-dtitf fim 'rSie^'wtto grasses, fern, flax, an~d~cabbage-trees .mi erpersed. >W* Mrytti^ « fimt/kw of the scene. When the Jrolul-Jio^e whizzes iht^fc'tfi\tfe i; thay^ recognised by some.al^hoiiyhtn^n'olse and the TattleSmd 'tntf^i^crHf the steam whistbs will go far, tojfTa^lessenins; 'the ; rohlancej wnich''tne siill sleep of KiWji^^&'it J jpVSjS^ Walk-'ihg'tow'a-ftta l^ngbUrW^iy&cA more we '%* tile ]itid iSSg^hm ftorn the flats" aniFswamps % cur^e!round and 'entte 'tte''*wti l [jiftt?MSS t a picturnow becomes dryer,.jind le&s J &wampy. We nna the fcemfca tree, w/aie wood, *r& pme^te® oajkhiUs and heavy, on tlie, ! fidts. .Wflflst m the capinaj.ueep^cutiings or very wet nuts. Inland of the line there is a block of allocated land ""belonging to t M r # om^7^Mft le^!^ m P s are the p«jfiHtjy or the Natives. Mr Hadfiela naa also a nice property through "whiclij,^ this part, the line will Vnn, jThw ■ block of the Com-j^v-'alandrljagjibb^jaj^eA^nce of b*. 'iiig rather hilly, but, 'if the soil** £vr f/ woluld not-^bertoo precipitous for glrarih^*^mr\)bj«ea For about 30 i'Shaihs fp&iilthtllin^lCFruns back flat, jano) then rises; r^,thoir;su(h|enly. Just to giVe 'ah idea of the difficulties >%*Ujitff<'faft"gvß&tit£e m an undertaferag of this sort, it may be :<staUeS fthafc^'s^v^^ps, used by the company over &0 miles of line, t»«ftng^tfeeßiSatv4lßß each, and they . weigh . fully, .that, woul^taltount to . twenty tons, . which, . freight? m pegs . alone .has been shifted antUiiarried by MiheYGcnnpanjrJslaaßfamai'JGdntinuing towards Longbtn^^e see a four-mile level straight before us* along which the'engine-'wiU hamper at s an. almost . unlimited ra.t.Q. Norfel&ofcJß^llakariki . there Js not..a singje grKfk^^eper . than i. m IQO, andr,jveiyi few ljuives .with .a.shortejr. ra<U«f thioi®) chains; . which, js so slight that tfaefi fails will .not y.e.qm r e.. bendij&g. jJVih^n. it i 8 considered that most of the straights are also level, the good qualities of .tbß;lfoe ( ta&fTb!Brtj«|ged. Advancing again we-cross Mr Gear's land, where Ihe ii -'Jiav^ «d*ftgp jftmgint of elear)4ngvdon4th{si£^e«B|q^[ Hejg also^the i flats widen bw;twai!d%!vii#wi}(fDuch, aa we approaoh/biia^tliki .iUv* and its jvalley; v.lt^(}^iirpj-isi4&ljbftW many -itterqiflMfe m this [jo^li^yKfWVQwt^jJtenjifibiilpw -with cleiir, tihingW bflttout^ li^tolei-s here ;^i|l I &i* i np'^#k tffo«ftt*|jjbj?he chief stream is the Mangfaow^ i«iich lies .^MtffoiwiiM^aftuJthT^the Otaki BiYW.tvAitQr-pitiMngj-iMtf' the line travfOTes gooiH QoUn^t^id then ti tttok»*siM&*(eqM& /*b«al-^eß down a^eadetbf lin WM), «tft,t*wflep.s on tv , the. Cltoki .bridgfe. " TJb« s O«aW fliver is no.Wwa'^bsfcaclfiit^ggti.'oVer, and t^he.Uridge^wercijL $'& j*>[niJi6t m imipoii^njcJß tQ/iha.t,flx#ctth'ejAJrfnawHtu. It i wiUbJ«j*lßicbriJfrs^tavJa«g;th, and built with .piles, iu> the <erdsMry man* ..riev. withn7o« feet ( spana.: _„. An' ewbankm^ritjaot the same'length: auittenbridgei itself will Jeadthie train oil !tQi6 f an4ijw.se it oa to the.biinkS again, on the other side.

The ford where the coach crones is about one mile lower^down t^ r£yev, and OftakY iownsnip "Ts aDout*ibhe same distance and is/easUy visible a little higher up. The Otaki valley here i» very extensive m reality, although it has th^appjamnbe of being rather. inß^gn.iifica i nt wljen looked, at from the, jbieaqh.. „|n front^ lobKin^ Nprt)>, %^a%|c,QhAj.|jfijJ, or Bluff, stands put ;in, strong i"eiie.f, about five iuiles ahead, 4he >ea^bettch on the left, and the bush flats and behind them the ranges on the right. Thw point is 30 miles from Ijongburn. ■• •■•,, .■ .. „,.-■ ■■■-:■■" ' ' ■ ' r (Tx>,b^ eofttinued).