Wellington- ManaWatu Railway.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1693, 27 April 1886, Page 2

Wellington - ManaWatu Railway.

BY RA.IL TO OHA.U.

(By our Special Reporter.) " On Saturday last I received; a very kind invitation from W. Ja3. Wallace, secretary and general manager of the Wellington- Manawtu RiilwayJjOinpany, to make one of a pirty to ma- down the ! following day so far as Oban, and have a look at the line and the country traverse! by it. It was arranged to inset at the Commercial Ho*ol at 9 a.ra , whence we were to be conveyed by cabs, buggies, &c, to the kongburn junction. At the appiinfced hour I found everything m readiness. Tj4 party consisted of Messrs Linton^»;on, Smith, Walkley, McKenzie (W^M*n), Duan, Palmarson, Scott, Fi^^Wie engineer of thu • poftion of twUßfr Wallace (secretary of the company), and several other ; gentlemen.. Some.others who had been invited found it inconvenient to come., and thereby missed an exceedingly pleasant and jolly trip. Host Walkley wag to /the fore with a hamper well stocked /with viands, and all seemed determined to enjoy their outing. The morning looked rather threatening at the start, but fine... weather soon set m, and m the afternoon it was quite warm and sumnierlik'e. ! The conveyances left the Commercial as they filled up. each with a full.lbad of tourists. Host Walkley broujjhet " his : bi*eacl>loader with the chance of gettinga stray shot, but m this he^as not successful, game being both scarce and difficult to approach. We had a pleasant drive down to liongburn, where we had time to have a few mines' chat with Mr Liggins, and pay a brief visit of inspection to the cheese factory. In those few minutes I managed to glean from Mr Liggins that work at the factory was going on smoothly, and that he had had offers to send milk -from ten miles away, viz., away up' Stioney Creek, the farmer saying that he had 300 acres of land, and had. only cleared some £60 from his land from sheep during the past year, and was now determined to go m for milking cows, and Bend\his milk to the factory. Mr Liggins said he thought it was quite practicable if the cows were milked earl/, and the milk could be cooled before being sent away. But my readers will think lam digressing. We rcrdssed the cowcatcher between the (government line and Wellington-Manawatu line, the latter being that on which we were about to travel, and found an engine with guard's van attached ready for the trip. Of course, ultimately the engines and rolling stock will come right on to Palmeratoh from Longburn ; that will be* probably when the section to Ofcaki is open for traffic. At present the engines do not cross the road. There are no carriages at present on this end of the line, so the guard's van was the best that could be placed at our disposal. The sliding doors were fastened back, boards being nailed across the openings, so as to afford a full view of the country on both sides, and seats were extemporised- for the occasion. The van, owing to its build, I presume, ran a little roughly, the vibration being considerable, but not more so than the second-class carriages on the Government line," and, of course tha speed at which we travelled was much greater. I noticed that the engine a large and powerful one, did not " wobble" the way the smaller Government engines do, its motion being more like one of the Fairlie engines. Several improvements have been introduced m its working, but with a description of these I will not trouble your readers on the present occasion. Suffice it to say that the engine works exceedingly ,sniootbly,and is capable of taking a heavy load. It i*i one of those which on arrival was pronounced a failure by some of the newspapers, which evidently expressed a too hasty opinion, as the said engines have since satisfactorily proved their excellence m all respects. We left Longburn junction about 10 o'clock, and soon were rattling along at about 30 miles an hour. In a few minutes we were thundering over the bridge over the Manawatu river, K a remarkably lightlooking structure, but exceedingly strong I am told. The bridge must have a rather spider-web appearance at a disance, as there is an entire absence of the massive heavy timbers that usually are characteristic of the construction of railway bridges. Each span seems to be independent of the one next to it, the bridge apparently comprising a numberof arches, each supporting itself, and to the casual observer almost disconnected with the arches before and behind. I could not observe much of the construction of the bridge from the rapidity with which we crossed it, but the impression forced itself on my mind that the principle on which it was built differed m several material points from that on which the bridges on the Government line have been constructed, and that its general appearance conveys the impression of a lighter and less massive, and yet withal * _a decidedly prettier and at the same time stronger structure thari 1 any* colonial railway bridge I have seen elsewhere. We soon reached the spot where the Linton flag station is to be. No building has yet been erected, for the very good reason that it has not yet been definitely ascertained Where is the most suitable spot, so as to best accomodate the future traffic. There is yet a considerable amount of uncertainty as to the point at which district roads will donverge, the country having yet to be settled, on which account the precise location of Linton station has been left m abeyance m the meantime. The next station it Tokomaru, and then comes Shannon. There are long stretches of dead level, (apparently so to the eye) on the Hoe, and the grade is m no place heavy or the curves sharp. I noticed the rails had the appearance of being of extra good quality, and I ascertained on inquiry that they were steel, 531 b to the yard. Steel rails are almost of everlasting wear, being many degrees more durable than the ordinary iron rails. They cost, strange to say, laid down only £7 5s per ton, as against £14 per ton for lighter iron rails m use on the Government linen, which will only wear for a limited period, and will then require renews!. It will thus be teen what an excellent investment was made and what an incalculable saving was effected by the company m the matter of rails alone. Shortly after leaving Linton we catch glimpses of the great Makererueo swamp, a portion of which is intersected by the railway, the embankment resting on a foundation of fascines. This swamp has a marvellously picturesque appearance. Imagine if you can a vast field of maize or. wheat reaching for gome miles till bordered by a back-ground of bush. "With the afternoon sun shining brightly on the rauoo and toi-toi, all rustling m the gentle breeze, the panorama is one once seen not easily forgotten. The line runs through several sections of this swamp, and when the full extent of the vast expanse of bright shimmering green is gradually realised, the traveller unconsciously rises to his feet and gazes m silent wonder and admiration at the strange landscape presented to bis astonished vision. It would be impossible to convey m words an approximate description of this vast area of swamp. One would naturally think - that the sameness of the panorama would naturally beget weariness and monotony. But nothing of the kind. One views it much m the same sense as the ocean, which it resembles m many respects — m vastnesi, solitude, ever-changing aspect, as the sunshine glistens on its surface, or the shadows from the passing clouds seem to chase each other over its brilliant green billows. I must confess to being greatly struck with admiration with the appearance of thia vast swamp, now a waste it is true, only a home for water fowl and eels, but some day to be covered with homesteads, beautiful farms, gardens, herds of cattle and flocks of sheep. There is little doubt that this great swamp is the pick of the land belonging to the Company. It is all capable of drainape, all the riohest vegetable Joam,, and m course of time, at I remarked above, wiU be a Bm«jnr Iwid,

waving- crop*, its farms and its stock, ■fliis will ba be before long, nil within the next ten years at the outside, I should say } ami lucky will be the man who will get hold of such fertile land as comprised this great swamp. Its fertility and productiveness will be the wonder of the district and colony, and such cropi will be produced upon it, and so marvellous will be its fattening capabilities for stock, and so extraordinary it* richnesi of soil, that its fame will spread every* where. We all know that there ig no richer land known anywhere than a reclaimed swamp ; and once the surface gets firm, and the effect of the drains begins to niuke itself felt, cattle find their way m further and further, the grass and clover take root and .thrive to a marvellous degree, and the despised and generally considered worthless and irreclaimable waste of swamp becomes clothed with a growth of vegetation that must astonish all beholders. Meantime this great swamp of which I am writing I is m its original state, and produce! nothing. But swamp as it is, it is a marvellously lovely picture on a bright afternoon, with its ever changing but always beautiful aspect, its green slum* mering surface extending away till the vision is bounded by belts of bush. The train rushes along as 'we gaze at the gorgeous expanse, and every now and again the view is intercepted by a clump of bush, only again to burst upon the vision with a charm and splendour that no words can adequately describe. It is as I said a beautiful panorama now, though it is non-productive. In the future m the distance, and I venture to say it w'.U be a near future, it will present a very different aspect, and prove a very important factor m the prosperity of the country. I-look upon it as one of the most valuable portions of the grand endowment wirh which the Company has been subsidised for its construction of the line. No one who has not seen this swamp can form any idea of its vast* ness, its magnificence, and strange to say its beauty. No great difficulty was experienced m the construction of the embankment through it on which the line is carried, because the bottom was found unexpectedly firm, so different from many swamps, which virtually are bottomless. The total distance we travelled was 58 miles, er 29 miles each way. And during the entire distance I saw little else but grand country ; some of it a little wet, it is true, but even m the wettest place* capable of reclamation and with a soil that will well reward the labour bestowed on it. In many placei the bright green sward betokened the rich virgin soil, that only required to be tickled with a hoe to make it laugh with an abundant harvest. After a rapid run of some seventeen miles, we reached the Shannon junction, where there is ft branch line to the river, at whicli spot there is a wharf where most of the Company's material was landed by steamer. We did not siay there when going, but did when returning, and a short deserip* tion of the surroundings will appear m due course. What most struck me, on the trip was the conclusive proof afforded on ail sides how superior was the character of the country to that which the line via Foxton would have traversed. And yet there were many people who upheld the Fox ton route as incomparably superior to that now taken. Surely they must have spoken m ignorance of the real facts. Was it not Sir Win. Fox who once said m Wellington that the line was virtually impracticable because the country was mostly " under water." And had the route been taken via Foxton, consider the position m which the Com - pany would have found ijself placed m regard to its land subsidy. That land the railway will open up, render accessible, and make valuable. But with* out the railway what an incalculable cost would haye been entailed m opening up that land by roads, &o. Moat probably it would have been found necessary m course of time to construct' a tramway, and then people would hare exclaimed m wonder and indignation, " Why m Heaven's name did you not construct the line here m the first place?" Well, fortunately, the line has been taken this route m the first place, and so saved » vast useless expenditure m doing m another way what the railway will most satisfactorily and successfully accomplish, viz., the settlement of that area of splendid country through which it runs, and which would have been inaccessible and valueless without it. We pass through en route the historically famed " Buckley's Block." This block of land comprises some 2000 acres, and was originally given to the present Colonial Secretary for pleading the case of a tribe at a Native Lands Court m Foxton some years ago. It was a princely fee, without doubt. Mr Buckley sold it to Mr Moorhouse, and after tho death of the {alter the block was purchased by the Company at some £3 odd per acre. I may here mention that I hear the Company are m treaty for one or more blocks of Native land, the acquisition of which will materially embrace the value ot their present endowments. There is a considerable balance of land, (some 26,000 acres I think) yet due by the Government, and this will probably be given out of lands the present property of the Natives, which will, m course of time bo purchased by the Government, and on which they already had a lien. The actual asßers of land comprise • magnificent and exceedingly valuable subsidy, though of course it must be remembered that without the railway that land would have been comparatively speaking, valueless. In some- places it extends to from 7to 10 miles on on* side of the line, and m ethers runs away up to the lower rauges, some of which it takes m. The bush for the most part is not heavy, comprising chiefly white piue, tawa, matai, with occasions! clumps of totara. There are some lofty terraces, round which the line sweeps m easy curves and at a moderate grade rarely met with on the Government routes, on which latter 5 chain corvee and a grade of 1 m 35 not frequently go together, greatly the wear and tear of the rolling stock and aggra* vating the risk'of accidents. We ran for upwards of two miles on a grade of 1 jo 100, on which a speed of 35 or 40 miles an hour could easily be maintained. One drawback m the constriction wae the difficulty of getting ballast, which had m somo places to be brought over 10 miles, but is of uniform good quality and speoially snitable for the purpose. In conversation with Mr Wallace I iearut that a number of cattle and sheep trucks are getting made ready for the optninr of the line to Otaki, by which date there will be rolling stock for 90 head of cattle and 1000 sheep. As>e run along, a very picturesque water-fall m the distant ranges is pointed out to h«, resembling a grey perpendicular ribbon m the distance. Ihe Eareru clearing, a distance of 19 miles, is reached m 70 minutes, including a number of pretty long stoppages to allow of the travellers obseiving places or objects of interest. After the 19th mile there is a uniform grade for the next two miles of lin 100. Some of the most fertile spots on the route have been originally native clearings, some of which are eccupied, and others further Dock are de- , sorted, only the peach groves, remaining the trees being dead through age or the recent blight by which they were attacked. I could not but notice whtre there were cuttings the excellent character of the sub-soil. At the hut where we stopped for refreshment there was a well sunk, and the soil appeared to lie \ wholly river deposit, not a stone fo be seen. On a flat between the line atd i the Horowhenua Lake the soil *-«s stony, and appaiently light, there beta* but a slight growth of verdure ; hut this was the only place ('and the area was .limited) iv which we saw anything but the wry best quality of land. Even on the flat referred to, tho land perceptibly improved towards the lake, when it became more like loam. I was told thire was a grand block of land not far off belonging l 0 the heirs of the dec-rawed chief Ihakara, who formerly resided • near Foxton. There ig another block of some 4000 acres m extent turth-r off, btlonring to the same claimant*, and it is pot improbable that both those blofljf

will m time becu mo the proper y »t tho Company through the liu>.iuu6.t. I spoke before of the drainngo of the Makererueo Swamp. I ma told there will bo a good fall 111 tho Tokomaru atnam, which is of considerable volume and for the most part has welldefined bankß. Thu Tokomaru rises m the higher lauds, and after hsug ltsolf m the swamp falls into tli«3 Manawatu river u«ar I'outoa pah nbove Foxton. The .next station is 24 m;l«i from Longburn, and we rau the distance includiug^stoppages m an hour and a quarter. 'The smaller bridges are built on an entirely new principle, corobiuing simplicity of construction with great strength. The arch is formed of curved rails, bound nt the end? by straight rails, tha whole being firmly braced together. I learu that one of those bridges was on one occasion tested, a dead weight of 30 tons being placed ou it. The total subsidence was only about .three-six-teenths of an inch. Your readers will not perhaps be aware that there' is telephone communication along the route for the entire distance, with stations at Ohau, Longburn, Pahnerston, and Wellington, and I think other places also. A little this side of Ohau, whore we stopped for refreshment, Mr Wallace rang tip Wellington, aud had a conversation with people m the office, as to the state at the weather, the result of Voxel's meeting,- and other topics of-interest. It did certainly seem strange to be there #m tho forest, miles aw.iy from civil is ition, conversing at ease with the Empire City. The wire is carried on iron supports for a considerable distance, where , theieis aiiy 'danger ,of destruction by bush fires, and m clear spaces saplings are used. The iron supports are simply rails placed about 2 feßt m the ground, with additions for the insulators clamped on. They appear to answer the purpose very well and are very firm m the ground. I presnme thatiti course of time all the present supports will be replaced by wooden poles of a uniform descrip tfon. Horowhenua station, 24 miles from Longburn, is reashed at 11.20. Here it is where the clearing is ot rather poor stoney soil of which I spoke. It is called Wereroa, and the Horowhenua Lake is about a mile and a half to. seaward. We run on towards the Ohau, between which place and Horowhenua is a camp where some sixty men are employed completing ballasting, &c. When running along here a passenger, a very hard-headed Scotchman amused us with the oft told tale of the Taurwha, the fabulous monster, which nobody has ever seen. However, it appears that some natives informod. Bishop Hadfield, that it had been" seen m the Horowhenua Lake, and the Bishop straightway communicated the intelligence to I)r Hector, who forthwith sent up some large shark hooks with explicit instructions as to the. particular kind of bait required with which to capture the monster. Deponent sayeth not whether or not the mithical amphibious reptile was captured or not; but as our fellow-traveller remarked it was plainly to. be seen Dr Hector was a Scotchman, 01? he woukLsooner have seen the -joke. At 11.30 we reach a natural clearing near the Ohau, which latter we crossed, but as there was another engine ahead on. the same rails, we did not go as far as otherwise we could have done, but turned back at the 29th mile. I was told that there were several clumps of fine totara forest not far off the line here on the Company's land, and m the neighbourhood of which before long one or more sawmills would be established. There is an inland native settlement here, and a number of natives put m an appearance on the arrival of the train. After a short stoppage the other engine came up from the opposite direction and we turned back having run the 29 miles, including many stoppages, and some of them pretty long, m an liour and threequarters. The rails are laid for 3 miles beyond this point. We then ran back to a point a short distance back where an ad"journraent was made to a hut alongside the line; at the Ohau native settlement before alluded to, where there will be a station, and where Host Walkley's hamper was duly opened and we all partook of lunch. Among the literature at the hiiD was a work on Conditional Irnmortalitv, of which some of our passengers expressed their disappropal, as being neither one belief nor the other. Our hard-headed Scotchman informed us that his Home creed was that of predestination, viz., that certain people were, predestined to \>e sayed, and others similarly ticketed to be lost, and were so bookod from their birth. An animated conversation followed on the variety of creeds m existence at the present day, and the new ones which were for ever comine' into existence and finding fol- : lowers. One gentleman informed us that of the late3t developments was that a certain proportion of jthe inhabitants of the world were to be saved and the lesfc duly annihilated. "And perhaps they who would be annihilated wjnld be the best off," sententiously remarked a very practical matter-of-fact gentleman of our party. But I ask pardon for again digressing. At 12.30 we make a start for home, having decided to stop at Horowhenua to allow the tourists an opportunity to see) this grand sheet of water. The stopping pla.ee duly reached, we all set but •to walk to the lake, which is not visible from the line. We were told the distance was about a mile, but found it was an Irish mile, viz., "a mile and a biltock." However, we all enioyed the walk there and back, and were well repaid for our trouble m the grand natural picture which lay extended at our feet. The lake is about three miles Ion?, by a mile and three-quarters m width. The surroundings seemed strangely familiar to me, and I then remeinbured that I had travelled the v«ry Native track down which we were now w.a'kint', some 12 or 15 years a<io. Little did I tin 11 k tliut the next time I visited the spot It would be by the iron hoi» >. Every feature of the landscape was familiar, and I distinctly remembered the lonely track over the stone-covered plain, on which then as now there was a scanty covering of f«rn, tutu, and grass. Then the high manuka, chnost meeting overhead, and the first, glimpse through a woody vista ot the shimmering wators of tho lake. When we arrived at the shore we found a few aboiiginals anxious to earn an honest " herrin " by taking us out on tho lake m a big canoe. The native agreed to carry us ou his buck, one at a time ; but another readywitted aboriginal hastily constructed whathe called a wharf, composed of rails two together, laid end to end, along which some of us managed to balance ourselves till we reached a small cano?,from which we scrambled into the larger oho. The water is shallow for a considerable distance out, but I should imagine is pretty deep m the middle. What a spot for an interptovincial regatta is this magnificent land-locked sheet of water! I vwnture to predict the time when an interprovincial regatta on this lake will be an annual occurrence, and will be attended by people from all parts of the coast. An hotel will m course of time bo a necessity for the holiday.making public, and when the I road from the station to the lake is completed, which will involve but very little expense, the spot wiil be a favourite resort of tourists. I venture to say that when the the railway is running to Otaki, which I suppose will bo m a mouths' time, or a little more, and when cliuap Sunday afternoon excursion trips are the order of the day, to Horowhenua and hack, with n run down to the lake, will !)•> the favotirito trip. The , return journry can be 'easily performed m a summer Httemqon, and wlipii the trains . start from the Palmtrston station, us they then will, the journey either way will not take.ni(>r«,-tlian mi hour, I-.cnu foresoo ft great"source of all motion for tourists m this lovely sheet of water, and its charming and roruftntic^snrroundings. There nre 'how n few rfsidriices, mostly i»fttiv<», I should ii-nngino, dotted hero nud there ou the shores, which lat- s t?r riso m pl'iees wiih »|f»«t .pioMiroaq ie terraces, or run away into gullies. Tho HfwrcQ »f tinnply of this Inko if) unknown, but $t is uupwi.wil to he subterranean spring, ami t^toQ from the •urrouni}.

ing liilld. Its outlet is the Hoiowliemia river which makes its way out to the beach where Cobb &Co at present have a stage. In course of tirno probably a small steamer will be placorl on the Lake and should be extensively Datronised by tourists especially m the Hammer season. The natives told us that now and again the water is not Kood, being muddy and discolouted. Wild-fowl we were told abound on it, m the shape of wild ducks and wild turkey. . A prominent feature from where we rested for a few moments m our big canoe, J was a trig station standing out boldly and clearly defined against the nky. I left the Lake with its exceedingly picturesque and interesting surroundings wjth regret, and hope yet to make many a pleasant trip there, and to enjoy the delightful scenery with which the locality! abounds. lam sure my verdict will be universally endorsed that a more lovely spot for a holiday tour, pic-nic on a large scale, boating expedition.or a more suitable convincing ground for a regatta could not be imagined. W« did not walk back quite so rapidly, as the heat was rather oppressive, and some of us began to fag a little. Mr Walkley had been m the outskirts- 'of the bush looking for a shot, but could not get near enough to his bids to get one Bhot. At 2.20 were again on board, and soon were rattling homewards. . When we arrived ai the Shannon junction it was decided to take the engine down the branch linn, which runs through a remarkably pretty forest glade, where the rich virgin soil sends up a profusion of vegetable growth. But I noticed from the mud about the roots of the trees, and m some caiea a considerable height up thsir stems, that the place is not altogether free from floods. In due couise we reach the Shannon wharf, at which the most of the material has been landed. The wharf is m the bight of a bend o£ the river, and ie is ' said that navigation can be easily and safely accomplished either by. night or by day. There are many people who predict for Shannon an important future. On this subject lam not at the present time prepared to express a; decided opinion either for or against. It is impossible to anticipate the changes that railway communication will cause to take place. We have seen m many parts of the world the sohtnde of the forest, wbea the surroundings arc favourable, qnickly give place to the bußy centr* of population. The same change may happen to the oresont site of the township of Shannon, now covered with forest m its primeval state. The day may come when steamers will be advertised to leave the port of Wellington for the rising township of Shannon, calling at Foxton. should sufficient inducement offer." We live; m an age of great changes, of marvellously rapid progress, where we never can ( Ijell how soon an isolated solitude' may became an important centre. No one can say what is to be the future of Shannon, or m fact of any~of the embryp to,wns ottthejine. Some persons doubtless- will invest to their advantage, . and others will do otherwise. After, a briejf. stay, and inspection of what there is to be seen, a truok load of car-wheels having been attached to the engine, we. again get on board, and reach the main line, from which the wharf is distant, I should think, about half a mile; ; . or perhaps a little more. It did not seem more than half a mile behind the engine, but perhaps had we been "footing it", the distance would have appeared greater; After a little more shunting m order to get our truck of wheels behind our van, we finally started for Longburn, at which we arriyed at 4.10, after a most enjoyable trip. Here I may say a word about the material for rolling stock, which air appears to be of the very best description procurable. ■" As I said before the rails are of steel, of almost endless wear,. and the wheels appear to be of the very best quality. They ar«, of course, American, and are made ot chilled iron, the surface being ribbed, and the themselves hollow. When the manufacturers sent over two sample wheels, they sent over instruc tions to have the wheels tcysted by any process the. company -.chose^to adopt, either the file, cold chisel, or smashing with hammers. In America the wheels are allowed a certain number of thousands of miles to run, and are then broken up and recast. The running and vibration render the metal liable to fracture unexpectedly. In the case of the less frequent running, lighter trains, and more moderate speed which will be the rule on the Company's line, as compared with the American lines, the rolling stock will, of course, wear longer and require renewal at less frequent intervals. I think I must now draw my report ta a close, as I have somewhat exceeded my originally intended limits. But there is so much of interest to the general public to write about, and so many historical associations that might have been alluded to, that it has been difficult to keep from diverging. I was exceedingly impressed with -the vast importance ot this line as a connecting link on the great trunk line of communication between the various ports m the North Island. The area of magnificent country it will open up for settlement, and the townships it will tie the means of establishing, will locate^ very numerous population along its whole length, at any rate between Manavvatu and Paikakariki, because all the extent of country is rapable of supporting m comfort and plenty a large number ; of people. That the line will yield a handsome investment to the shareholders is certain beyond the possibility of a .loubt ; and who will grudge them their returns, when it is remembered what insur--1 mountable obstacles have been overcome by dint of pluck, enterprise, perseverance and determination. I believe my fallow travellers will readily re-echo my congratulations, on the success that has attended the Company's undertakings so far. I will conclude witli acknowledging Mr Wallace's and Mr Fujtbn's courtesy and readiness to afford me every possible inforrntion on all matters m regard to which I referred to them.