THE MAIN SOUTH RAILWAY.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1880, 6 May 1878, Page 4

THE MAIN SOUTH RAILWAY.

Tlin "Evoninir Star" of tlio tat inst. iwv tliat tho lino from TMupaluii t.o tlio Knik a< WaikonaiM, would ho ready for opi'irny in a wppk from tlmfc dote, and of thf o'lht unfinished portions writes :—: — Tlip Wflikonaiti contract joins tlie Bhie■kiii M.piinn f»t, tlip KniV, niifl oxVendg En««t Wnil<fnmifi to Fin? Swnmp This is i the Immli of Govprnmont, and in comnioitlv known n« " tho unemployed" contn'-. ftfim tlio f not of ft numner of the unfmn'ovcd men nnmp timo n</o bpinar givMi work tlnroon. The rn : l« are laid on Mi!* fccffon fmtn tho Knil: to a point odp mi'o and a Imlf north of Waikonaiti A c>nnidpr«hle portion of thn hn\. |a«ltTi<r ia laid — «ay from the hi mo poii^ nnrlh of Wiukounitl to w'thin m in'l» of thp Ka'k, Ihifl lattor p< rt'< n l>r>ing still unV-ftllnfltod. At tho noif't 'ml <>f tho contract Mipip i« Rt ill a etc «.i''orn)>lp amount <if cut'inc; and othor lf.''i ( n bo pot throivili. hut not morp tl r> r . «=honld be finished by tho end of

this month, when tho lino could be opened bo far. The number of men nt presont working on it is about 135. On this soction there is a station at Morton, about two miles from the Kaik, and another at Waikouaiti ; tho next in a northerly direction being at Goodwood, about four miles and a-hftlf beyond Waikouaiti. The last unfinished section is that tormed the Kartigi contract, reaching from Flact Swamp— about fivo miles south of Palmerston— to Mooraki Junction, a distance of about sovonteon and throequavtor miles in all. This is in tho hands of Messrs M'Kenzio, Paialoy, and Co., and it has been at times considerably delayed. Work is now, however, being vigorously pushed on. Mr Dartnall, tho Resident Engineer, statos that tho rails are laid through from Moeraki to Palmerston. Ballasting is also progressing fast, and will bo completed on that lon«th within a fortnight. Botween Palmorston and Flag Swamp there is still much to bo dono, and it will probably bo tho end of Juno bofore this section is roady for traffic The stations on this portion aro at Waihomo, three and a quarter miles north of Palmerston ; Pukihowitaki, ono and threo-quartor milos beyond; Kartegi, about fivo miles further ; and Hilgrovo, or Moeraki Junction. The avorago number of men working on tho contract is 170 On tho whole, wo should scarcely bo prematuro in saying that by tho firat week in July tho line will be roady for opening right through from Dunedin to tho present torminus at Mooraki. Tho various station buildings aro rapidly approaching completion, many being actually ready for uho.