OAMARU-NASEBY RAILWAY COMMITTEE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 368, 28 June 1877, Page 2

OAMARU-NASEBY RAILWAY COMMITTEE.

A meeting of this Committee was held to-day at the County Council Chambers. There were present —Messrs. Steward (Chairman), Reid, Meniere, Gibbs, Moore, Hislop, Evans, Maude, Bee, O'Meagher, Brown, Sumpter (hon. soc. pro torn.) MINUTKS. The minutes of tho last meeting were read and confirmed. OUTWARD CORRESPONDENCE. A quantity of outward correspondence was read and approved. REPORT OF DEPUTATION. The Chairman, on behalf of the deputation which waited upon the Waimato County Council yesterday, reported as to what had been done at that meeting. DONATIONS. A letter was read from the Town Clerk of Naseby enclosing a cheque for L 25, being the amount voted by the Naseby Municipal Council in aid of the cost of making a flying survey of tho railway line. A letter was read from the Clerk of tho Maniototo Council, enclosing copies of resolutions passed by tho Council, voting the sum of L 75 in aid of defraying tho cost of survey of the proposed line through the Maerewhenua Pass. (The resolutions have already been published by us.) It was decided to acknowledge the receipt of the letters, with thanks.

engineer's report. The following report from the Engineer in reference to tho line was read, the report being accompanied by a map showing the various lines surveyed : Oamaru, June 25th, 1877. To the Chairman of the Oamaru and Naseby Railway Committee. Sir,—We have the honour to report for your information that we have completed a reconnoissance survey of the proposed line of railway from Oamaru to Naseby. Wc have examined the following routes, with the view of determining their practicability and respective merits, namely : 1. From Duntroon to Naseby, via Living-

stone. 2. From Duntroon to Naseby, via Otekaike River. . . 3. From Ngapara to Naseby, via Livingstone. 4. From Teaueraki to Naseby, via Livingstone. .-,. ■ '. ,

The principal features for consi kg are the following, viz.: Cost, length, y Ji! and available country opened up, together *< with its general resources. With this \'Jew M we have appended a tabulated form, for pur- th poses of comparison. J< Of the four lines mentioned, each would U ( terminate at the same point, and would cross t over or under the Kyeburn Pass ; but there t all similarity ceases, as they differ in every C other respect. " The line from Duntroon via the Otekaike in ■would be the shortest, but the gradients h would be the steepest. The Ngapara lino tt would be the most costly, and the Teaueraki t. line the longest, but tlie latter would pass 10 through the best country. >« Line from Duntroon to Nasrfnj via Living- * stone. The best route for this line is along the *1 eastern bank of the Macrewhenua River to *j Livingstone, and from thence following tho " same river to the Pass, leaving Livingstone I* to the southward, and at an elevation of 60ft. Lj below the level of the town. After crossing K the Pass 400 ft. below the summit with a ' tunnel one mile in length, the line would ft follow the western bank of the Kyeburn K Creek to a point situated about mid-way P between Messrs. Borton and M'Master'n and Mr. M'Kenzie's homesteads, situated on the north-eastern corner of the Maniototo Plains, leaving the Upper Kyeburn Hotel on the east, and at an elevation of about 50ft. above it. Wrom the before-mentioned point the lino would take a south-westerly direction, passing through Messrs. Stewart, Rich, and M'Kenzie's run, and terminating at a point about two and a half miles to the southward of the town of Naseby on the Hogburn Creek. The route indicated from the Pass to the terminus would be common to all tho lines hereafter treated of.

From Duntroon to Livingstone the line would present few natural diiliculties, only crossing two or three tributaries of the Maerewhenua River, which could be bridged at little expense. The slopes and the terraces along which the line would pass are easy, and contain limestone, which could be mad a use of for culverts, etc. The line skirts the western boundary of the Tables, which contain some of the best land in New Zealand.

The average inclination from Duntroon to Livingstone is 1 in 73, but there are portions of the line where the grade would require to be steeper, but not to any serious extent. These remarks will apply in all cases where the inclinations arc given. As is well known, the Pass is the greatest obstacle to the construction of a railway. Being situated at an elevation of 3000 feet above sea level, it is occasionally covered with snow, which would be an objection to taking a line of railway over it, even if the nature of the country would admit of it; but such is not the case, as, to reach a point 400 feet below the summit (at which level no danger of interruption to traffic from snow would be experienced), the rate of inclination from Livingstone would be 1 in 45, which would, in places, in all probability, be reduced (?) to lin 42. This, we need hardly observe, is a very steep gradient, but not more so than those on tome of the N.Z. linos already constructed. The curves also on this and the other linos, for 2L miles of the length, would necessarily be sharp, the country traversed being mountainous.

The country from Livingstone to the Pais, and from the Pass to a point three miles to the south of the Kyeburn Hotel, a distance of 21 miles, is extremely rugged and brokcH, the banks of the Kyeburn Creek, alorr& v « which the line would have to be taken, being almost perpendicular in places, and composed chiefly of clay slate rock, lying at an angle of GOdeg. with the horizon. The line from Mr. M'Kenzic's station to the terminus would pass through a rolling country with easy, slopes.

It from Duntroon to Naseby via Otekaike Creek. rjiia line would cross the Maerewhenua , r close to the present terminus, and then low the flat on the southern side of the iitaki river, near to the existing track, for distance of five miles, and thence in a .jh-wcstern direction along the southern pes of the Otekaike Creek to the Pass. [he line could be made very cheaply for , first live miles after crossing the Maere[enaa rivor, the inclination being oi.ly beeen 1 in 500 and GOO, but from thence to . Pass the ra'e of inclination would be 1 3S, to reach a point on the same level as . tunnel on the Livingston side. ,e from Ngapara to Naseby via Livingstone. [he terminus of the Ngapara Railway is anted in a basin, being enclosed with hills JI sides except at the inlet, and there is means of extending it, except by follow,ap the present road on to the Tables, or a tunnel one and three-quarter miles long, rting abont 70 chains from the present minus, and terminating at the bottom of rully near to the Awamoko Creek, at a at marked A on the plan. From this at the line follows up the eastern bank of , Awamoko Creek, skirting the western tof the Tables ; thence north-westerly, ssing the Awamoko to the Maerewhenua rer, from which point it would take the us route a3 the Duntroon line. (See plan.) e gradients on this line, as far as LivingB e, would be easy, with the exception of i;e' in the tunnel, there being a rising lie on the Ngapara side of 1 in 50, and a ing grade on the Awamoko side of 1 '5. Oamaru to Naxeby x'ia Teaneraki. [his line would start from the Teaneraki tioa and trend in a north-westerly direci towards Livingstone, by the route indied on the plan. [he steepest grads on this line as far as ingstone would be 1 in 50, and the total rth from Teaneraki to Naseby 51i miles. : line would pass through a rich agriculjl district for the first 17 miles of its jth, the extent and value of which your imittee are better able to estimate than selves. The cost of construction for this miles would not be above the average, tided the owners of the land through ch the line passed did not require a large iiint of compensat : on. [ivinj? now given a general description of various routes, with the leading features uuh, of which we were asked to report a, we will endeavor to point out to your imittee the balance of evidence for or nst them, and place it before you in such -.;.■: \--iii will, we trust, have littl ;';:. it. a riving rit a correct decision. i. •',-•-. ■■; the U'.rk proposed will, we ;.:'.•. ; great weight in assisting your •■!. ■' in .arriving at a decision. We, ::".-.;. ''••'£ tr- ea.ll your attention to the ■-.:.' >ie, in \\ hich it will be found that, ;■ ,;-.r"xiH:n*» estimate of cost of cou- ... " :" each route, the proposed line iJTi'anara will cost L 40.000 more than ■ byTeaneraki, and L 97,400 more than ; via Duntroon and Livingstone, the route Otekaike comiug next. he longest route by eight miles is that I Teaneraki : whilst that by the Otekaike lie shortest-. lie Teaneraki line on account of the ex- • of good land it passes through, would oubtedly be the line to make, pro:ii money was of no object in the cost of itruction. But it would run parallel it a distance of 3 miles from the present ipara line, for a length of 10 mdes. This appears to us to offer a grave objection ia construction, as there are so many sr parts of the country entirely without \ray communication. iu Ngapara line would pass under the best land on its route, with a tunnel one i and three-quarters m length to start i; the rest of the route would have king to recommend it more than that a Duntroon. he line via the Otekaike would cost more l that i:ia Living-stone from Duntroon 122,000, would pass through no country A speaking of, and would be extremely i, and the grades for 15 miles of so ire a character (being 1 in 3S) that the ,if made, would, bear no comparison in respect. he Duntroon [via Livingstone) and sby line thus appears to he the only itieable one that can be adopted, the :is leas thaa any other, the route is rter than two of them, and only 2A miles jerthan the other. lay line starting from Duntroon would e an advantage over the Ngapara or neraki lines, as it could easily be exletl into Canterbury by a bridge across Waitaki river, at a site selected by sri. Thornton and Simpson, at the reit of the Provincial Governments of Canary and Otago some time since (being [smile and a-half from the present terns of the Duntroon line), thus striking Canterbury Province 30 miles above the i line, from whicli it is obvious that exWtt inwards might be made as required, Ist the timbered part of \he Waimate act would at once be brought within easy iof the interior of Otago, which is en'y destitute of this very necessary ari. a king, therefore, all the circumstances of case iuto consid ration, after having i them our most careful attention, we ,of opinion, without a doubt, the line via "igstone fro n. Duntroon is the line best !W to suit your purposes. We therefore 6 no hesitation whatever in reeommend4at it should have the preference. ■may not be out of place here to remark • tie hue coald easily be extended from % to Ida Valley, and thence eventually he Clyde. The distance from the Naseby ■ttins to Rough Kidge, at the head of Ida Wt would be about 12 mi es, and the try traversed nearly level. The line into the Maniototo Plains on %eburn, within about two miles of ! pot where the Outrani or Palmerston 'would strike them, after crossing the *■ and Pillar Range, from which spot ?line would follow the same route. e «sti:nate the extent of available ltr 7 ■. the plains at 200,000 acres, more Sa . : -" of which, we are informed, is of I-\ .v>aiity. •-■ ■? Government water race 60 miles :i: ™"-' ii:ts lately been brought into f >. * iiich could be made use of for a * --uyply or irrigation purposes, as it *'-$ the plains for a considerable dish and it is proposed to store the water Mailable situations.

Coal for household or other purj'oses could be carried to Naseby or anywhere along the line, as an extensive field exist 3 near the Upper Kyeburn Hotel, in close j>roximity to the projected railway, which is I considered equal in quality to the best Shag ! Point. ! The following are the relative lengths and approximated estimates of costs of the lines proposed : Length to Construct : Duntroon to Naseby, via Livingstone, 40 miles, L 297,500 ; Ngapara to Naseby via Livingstone, 43h miles, L 395,200; Teaneraki to Naseby via Livingstone, 51£ miles, L 355,300; Duntroon to Naseby via Otekaike, 37£ miles, L 320,700. Distance to Run Over from Naseby to Oamaru — Oamaru to Naseby via Duntroon and Livingstone, 67 miles ; Oamaru to Naseby via Ngapara aud Livingstone, 60J miles ; Oamaru to Naseby via Teaneraki and Livingstone, 57 miles ; Oamaru to Naseby via Otekaike and Livingstone, 64£ mils. We are, &c, Thornton and Bull, Civil Eng.neers. A lengthy discussion took place as to which line should be adopted. Mr. Maude proposed, "That, in the opinion of this Committee, the line from Duntroon to Naseby, via Livingstone, should be that recommended." Mr. Moore seconded the motion. Mr. Keid moved, as an amendment, that the line to be recommended should be that from Waiareka to Naseby, via TV aneraki. Mr. Menxove seconded the amendment. Mr. Hislop moved, as a further amendment, "That the Committee recommend the line via Livingstone, and that the question as to whether the line should be carried thence to Duntroon or to join the Waiareka line at Teaneraki, be adjourned till after communication with the Maniototo Council." Mr. Evans seconded the amendment. On Mr. Hislop's amendment being put, it was carried on the casting vote of the Chairman. On the motion of Mr. Evans, seconded by Mr. Bee, a Sub-Committee, consisting of the Chairman, and Messrs. Sumpter and Gibbs, were appointed to obtain information with reference to the nature and quantity of land to be traversed by the two lines to Livingstone. It was decided to forward a copy of the report and a tracing of the plan to the Maniototo Council. On the motion of Mr. Brown, it was agreed to adjourn until a quarter past 2 o'clock. ~ < The Committee met, pursuant to adjournment, at a quarter past 2 o'clock, but it was decided that the choice of a route should be postponed until the opinion of the Maniototo County Council had been ascertained with reference to the two alternatives—the Duntroon or Ngapara routes.