PROGRESS OF THE WATERWORKS CONTRACTS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 595, 29 March 1878, Page 2

PROGRESS OF THE WATERWORKS CONTRACTS.

The following report by Mr. M'Leod, ?\lnnicipal Engineer, with reference to the progress bring made with the waterworks contracts, was read at tho meeting of the Council last evening :

To TTis "Worship the Mayor and Councillors.

Gentlemen —I have trie honor to report that all the contracts in hand throughout the town are nearly finished. They would doubtless h-ye been completed before now. luit the different contractors have found it impossible to get men to carry on the works owinct to harvest operations. liMhe waterworks con tract considerable energy is nmv being shown to push on the works, and the contractor's agent assures me ilint in the course of next week lie expeers to hive fully 200 men employed. At ores nt 1 see no rea on why Mr. Henderson's I'.'utract should not be finished by the aw] of this year, or at ail events within twelve months from this date.

On the upper .sections the water can. ho running permanently for six or seven miles by the'eud of next mouth : most of the concrete, masonry, and timber work being iini bed. o- nearly so. and 30 or 40 men are being put on to linish (he work through. Ou the Black Point sections the bridges and other works are nearly completed, and on the Awamoko section the large aqueduct over the Awamoko is finished, losa.pbmking A good deal of timber work in road bridges has been rait together.

Some throe miles of race have been cut, and the re-t is in hand, and a large, quantity of fencing material is on the ground ready to be put up ; and the large aqueduct at the Waikoura (Aitchison's) has been commenced, and rapid progress will shortly be made with it.

At Frew's Gully (Papakaio), some of the main trestles for the high aqueduct pre being framed, and will soon be ready to put into position. At the tunnels the 11-chain tunnel, which has been put through some time ago. is nowbeing faced-up and secured at the ends. No part'of the interior of this tunnel will require to be lined.

The small aqueduct across the Papakaio Gully, and contucting the 11-chain tunnel with'the 28-chain has been built, as also the aqueduct over ilin Boundary Creek at the south end of boundary, or 28-chain tunnel. There has not been much done to the Boundary tunnel for some time, but it is now in full work, and can easily bo jmt throusrh in about three months.

The" next tunnel, or what is called the "Italian" tunnel, is driven for over 20 chains, or nearly half its length, the rock driven through being very hard ; but sfcilj it is quite ppssible to finish it within nine months.

In Grant's tunnel the rock is not, so hard, and is of a tliffuient c aracter from the last ; but still I think it will take about the same as the Italian to finish, although there is now nearly the same distance driven, ami both are the same length. The reservoir tunnel, three chains long, has just been commenced, and will soon be finished.

Altoeether the tunnels are turning out very well, and I think it will be found that they will be completed in a satisfactory manner, and well worth the money expended upon ti.em. At the reservoir the fencing is being put up, and tho contractors are now making arrangements to carry out all the works in connection therewith at once. This will be a work of some magnitude, involving the sliifting of over 50,000 yards of stuff, besides the building of over 1000 yards of masonry and concrete, not to mention pitching and piping and other works. The contrac; has now been in hand some eight months, and although hitherto the

progress made has not been altogether satisfactory, still reasonable allowances must be made for this, as not only has there been some difficult}'in obtainiuing possession of some of the lands required, but there have been the usual number .of hitches attendant upon large contracts at tlieir copimeneement, and.-the: shearing 'and harjifest seasons'lntervening. "'-';.: ''"/ ; "'"' All ijjese difficulties in a great measurSgiiow been got over, there is every whole works will lie pusH'ed on rapidly to completion, arid, as I hayefalready by this time, next y<*ar.—l have, iv'c'j D.'M'Lv.od, Engineer. Engineer's Office, Oamaru, March i.'S, IS7S.