MANGAHAO NOTES.

Shannon News, 9 May 1922, Page 3

MANGAHAO NOTES.

GOOD PROGRESS IN THE TUNNELS

THE COOK’S PIG

Driving is proceeding apace on all the tunnel faces, and excellent progress is now being made. A large number of experienced tunnel tors from Otira are now employed here, and practically every shift does so well that they are able to fire their charges before giving way to the next lot of workmen. The progress is thus from four to six feet per shin, and at this rate it is expected that the tunnel through the first range Irom Arapeti to the Shannon side will be accomplished in eight or nine months from now. At the Arapeti end this tunnel is proving very wet, hut this is not interfering with the work', fine funnel in the second range to tap the Mangahao on Ihe other hand is quite dry.

In ail the tunnels the concreting of the interior is going on behind 'he tunnellers, the concrete being mixed outside and run in on trucks to positions handy to the conereters The preliminary work lias been started in connection with the construction of the Arapeti dam in the Tokomaru Valley. This is going to be a huge work, and it is estimated that 2,000,000 bags of cement will be ab-

sorbed in the building of the huge wall that, will imprison the water, the level of which will be about six feet below the road running round the hillside above the township. The rock which is being blown out of the tunnel faces wi be utilsed lor concretemaking, and another face has been opened up from which to procure metal to t supplement these supplies. The carting of the huge cement supplies from. Shannon to Arapeti is in itself a big contract. When the first tunnel is through this material will be sent via the tunnel to Arapeti, which will be a great saving in haulage. x . ■ The Public Works Department’s sawmill is working full banded to supply albe requirements of the numerous activities being carried on. Tbe presence of good mill able" timber in close proximity to the works is a boon to tbe Department.

Daring the last month o rso a large number of men have come up to the camp in. the hope of getting work. It is fortunate that the Department has openings for most of the labour offering, and during this period over 100 men rave been taken on. A few have left the work, however, but all the same there has been a large increase in the numbers employed as compared with a few months back. This is a healthy sign, and it is satisfactory to note that the work is progressing well everywhere. The men at the Arapeti camp ar@ interested in a little guessing competition, and a good prize awaits the winner. The subject of the guessing is the weight of the pig that is being so well, looked afler by The; cookery department. It is piling on por^every day, and the early guessers ought to be allowed a second guess if Dennis continues to thrive like he is doing. Rumour says the guesses range from modest estimates under 1001 b to something in thje vicinity of 5001 b. All hands are waiting for killing day to arrive, and the weighing done. The competition is very popular at a shilling a time, but the suspense of waiting is getting hard to bear by those who consider they have hit. off the weight to an ounce —and they all think that.