STRATFORD TO ONGARUE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8, 8 September 1915, Page 2

STRATFORD TO ONGARUE.

PROGRESS OF THE RAILWAY. (Ohura Advocate Repi tsentative). Steady progress has been made on the formation and small tunnel works since my last visit some time ago. .Messrs Camera i and Bn gust contractors for the piercing- of the tunnels near Marie re, having finished the Recoil tract, have taken on the job of completing and lining them with papa brick. The piercing of these-tunnels have enabled the laying of the tramline, which is now complete (with the exception of two or three chains) from the 14-mile to a point near the Arcadia Private Hotel at MUtiere. This line, which is slabbed with “kaik,” will be used to convey tile heavy material for the permanent works, and will save a considerable length of roundabout rough haulage on the main road, and will no doubt be taken advantage of by the settlers during next winter. Formation work is also underway on the riverside of the road between the Maori pa at Waipu and Mr Hunt’s farm near Matiere. He.re the work is being done with ploughs and scoops, and, judging from appearances, a few horse,teams and scoops would soon complete, the rough work as far as Niho Niho.

BRICKYARD. After many experiments with clay, whichtproved a failure, attention was given to the papa formation on the opposite side of the river, and, it is said, a good class of brick is now being turned out, which will he used for the lining of the small tunnels, t BRIDGE AT OKAHUKURA. A start has been made with the excavations for the bridge over the Ongarue at the main trunk end; also preparations for the making of concrete piles for the bridge. Big stacks of rails and sleepers for the now line are also here. OKAHU TUNNEL. This is the work that is engaging tiie attention of the public mind at present, as it is looked upon as the key to the whole position, and there is a certain amount of fear that any delay here may hold up the whole business. It is frequently said that little or nothing is being done to put the work forward, but from an authoritative source I learned that after the late contractors’ failure to carry on, it was deemed advisable to timber the whole length of the workings before proceeding any farther. This has boon done, and the approach to the western end of the tunnels are being opened up so that the waggons can run in from the tiphead, and full shifts are now employed at both ends. As the boring proceeds foul air is met with occasionally, but whether the workings can lie better ventilated I am not in a position to say. There still remains a length of 22 chains before the tunnel is pierced, and with ordinary luck it is expected to get through this in about three months.