The Waterworks.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 203, 31 August 1904, Page 4

The Waterworks.

o . | VISIT TO THE NEW SITE. I A quarter to nine o'clock on last ( Tuesday morning. Sky overcast, weather doubtful. Mr E. Harvey Gibbon, as the borough engineer, , set out on his usual bi-weekly visit to the waler aupply works :it Ma- j ngorei. Not in solemn lonely state this time, but, .accompanied by Mr Penn, editor of the Taranaki Herald, Mr Staples, from the Taranaki DailyNews, and Mr Ward, the engineer'* right hand man. Mr Gibbon held the ribbons, and the party drove 1 on thiough the crisp morning air out of the town which was just preparing for the bustle of the day's business. Bowling along the Avenue Hood a gang of mem same into j \iew, and as we drew near the! overseer or boss approached the carriage with respectful mien, and; reported the state of affairs. Things; were going on very satisfactorily in j laying the pipes, except that a| whistling workman had objected to, the restraint of the overseer, who! had asked him to work without whistling when in the trenches. I "That's where we were taking the, pipes," said Mr Gibbon, as the descent of the Henui Hill commenc-j ed, " but Mr Saxton had objections to the line crossing his property." j pointing to the iron plate that' an air va..-," he explain.! Ed about half a mile further on, and | showed it ■on the side of thej road. "Two grades, an up grade,! and a down grade meet here, and at I its highest point, where the air would naturally collect, an escape has to | oe> provided, otherwise it would! •block.Uie flow of water." I The next stoppage was at thej neservcJir site. Here were seen the castings for the filters, lying in the open-air; rusting, or to use a technical term, showing signs of oxidation. Strewn over the hillside with these huge castings are casks con- j taming / quartz and smaller fittings, the quartz being imported from Eng-. land, as though none were available in the colonies. Such fore-, sight ! Here was the site for the filter-beds, newn from the side oil

the hill, soon to carry 65 tons of concrete and fittings. From here to t!ie reservoir is) but a few yards, and here is a scene of great activity. Two ploughing teams at work i looaaalog the earth, and two horse I scoops taking away the spoil, making ready; for the further excavation of the reservoir, which is to accommodate upwards of two million gallons of water. Farther away Is a carpenter constructing trolleys for. the tramway, the rails for which are lying alongside the vertical steam- engine, to bo used probably in concrete mixing. Messrs Pikett and Spencer are making good pro-| greas with this work. Pipes arc already laid to the boundary of this section. Driving on, the Meeting of the Waters comes into view, the most ideal of picnicking grounds-, with its wealth of, native flora religiously preserved by the Board of School Commissioners. Here are the sites of two of i the pipe-bridges, the noncompletjon of which, owing to a mistake in fixing the levels, is somewhat hindering the pipe-laying staff. These, paid a few small gaps along the route, are the only breaks In the system at present, and the whole of the pipes should, be laid in a short time now.

Leaving the horse and waggonette! at the Mangorei Da'iry Factory, a tortuous ascent of the bank by the borough council's road commences, the roadway itself being unspeakably impassable, and a slight indication of what must be the condition of the olay roads in the backblocks at this time of the year. Arrived at the lower portion of the! works, each of the party assumes' gum-boots and an oilskin coat, the engineer himself donning also a Bou'-wester, which gives hiin a Cru-soe-like appearance ; and thus attired the tunnel is entered. Lantern or candle In hand, the ascent commences—yet, there is not much ascending ett : i«-, lor the total fall in the Bixty chains is but eighteen Inches. The first portion gives wisy walking, the floors, walls, and roof being concrcte-linod. About six inches of water lie in the bottom of the tunnel, held there by small dams, "to keep the Sunday visitors out," says Mr Gibbon. Only a few chains of this, however, and kneedeep the wading continues until the slide-drive is reached, eighteen chains from the opening. A few minutes in the open air, in an upright position, are relished, as the continual stooping in a dork, damp tunned fur even a few minutes has had its effect. Then back again into the bowels Of the earth, splash ! splash ! along a. veritable sludge-channel. " Look out," but the guide's wanting comes too late, and one of the party brings his head into sudden contact with a projecting boulder. "Now we are under the swamp," says the engineer, as streams of water trickle from the roof of this elongated cavern. Here is rotten ground indeed. All will have to be lined with concrete, though the original specifications provided for concrete roofing only in parts, and about six hundred feet extra will have to be paid (or. Great boulders have had to be removed in order to cut a way in many places, and all along con be seea; a sandy,, sugary soid that fltikes and crumbles away immediately it is exposed to the" air. Hero and there are points of interest in the noto-al formation. •■' This is where they met," says Mr Gibbon, and we stop to wonder at the method used, by which the tunnels from either end are made to meet just as though it were one continuous work. Away ahead can be seen gileams of daylight from the manhole on the bank of the Mangamahoe stream, and that small starlike speck ol light far behind is the entrance by which we oame. Splash, splash, again for a few minutes, past the workmen, who doubtless wonder that curiosity should bring men down into a place where their work is so unpleasant, until at last the manhole is reached, and climbing Jacob's ladder, terra firma and the light of day are reached once more. We had traversed about three-quar-ters of a mile underground in threequarters of an hour. We are now on ' the bank of the Mangamahoc, which has for the nonce been imprisoned in a wooden flume in order that the tunnel from the intake

at the Waiwakaiho, only a few chains aistant, ca., be safely conducted beneath its lied. The next point of interest hi the intake itself. A huge mass of concrete flanks the main gale, the closing of which will meun in the future! the stoppage of the .supply to the' reservoirs. The intake is' in a bund 1 of the river, and will allow a (low of four feet of water when the river runs at its normal level. Hav-: irag now concluded the inspection,' the party enjoy a few minuted in the sunshine, the day having by this time become beautifully 1 clear. Presently another party heaves in sight. The new arrivals are Councillors Brooking, Browne, and Woods, and -Air Newton, manager of the Stratford Electric Light and Supply Company's works. After a fciv minutes-' conversation boots and gum-boots, overcoats and oilskins are exchanged, and Mr Gibbon again enters the tunnel, this, time piloting Or. Browne and Mr' Newton through the subterranean passage. The walk back to the pipe-head is full of interest, the road passing through some pretty scenery, and revealing a spot that must become very popular as a picnic ground. Beautiful pungas, drooping vines, tall pines, sparkling streams, and pretty waterfalls, are heaped together as through nature, after tinishing off the rest of the Earth, j had a few odds and ends left, and | jumbled them down in lovely pro- | fusion. Not so the road, however

which is axle-deep in mud at this season of the year. Arrived at the plperhead, a wait is made for the arrival of the underground explorers, and a general laugh is raised as these make thw: appearance, bit by bit, having crawt j ed through the 21-inch pipe that will lead the water over the cliff, to supply power for the electric light system. This, in turn, is visited, and then the party assembles on the roadside and a recherche lunch receives its due share of attention, then home I Town was reached about half-past two, the whole party acknowledging that they had spent a most edifying and enjoyable day.