RIFE RANGE RUINS.
XAftUOW ESCAPE AT YVAIWAKA 1.110. Despite critici-in, and warning, an'l expostulation, the lvewa Rewj. rille range continues to lie, absolutely n'glceted by authorities, and its condition grows worse daily. the loss of a large slice of the range by tin.' erosion of the I W'aiwakaiho stream is .bill a secnnilnry limiticr compared with the disgraceful state of |lie targets and other surroundinus: and as vhes,. latter are evident ly doomed to (lestruction by tlie ravages
of lime I lie re seems 110 likelihood of any action bciii;; taken to ]ivevenl the lalige fro-ii disappearing .lov.il the river. Already one'of the lii-in,™ inoiinds ha- been considerably shortened, portions pf it
having washeii to sen. The fumble-down stale of the butts has been commented on before in these, columns, and the complaint is reviled by the reported narrow escape of a murker during lirinjj practice on Saturday. It appears (lint the neglect of the target's has made them very lninl to work, until now marking is a work for experts trained in this particular touch, —which, by the. way, lias been made bul-let-proof since the revelations made some lime ago. The targets will not readily he hoisted up, nor will they consenl, to be lowered again into the trench, without extraneous assistance; and every now and then trie marker has to climb and pull the jminework until at last the recalcitrant mechanism is once more in working,-order. lie has. of l course, a "danger flag.'' which is hoisted to warn the marksmen that he is not sheltered, and the signal is tantamount to an order to "cease firing." But on tile Hewa liewa range these flags, once red, have fiwled and tliminished until they are almost unvistble from the longer' ranges, the change from brilliant red to a dirty pink being the result of exposure on the top of the hill where a largo ranger tlag should he shown during bring. In other words the trench lliigs are used in other parts of the range, to their detriment. On Satnri day last a marker was engaged in endeavouring to'work a refractory target ; when a report sounded, ami a. ride, linl- . let whissed over his head. Needless to i say, lie came down into the trench in a . bit of a hurry. Tne explanation of ' the rilleman was that he could see ro
danger signal hoisted. But it was there, nevertheless, a dirty, attenuated bit of pink rag thai; was not clearly visible at live hundred ysivils distance. Tin' flagpole on the top of the liill a'; the rear of the. taints—a warning to ]ioo])lo not to approach within the danger zone—is a thins,' of the past, and instead of the 30 feet pole there now stands a stick Inuring a little red rag, not half enough for the purpose. The, whole range froju firing wound to targets and hack to the warning signals, is a picture of neglect, and unless remedied New Plymouth people will soon hear of some sad occurrence at the. range. And when an accident happana, who is going to shoulder the blame?
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Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 18 April 1907, Page 2
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517RIFE RANGE RUINS. Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 18 April 1907, Page 2
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