MANAWATU GORGE BRIDGE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 113, 10 June 1909, Page 3

MANAWATU GORGE BRIDGE.

OPENED BY THE COYERXOK. \ By Telegraph.—Pi'ess Association. : Pataeroton l-^t There wis beautiful \veather for the %nportant ceremony of opening tlie SoTCr Manawatu Gorge bridge by his fixpellency the Governor. lif August. 1895, the former traffic bridge wy fcwept away, since which time the OTiy communication between the East snd West Coasts lias been bv \v!iat is known aa the PaJhiatnta track, over the top of the ranges further south, with severe •grades, anil, intermittently over th:' ferry" at the present bridge, lmt in reJgttd to the ferry, the onice famous gorge road was the greater part of the time tlocfced by slips. The bridge has been Dtfiny yeare in iiurlding, nnd at times 'Mr. Maurice OConTior (contractor) and Mr. H. ,1. Haynev have Mad their plans repeatedly interrupted by floods which have done severe damage to the work. The completed bridge should no.w. in j tlie opinion of Jfr. Haynes, last for n.l ■century. It insists of six spans of 138 fait each, resting, on Jiraced steel cylin>4l3 sunk to a depthi of forty to sixty 4ett in the riveiibed and .rising to the "■decking 30 feet the range of t ,- ~ water level 1 . The roadway is 14ft ~ The contract price was £IB,OOO, i e total cost will be above ,£20,000. ■ Hie' Excellency cut tllie rihbon and declared the bridge opened in the presence of many hundreds of people anil ffreserttatives of alt local bodies from j IMliiatua, Woodville, FeUding, Palmers-. 'on North «nd Asbhurst. He said that! ' - *!p the attention of New Zealanders •v" ■ directed to t>lie larger question of T - «rial defence ;ind' its own share in j 'V the Empire, proper roari- . h-;. uroper railing and proper bridging <rt tire country was the most important s.rhk of the country in preparing the ■way far and settlement war) one <rf t&e first eefsentials of defence. He quotpd figures shewing what the 'Jovemnent was doing in this direction,