STRATFORD DISTRICT PAGE

Taranaki Daily News, 19 November 1926, Page 8

STRATFORD DISTRICT PAGE

Telephone Nos. 152 Office 218 Private

(FROM OUR RESIDENT REPORTERS)

Telephone Nos. 152 Office 218 Private

IMPORTANT DEV LOPMENTS EXCURSION VISITS WORKS. A DAY AT TANGARAKAU. The triumph of man over the rugged, barriers seemingly set up by Nature as a protest against the devastation of her beauties and a bar to progress, was demonstrated in an ideal manner to over 100 business and professional men, with a sprinkling of ladies, from Stratford, yesterday, when, under the auspices of the Stratford. Chamber of Commerce and the Stratford. Progress League, an excursion was made over the Public Works construction operations extending from the Tangarakau camp onwards. As a result of the trip, it is safe to say that the excursionists gained a very clear impression of the magnitude of the work and the difficulties to be overcome. They also enjoyed, a thoroughly interesting day ’mid Nature’s beauties, and, though the stiff grades- and rough climbs required, unaccustomed exertion, they all returned well satisfied with the visit and full of praise for the courteous hospitality extended. by the Public Works officers and men of the camp. The day was beau, tifully fine. The special train drew out of Stratford. shortly after the scheduled time and made good progress to jlie foot of the Whaugamomona Saddle, where a halt was made to enable a portion of the scenic reserve to be viewed. This reserve, of some 2000 acres, includes the whole of the Whangamomona Saddle, where the scenery is unsurpassed and where many beautiful picnic spots exist only awaiting exploitation. The excursionists were also interested in the great metal-depots indicating early completion of the metalling of the remaining west side of the saddle. Further along the route, the windows were eagerly lined to catch glimpses of the havoc caused in the big cloud burst of over two years ago. LUNCH AT THE CAMP. Arrived at Tahora the comfort of pad. ded chairs was forsaken for the bare accommodation of the Public Works tramway in the four miles’ run down the valley of the Rakahua Stream to the camp at Tangamkau Flats. The engineers had done their utmost for the comfort of the travellers on this section and had provided one old-fashioued carriage and a truck equipped with scats ar covered by a tarpaulin to keep off the cinders flung from the hard-work-ing engines. At the camp, an adjourn, ment was at once made to the large dining hall, where tea, sugar and. milk were provided, the excursionists bringing their own lunch. After refreshment, Mr, J. B. Richards, president of the chamber, extended the thanks of the party to Mr. T. M. Ball (district engineer) and his officers for the way they had been received, lie also acknowledged the excellent service which the Railway Department had placed at their disposal and expressed the hope that the excursion that day would be the forerunner of many others. He hoped the “powers that be” would regard the record response to the invitation as an earnest of the keen interest taken by the Stratford people in the progress of the line, and their realisation of the importance of completing the trunk line to the Auckland province. In reply, Sir. Ball said he hoped the trip would prove an enjoyable one and one that their enterprise would be well repaid by the works they would see in progress. He then outlined the proposed programme for the afternoon, and thanked the excursionists for their kindly thought for the children. Conducted by Mr. Ball and Mr. A. Aunand (resident engineer), and Foreman Cherry, the party crossed the traffic bridge over the Tangarakau River and visited the big power house, where immense boilers generate steam to provide light for the camp, power for the motors, and compressec. air for the drills. The power house is substantially built and conveniently located. In all, the two dynamos generate 245 kilowatts of direct current, which is used for a hun-

dred purposes in the camp and on the job. Across the switch line is situated the workshop, and here the party were greatly interested to inspect two of the big electric locomotives of 100 h.p. each. These powerful machines are driven from power supplied by overhead cables, but carry a coil of extension which capable of being paid out as the locomotive moves forward, and so carry the machine 30 feet beyond wherever the wires may end. “These machines,” said Mr. Ball, “should be in use soon after Christmas.” From a vantage point near the workshop a splendid panorama was obtained of the camp. From it came the busy hum of the largo timber mill, cutting up huge logs and sawing out planks and sleepers. There are dozens of workers cottages, the single men set apart from the married, but each has- electric light installed and a water service, drawn from a spring on the hills above, convenient to its door. Shops, halls end storehouses occupy the further end of the camp. The Education Board has established a suitable school under Mr. Fairbrother, where 120 pupils attend, and the Post and Telegraph Department a post office where the volume of business requires the services of a postmaster and an assistant. There is also a cotfage hospital nearing completion, where Nurse Bursk renders first aid attention to any who may become sick or injured. AT THE FIRST TUNNEL. It is a matter of only a few hundred yards from the power house to the entrance of the first tunnel, and here the excursionists were treated to the reality of work in progress by the deafening explosion of eight charges laid against the face of the tunnel. Already the approach has been faced, up with concrete and concrete finish also extends for, perhaps, a chain and a-half. The tunnel is now driven about two chains and the men are working 24 hours a day in three shifts. They are making good progress with the aid of fan ventilation, compressed air drills, electric light and explosives. Owing to the tunnel being filled with smoke from the blasting, the party continued along a slab pathway past the start of the jigg line and wound for over half a mile round the head of the gully by a circuitous though beautiful track (slabbed all the way) to the head of the ridge pierced by the first tunnel. . Along this track, botanists of the party took keen delight in pointing out the numerous native trees, ferns and shrubs passed en route, and many enthusiasts collected specimens for transplantation at home. Branching off a couple of chains from the summit, the engineers had provided a track to a look-out station where a magnificent view of the surrounding mountainous bush-clad country was available. From this vantage point the party were able to view the progress of the works beyond the first tunnel (30 chains in length), and trace the line over the deep filling and equally deep cutting on to the approach of the second tunnel (three-quarters of a mile in length). They could see the line of this tunnel and catch glimpses of the roadway now being built to act instead of a jigg line over the second ridge. On this roadway it is the intention of the engineers to'use caterpillar tractors, and so expedite the transportation of goods and material to the advance camps further on. THE OTHER END OF THE TUNNEL. With one eye on his watch and. the other on the extent of the works yet to be traversed, the wiry engineer soon hastened the party onwards. Some elected to continue along the slab track wind, ing in gradual descent to the foot of the jigg line, some strolled back the way they had come, but others followed the engineer along the top of the ridge, 1300 feet above sea level, to the powerful electric winding station for raising and lowering specially built trucks up the steep jigg line, which in places lies at a grade of one in IJ. An Ingenious device is affixed, to the bottom of each truck to guide the rope into specially constructed check pulleys necessitated by the curves in the line.

Down this precipitous track, sliding and slipping between the well-greased

rails, the party descended to the level, and, crossing a short trestle bridge, curved round to the other end of the first tunnel. Here it was possible to stand on the edge of what will ultimately be a 120-feet-deep filling and gaze across at the workers engaged in the great cutting beyond. It is the spoil from this cutting that is being used for the filling, but a trestlework span, reach, ing a-quartcr of the way up, has been necessitated in order to facilitate the dumping of the trucks. The natural effect of filling this steep gully will be to bank up the water in the bottom and so a diversion tunnel some four or five chains in length is being driven to by-pass the stream. This tunnel is at present more than half completed. END OF AN ENJOYABLE DAY. Time would not permit even the more enterprising from proceeding further afield than the diversion tunnel and canvas camp in the vicinity. And so they faced the gruelling task of roclimbing the jigg and descending to the nearer end of the first tunnel; but first the engineer explained that, beyond the second tunnel lay two more tunnels of 60 and 40 chains in length respectively, and several other smaller ones. He also described the location and work of the advance camps scattered along the line of survey and the manner in which the whole work would ultimately be linked up. For the balance of their stay In the camp the excursionists wandered about inspecting interesting features until called to afternoon tea. The train drew out soon after 3.30 p.m. and the party arrived back in Stratford tired but happy about 6 in the evening. There can be no doubt that the excursion was a great success and the originators of the scheme are to be congratulated upon the completeness of the preparations, and the smooth organisation under which so many sightseers were enabled to view an extensive work. GENERAL ITEMS. The excursionists from Stratford who visited the Public Works Camp at Taugarakau yesterday were a merry lot and a few enterprising spirits determined to impart at least a portion of their pleasure to the children of the camp. Armed with tins of sweets and other delicacies they organised the children and instituted an impromptu sports meeting, in which the children joined with hearty appreciation. For over half an hour the camp rang with shrieks of merriment and it will be long before those isolated children forget the Stratford excursion. While at the Public Works camp at Tangarakau, in company with the 114 ladies and gentlemen constituting the excursion party from Stratford, Mr. A. H. R. Amess, director of the Stratford Technical High School, paid a visit to the Tangarakau School recently opened by the Taranaki Education Board, and housing 120 children under Mr. Fairbrother. He addressed the pupils on the advisability of -tarrying their educational studies further than the primary standards, and urged the older children to give serious consideration to this important matter. Mr. Amessv reviewed, the advantages of secondary education as provided at’ the Stratford Technical High School. Afterwards he was informed that there was every possibility of quite, a number of sixth standard pupils gaining their proficiencies and following on their studies at the higher school next year. Cameras were snapping freely at Tangarakau yesterday, and it was only natural that several of these instruments should have been levelled at a Well-known, portly gentleman as he lowered his ample person step by painful step down the steep jigg line. The gentleman in question is more familiarly known by the hair-raising stories he loves to tell from the security of his own well stocked place of business. After his experiences of yesterday his perfectly true tales should contain a breathlessly exciting element that should be decidedly refreshing to hie numerous customers, especially to those who were able to witness his predicament when a loose stone caused him to slip on the steepest part of the descent.