THE OPENING OF THE RANGITATA TRAFFIC BRIDGE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1096, 24 April 1883, Page 3

THE OPENING OF THE RANGITATA TRAFFIC BRIDGE.

The official opening of the above bridge took place yesterday in the presence of about 60 people, who had assembled there at the invitation of the Ashburton County County Council. The weather was very unfavorable. Rain began to fall shortly fter 9 a.m., and continued without intermission until about 5 o’clock in the even? ing. Doubtless this had the effect of keeping many who had been invited away, and some public men were consp’cuous by their absence. The bridge is between eight and nine miles up the river from the Rangitata station, and passengers were taken to it by Mr John Heney, who ran down a special coach on that occasion, and found to his disappointment that instead of eight or nine passengers, as he expected, he had only a few representatives of newspapers to take. The road between the railway and the brir ge is in & shocking state. It is really disgraceful, and will soon be almost impassable if not looked after. On the centre of the formation coarse gravel has been heaped, and, as it might he as well to run on a riverbed as on this, the traffic goes all on both sides. Owing to disuse thistles have grown on this gravelled crown, and tbe 1 two sides on which the traffic goes con-

sists of boulders, ami ruts a foot deep, that give tlie passengers a fearful shaking notwithstanding that the genial driver does all in hie power to make those who travel with him comfortable, It is simply a shame that a a read which is the main outlet to a railway station for a large district should be in such a state.

At the end of the jeurney is Mr Hinckley’s very comfortable and commodious hotel, al which place the Ashburton contingent, numbering between 30 and 40, bad already arrived. The next step was to inspect the bridge, which is a structure well worth a visit. This bridge lias, in fact, a history. The old part of it was built some eight or nine years ago on iron cylinders, about four feet in diameter and filled with concrete. On the top of these, which aie 60 feet apart, rest iron trusses, and over the trusses are transverse iron beams supporting the decking, This part is 1080 feet long, and cost, together with repaying damages and making protective'works, .£38,000. It stood the test well, but in 1878 a big flood came and swept away 700 feet of the approach to it on the Ashburton side, and it is over this that the new structure has been erected. Subsequently protective works were tried, some large concrete blocks having been used, which people said could never be stirred, but a flood came and swept them all away, taking some of them down as far as the railway bridge, a distance of eight miles. It was then decided to lengthen the bridge, and, instead of the cylinders, iron pi es were brought out from England for it. Mr Higginson, a Government Engineer, came down to superintend the driving of the piles, but the first two of them that it was attempted to drive broke, and he went and reported that they could not be driven, owing to a substratum of boulders existing a little below the surface. The thing hung fire for some time then, until the Government handed over the construction of it to the Ashburton County Council, with the view of that body and the Geraldine County Council constructing it conjointly between them. Difference of opinion as to what should be-done arose between the two Councils, and this retarded its progress considerably. The Geraldine County Council held that unless it was built on cylinders, the same as the old structure, it would never stand, and the Ashburton County Council persisted in driving the iron piles, despite the fact that they bad been condemned by the Government Engineer. Mr E G. Wright, MH-R. and member of the Council, who is an Engineer of considerable ability, stuck to the piles from beginning to end, and in this he was backed up by the County Engineer, Mr Baxter. The Geraldine County Council then declined to have anything to do with it, and the Ashburton Council to whose care it had been commended by the Government determined to carry out the work. Another difficulty which arose was that a good deal of the iron which was to have been used in its construction, was lost in the ship Knowsley Hall, and so fresh castings had to be made in Christchurch, by Mr Anderson. The work of diiving the piles was then carried out successfully by day labor, this plan having been adopted in preference to letting by contract, so as to avoid the danger of the piles being broken by anyone whose principal object, of course, would be to get through the job as quickly as* possible. In September last year all the piles were driven successfully, and the contract for the super-structure was let to Mr McCombe, of Dunedin, who afterwards transfered it to Messrs McCallira and Co, of Oamaru, who finished the work. The length of the new part is 728 ft, and consists of 18 piers of four piles each The piers »re 40 feet apart, and tbe end of the bridge is resting on a concrete abutment of a substantial looking character. The piles are of solid iron six inches in diameter, and are driven down into the bed of the river to a depth of between 30ft and 35ft. On the top of these are caps braced tightly together by bolts on which rest an iron bark beam about 2ft square, This beam is called a capsill and runs across the bridge, on the four piles which constitute the pier. On tbe top of this is a corbell on which rest trusses bound together by iron rods of from one to three inches in diameter. On this rests transverse beams to which the decking is nailed, and this completes the whole structure. The corbells and trusses are all of Auckland blue birch, With its insignificant little piles of 6 inches in diameter, and the very heavy superstructure which theysHpport. it presents l the appearance of a very frail arrangement indeed. But the piles are of solid iron and are driven into the ground with a view to strength. They have one advantage over the cylinders. They offer no resistance to the flow of the water, and consequently there is scarcely any danger of a scour. Over 10,000 sheep have passed over the bridge, and to test it they were blocked together on the new piece but it had no effect upon it. Yesterday every one was delighted with it, and its opponents had to admit it was a success It cost altogether £6BOO, and it is estimated that it would have cost just as much more if the cylinder plan had been adopted, so the. Ashburton County Council claims to have saved between £6OOO and £7OO through having adopted I tbe piles.

Yesterday, the place where ihe two structures join was decorated with flags, and shortly after 12 o’clock noon, while thick drizzling rain was falling, Mr W. C. Walker, Cha'rman of the Ashburton County Council, said that, on behalf of both Counties, he would declare the bridge opened. (Cheers) He did not think the present moment opportune to make a speech, but asked them all to join 'n the good action, as it could not fail to be a benefit to them. He would now call upon Mr Tripp, Chairman of the Geraldine County Council, to join with him in opening the bridge. Mr Tripp said it was a source of great pleasure to him to bo p.esent at the opening o£ the bridge. He felt glud it had been a success despite that it had been condemned by the Engineers, and he could net help expressing hia admiration of the English pluck of the Ashburton County Council in carrying it out so successfully. (Great cheering)

Mr Walker then called for three cheers for the Engineer, which was responded to. Mr Tripp called for throe cheer* for the members of Parliament present— Messrs Wright and Ivess—and was sorry to notice that no member from his own side of the river was present, (Cheers.) Mr Wright briefly acknowledged the compliment, and after a sketch of the scene bad been taken bya photographer, an adjournment was made to the hotel. At about one o’clock about 60 guests sat down to an excellent cold dinner in Mr Hinckley’s Hotel. The provisions made realiy surprised everybody, It is not every hotel in such a remote country district could seat 60 men to dinner, but here there was more than sufficient room for them, andmore than enough for as many more of the best things that could bo expected on the tables. In fact it is very seldom one could meet with such good cooking on occasions of ihe kind, and we congratulate Mr Hinckley on his efforts. The hotel wai also very tastefully decorated with ferns, etc, Mr W, 0. Walker occupied ihe chair, and on his left were Messrs Talbot and McKerrow. The two vice-chairs were occupied by Messrs E. G- Wright and Carter, of Ashburton, After the good things were disposed of, the Chairman proposed ‘ The Queen and Royal Family,’ which was duly honored. He next proposed ‘ His Excellency the Governor ’ and the two ‘ Houses of Parliament,’ coupled with the names of Messrs Wright and Ivess. He was sorry there was no member south of the river present, as he should be glad to compare the southern speciea with the nor. hern variety.

Mr Wright in responding said they ought to congratulate themaeles on having so experienced a gentleman as their present Governor to represent Her Majesty in the colony. The members of Parliament, so far as his experience went, were typical of the colonists, hardworking and desirous of doing what they thought best for the whole. (Cheers). Mr Ivess said the present was not an occasion for making a political speech, and thanked them for the toast.

Mr Wright next proposed ‘ Success to the Rangitfta Bridge,’ (Cheers.) He hoped that on the present occasion they would forget all differences, and look upon the success which h«d crowned their efforts. The Ashburton County Council hac been somewhat pertinacious and carried it through in opposition to the wishes of the Geraldine County Council but he credited with haring worked with the heit intention?. (Cheers) - and with as small an expenditure as possible. They pre ferred keeping the money for the purposes of irrigation or some useful work than to expend it uselessly on the bridge. (Hear, bear) The Chairman of the Gerfcldjns County Council had on that day very gracefully acknowledged that be was satisfied with it, and that it was a structure of a substantial character. He hoped therefore that they weuld bury the hatchet, and when called upon to pay half its costs they would do with equally good grace. He coupled Mr Tripps name with the toast Mr Tripp expressed the great pleasure he felt m being present. He had been one of i;s strongest opponents but be had good reasons for it. ft had been condemned by Government engineers, and he could not go beyond that. (Hear, hear.) He believed that the Ashburton men would yet sayqhey were right. He would, however, give them piles which the Government coaid pot drive (Laughter! - and only that the able Engineer they could not have done so successfully. (Cheers). He believed a little more would have to be done to the approaches yet. and that some protective work would be necessary. He thought Government ought to give them something towards it, and suggested that an effort should be made to get something under the Roads and Bridges Construction Aoo of Inst session.

The toasts of ‘ The Ashburton and Geraldine Councils,’ ‘The Road Boards’ within both Counties, coupled with the. names of of Messrs Talbot, Dennistoun and Jackson (Mount Hutt) ; the bealtn of ‘ The Engineer’ Mr Baxter, and * The Press ’ were-lhen duly honored, and proceedings came to a close. A report of the speeches will appear in our next issue.