THE BEAUMONT BRIDGE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 414, 5 December 1874, Page 2

THE BEAUMONT BRIDGE.

Now that the bridge is a. fait accompli a description of it will no doubt be interesting to our readers. The preliminary works were started eighteen months ago, and at that time the contractor had great hopes of completing it within twelve months, but owing to the difficulties encountered in obtaining the necessary timber, the time occupied in its construction was considerably extended. It was at first proposed to get the whole of the timber from the Tapanui Saw Mills, but ultimately it was deemed advisable to get the longer lengths required for the 100 feet spans from the bush on the Molyneux, some seven miles below the site of the bridge. The principal reasons for this were, that in the first place timber of the required description would have been very hard to get in the Tapanui bush, and the conveyance of it to the Beaumont over the ranges would have been a matter of great difficulty, owing to the length of the logs. An immense amount of heavy work had to be done before this timber could be got out of the Molyneux' bush. A road nearly five miles in length had to be made at the contractor's expense, and boats and other appliances for raf ting obtained ' under difficulties which would have deterred many men from carrying out the work. j Black birch was the timber required, and the supplying of it was entrusted to Mr. Buchan, who in his connection with the Tuapeka Saw Mills, had obtained a thorough knowledge of this bush. Trees of the necessary straightnea's of grain, free from knots, and of the required- length and- thickness were very hard to find, and many days were spent in searching through the bush for suitable trees, and when found they were much scattered. The trouble in cutting trackß to get them out after being felled was consider.able,.., and it speaks well for- the per-, peverance of Mr. Buchan in his arduous task, that the timber cut was in every way adaptedfor the contractor's requirements. ' The total length of the bridge v& 464 feet. Ther'e^are six spans altogether, four of 52 and two of 100 feet in length. The long spans are on what is termed the' lattice girder principle, and the shorter ones the ordinary undertrussed girder. The timber used- for the former is black pine, and for the latter black birch. The whole of- the upper structure and the railing are also of the last named serviceable timbey. The -- stone piers are very substantially built, many of the blocks of stonejised weighing nearly three tons, and measuring upwards of a cubic yard. The exterior of the masonry is cemented. The foundation of the piers are on the bed rock. One of these in the stream caused an immense amount of work, owing to the rock at that spot being considerably below even the winter water

level, and it was not until a dam had been built and powerful pumps procured, that the foundation could be reached. Nine tons of iron have been used in the construction of the bridge, and most of the . mechanical work waa done on the spot, where a blacksmith's shop was boilt for the purpose. The quantity of timber used in the bridge is 130,000 feet, and the average number of men employed throughout the work was 20. The wood work has received a coat of tar, with the exception of the railing which is painted white. The total co3t of the bridge is about £7,000. Mr. Simpson C.E. passed the bridge for traffic on Wednesday, after subjecting it to a very severe test. Ten horses were harnessed to a waggon laden with six tons of timber, and these were first taken over the bridge at a walking pace and then at a hard trot, the experiment being repeated until the engineer "was thoroughly satisfied with the stability of the structure. -We understand the engineer gave instructions to have the platform of the bridge planked in the wheel tracks, and gravelled, in between, so as to give a good foothold for hordes. This work has been undertaken by Messrs. Hayes and M'Donald for the sum of £100, and when done will be the finishing stroke of the Beaumont Bridge. The rate of tolls chargeable for crossing will be 50 per cent above the Government rate of tolls on the main roads of the province. To Mr. W. Hayes the thanks of the travelling community are due for the spirited manner in which he has carried out this important work. There are very few individuals in the province who would undertake single handed and successfully carry out a work of such magnitude as the Beaumont Bridge, and we are sure that we are joined in by the community in wishing that the undertaking may be to him a profitable investment. Private enterprise of this kind deserves every encouragement, both from the people and the Government. In the opinion of many people the Executive did Mr. Hayes a great injustice in granting the right to construct a new line of road up the east bank of the Molyneux, without first taking the bridge offhishands. This we should imagine they will do, ere the proposed line of road is opened. Mr. M'Donald, the contractor, also deserves great credit for the workmanlike manner in which he has overcome the many difficulties he met in the construction of so large a work. There are many things in bridge building in a new country for which there is no precedent, and it requires no ordinary mechanical and' engineering skill to meet the exigencies of the many awkward situations in which the bnilder is frequentlyplaced for want of proper material and appliances. Mr. M'Donald had often to submit to a change in his specifications, and put up with other inconveniences only known to contractors fo..* large works in out of the way place?. He has, however, got through his work in a masterly manner, and it must have been no small gratification to him after the hard work and anxiety of months to see the work pass through the ordeal of Government examination with credit and approval.