POST LIFTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 July 1938, Page 3

POST LIFTING

SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT IN ESK VALLEY. PORTIONS OF FENCES SAVED. Considerable interest was shown ■in an experiment which has been carried out in the Esk valley to see whether it would be possible to raise the fence posts which have been buried in the silt. It was proved that with a certain machine the posts can be raised, quite simply, but endeavours to raise the buried wires and batons by the same process were not successful.

The machinery involved in the process comprised a truck with a special device which exerts a tremendous lifting power on a chain, the latter being attached to the top of the fence post. The action reminds one rather of the operation of drawing teeth. It was noticeable that in every case the posts came out cleanly, the staple holding the wires having been left in the silt. When the same machinery was attached to the wire, the latter broke under the strain and remained in the ground. The fact that the majority of the fence posts can be saved is encouraging, especially with the price of posts at the present-day level. Much depends, however, on the state of the posts at the time of the flood in making a decision as to whether it is worth having them resurrected for further use.