23 Miles of Drains

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 47, 25 February 1939, Page 5

23 Miles of Drains

Apart from the construction of the very large hangars to accommodate the 15 medium bombers which will form the first instalment of the fighting power of the new air force base at Ohakea there are a number of subsidiary tasks that will take a considerable amount of time and effort on the part of those to whom they are entrusted. One of these is the draining of the flying field of 490 acres, which will permit runways of 1000 yards in all directions and one of 1500 yards if a diagonal take-off is used. In the handling of large multi-engined machines such facilities are most desirable but there is another side to the question and that is the provision of adequate drains to ensure that the surface will be free from water in all conditions. An elaborate system of drains has been designed and there will be 23 miles of them altogether ranging in diameter from 4in. to 21 in. This cannot be commenced until the field has been levelled and this will be a few more months. A mechanical Barber-Greene ditcher is on the ground to cope with this mammoth task and provided no -xtraordinary conditions are met it will make light work of the job. This amazing implement is capable of digging a trench varying in width from 12in. to 24in. up to a depth of Sft. Sin. at the rate of half a mile a day or the whole 23 miles in less than a month. Open drains will be placed around tho boundaries and the depth of these will range from 4ft. to 12ft. in some localities.