The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1885. ENGINEERING BUNGLES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 2038, 10 July 1885, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1885. ENGINEERING BUNGLES.

Tiib completion of the bridge which now spans the Manawatii river at Awapurua, on the Masterton-Woorl-ville road, calls to mind the chain of bungles which were committed by various officers of the Public Works. Department in connection with the erection of the structure. Before the Department undertook the survey of the locality, Mr J. Kino, engineer of the County of. Wairarapa East, took levels in the bed of the river for a mile or two above and below the site which had been chosen, for the purpose 1 of ascertaining the velocity of the current

when the river is flooded. The Government engineers, however, dispensed with this, One of thein saw a heavy, tell come down the Mangatainoke, asked the ferryman whether the water never ran faster when it was that high, and receiving a negative answer, was satisfied. It in necessary to explain that the Manawatu, which has a fall of about thirty feat per mils, is joined three or four chains above the bridge by the comparatively sluggish waters of the Margatainoke, and that the two aro not always in flood at the same time. After all the plaria had been prepared, and the contrast let to Messrs McKenzie A Sons, a heavy fresh came down the Manawatu, and convinced the Engineers that the plans would have, to be altered if the bridge was to stand, and they were altered accordingly, Another fresh took away a portion of the bank oil the southern side of the river, and one Ol the chief officers of the Public Works Department visiting the works at the time, it was immediately, and very pio perly, decided to add three more concrete piers, one of which at least ■ was necessary in any case, if the bridge was to end anywhere but in the current, Af the same time several concrete piers wero substituted for wooden ones. Sc far, the Department was playing fast and loose at the expense of the public, New, however, it came to be the turn of the contractors. The difficulties which surround the sinking of the foundation of cylinders or concrete piers on the shingly beds of rivers are only toe well known. The Public Works Department concluded that Messrs McKenzie & Sons knew nothing ol such .work, and good-naturedly determined to save them a good deal of expense. They compelled them to carry out the sinking in their' own particular way, and by means ol machinery which they instructed them to get; and then, having spent about of the contractors' money in making experiments, found that their plan would not answer. After some further trouble, Messrs McKenzie k Sous wero permitted to follow their own notions on the subject, with the result that after about eighteen months of bungling under Government supervision, they completed the bridge in twelve months. How much they have lost through the oontinual changes, and through the unwarranted interferences of the Public Works Department, we are not in a position to say, The contract was originally let foi übont £14,000, This was increased to about £17,000 when the plans wen altered the first time, and now we learn that the total cost was about £22,000, The greater portion of the difference be tweenthe first and last of these sums undoubtedly represents public money wasted, and if the contractors are as much out of pocket as the Government, tlisn there is every prospect ol further claims being made upon the latter, For miscalculations to an almost incredible extent, and proportionate waste of public money, tin Awapurua Bridge stands unrivalled in the annals of the Public Works Depart ment, Even the immense benefil which it will be to the country cannol altogether gloss over the gross error! which have been committed,