WAIKATO RAILWAY EXTENSION.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 400, 5 December 1874, Page 2

WAIKATO RAILWAY EXTENSION.

Knowing the great interest felt in the progress of the railway which is now being pushed ahead through our district we, from time to time, endeavour to let the public see what is being done. Since we last "wrote on the subject, a very sensible addition has been made to the works, all along the line from Mercer right into the Delta. Messrs Briton and Martin are pushing ahead with their heavy cuttings and embankments along the road and through the Whangamarino swamp, and have a large number of men at work. Besides this tenmile contract, these gentlemen have also a large number of the bridges on the line to construct, for which they are busy obtaining great quantities of titnbei- ; they have ma.de a stait already between Taupiri and Ngaraawahia, where one of the bridges is partly up and will soon be completed. At Rangiriri, the heavy cuttings at the back of the lake iiic being worked with "dobbins" by a portion of No. 1 Company of the E.V.M., and here also a good show is being made. It was in one of these | cottings that a man had his log broken a short time i since through the slipping away of a fall of dirt, this being the first serious accident which has happened on the Volunteer Militia works. At Toles Hill another party of the same coin}! my are at work, | and will be there for some time, that portion of the work being some of the hoa\ iest between Rangiriri and Ngaruawahia. From Toles Hill up to Taupiri Gorge the line has been formed partly by No. 2 and partly by No. 3 Company. At Taupiri, No. 1 ! Company are still at work in the heavy clay and i rock cuttings, and have several months employment yet before them. Here also preparations have been made for working the ballast quarry which is to supply the metal for the line for many miles on both sides of T.u-.piri. We understand that extensive workshops will be erected here for the line, and a wharf is to be built, for which the contract has, we believe, been let. Besides the formation of the line, we notice also that several new stretches of road have been made by the navvies at Armitage'sfarin, near the coal mines, — and again iat the entrance to Taupiri Gorge, which latter portion has been laid down with metal from the quarry. Between Taupiri and Ngaruawahia some outfall drains, for draining the line, are being put in ; and, at the bush, a number of men are employed on the line forming it up. This is a heavy portion of the work, and also an expensive one, the bush being pretty wet throughout. "We observe also in the bush a saw-pit, where some men of -the force are employed in sawing whatever timber is required on the works, or for building stables, etc. Coming across the river into tie Delta, we come on to No. 3 Company's works, which commence right in the township of Newcastle. We notice that the station ground is being formed, it having been drained by means of a large out-fall drain, and the line has been finished up as far as the swamp at 2 miles and a-half from the rivei", which swamp is now in process of being drained provious to forming the line through it. This will be done far sooner and more easily than might at first be imagined, i the largo out-fall drain, acting very well, and the water comes away very rapidly when once tapped. Another large encampment of the company we found beyond Mr Hall's farm, at between four and live miles along the railway line, and here also a large amount of work has been done up towards the large swamps which lie ahoad. We hear also that in a

short time a party will proceed as far up as eight miles, for the purposo of draining some of the swampy land in that direction, so that it will be seen that the line is nnaking rapid strides inland, and if nothing unforseen intervenes we fancy that the line ought to be finished from Ngaruawahia to Ohaupo at least as soon as it is ready between the former place and Mercer. From the above remarks it will be seen that no time has been lost on the Waikato Extension between Mercer and Ohaupo since the Government first started the work with the "Armed Navvies" in Januaiy last j and that these latter have done their work satisfactorily and far better than the general public ever expected, we feel sure all will acknowledge who wish to go and see for themselves what really has been done. It is now only two months since some 50 odd -men started on the south side of the river, and already they ai*e getting well on towards Hamilton. The line throughout has been a cheap one, and will undoubtedly be a paying one when opened for traffic, for which consumation we feel sure all Waikato settlers devoutly hope. We omitted to state that Mr Taylor, the contractor for the bridge over the Horotiu, is making preparations for a start, and his men will shortly be in full swing at the work. When he gets through with it, we suppose the Hamilton folks will receive the great boon of the Newcastle punt, so generously promised by the Minister of Public Works.