THE SWAMP ROAD TO HAMILTON

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2900, 14 February 1891, Page 2

THE SWAMP ROAD TO HAMILTON

[oL'i; WUATAWI! ATA r!)!;K!:sl'0\! >KNl']. Till-; above line of road, which not, only connects Whatawli ita with Hamilton, but 1.1,0 Raglan and \Ve»t Coast districts with the Waikatn railway and mail service, has recently come in for a considerable nhiiro of attention. Not long since, it was almost impassable, and a general fear is expressed by the travelling public that uule-is prompt steps are. taken by the respossible authorities (the Waina County Council) this important road will to? closed for tratlic at the fbst aporoacli of winter. Ouit" recently the, councillor for i\ewcaslie, accompanied by the comr,y engineer, went over the road, with the view to seems what could be done to improve, it, and as this has been the most expensive work over undertaken in the Newcastle, district, both to construct and maintain, a leuparticulars ri.-pfaruing U* 1 >:■«• -•>.ut state will be of interest to ratepayers. Coming from the Hamilton end, the lirst piece of swamp road reached, is called the 11 chain swamp. This crosses Lin: lii«hi:->t arm of the Rr.ru*. Twamp known as Koxali's, yet, curiously when a drain was cut from the Y-rMi out into Lhe main swamp, tlio fall was lost, and in place of this, deep drains liad to bo cut alongside the road, iu one place quite feet deep, through hard ground, so as to cmniect with Liie next arm crossed, i Ins is known as the 10 chain swamp, troni here a splendid outfall drain was recently cut io>some. .">0 chains in length, down to the, bush, at a cost of f 10. Having explained the system of drainage, f may add that the diUiculty met with in the I I chain sw.imp, is that the made road is steadily sinking, and to keep the water, which is now almost awash with it, from rising over the road, the side drains mu-t he deepened for a long distance, including that portion which, as I have said is already 20 feet deep, as much vegetation has'grown up and fouled the side diaiu.-, , and to clear this out should be the lirst object. The -10 chain swamp road has b:>'ii wonderfully improved by the outfall alluded to and the recent opening out of the side drain by Mr Mawbinney. Nearer Wlmtawlnti, and between Watehorn's and the clay cutting, is another 15 chains of swamp road, the crown of which is in places not nioiu than six inches tho wator. l.hei'Ma tolerably good outfall dram, made many years ago, I believe bv Knv-w 1 Foxall, but whi'.'ii like, tin; side drams is fuli .>f vegetation ->n<l .iebr;.-, but it is hoped that by op-e,in- the outlet for some, distance and cleorm: IV -He drams, the water will be x-Hiici-ntK- tevu-I tn give the road a fair chance oi o;g payable lor traffic during tin: v. sn<e>-. Im; fnlnin of this swamp l'oad to Hanoi on is _uch as to give the roji'iiil and the I'ublic much con-ern. 'L'i.o swamp =* Composed ~i peat, aud U." remains -if former boosts, and as it, lieroui '- drained, lhe formed road gradually miiks, thus losiuc Ihe fall lor the water. I pan one point however, there can 110 question, this is the immense benefit the road dunnage is conferring upon the swamplands adjoining, where only a lew years agn, was water and rushes, and after a, lire, great wastes of ashes, is now covered with rich crass and clover, audit would only seem fair, if the owner* "f these swamp properties, which hive been so greatly improved by the public expenditure in drainage, were called upon to give some assistaiiee. A few have already done so. Mr J. ]>. V/hyte gave ,tlo towards the outfall drain, Mr Mawhinnev has cleared the side drains for a long distance for a trifle ; and promised to keep them in order, if the other portions are attended to. I! is a matter m which a little public spirit might well be shown bv the swamp owneis. for there is little reason to doubt, that in a few years the vast area crener.illy known as Foxnll s swamp, will have risen in value, by a larger am,unit, than has been spent on the road works altogether.