THAMES RAILWAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 299, 19 December 1898, Page 5

THAMES RAILWAY.

THE OFFICIAL OPENING

-' THROUGH TRAIN FROM

AUCKLAND,

(By - Telegraph—Own Correspondent.)

THAMES,, this day,

To-day is a, high holiday at Thames, 1 the opening of the Thames-Auckland railway being made the occasion of suspension of ordinary business. It rained heavily last night, but the weather cleared this morning. The first passenger train that has yet run from Auckland to Thames arrived here yesterday evening, being a special train conveying the Hon. A. J. Cadman, Minister of Railways, and party in connection with to-day's ceremony for the formal opening of the Thames railway. The arrival of the train was a great event in the history of the Thames,, and a large crowd assembled to witness its arrival at Grahamstown station. THE SPECIAL TRAIN. . The special train left Auckland at 8 o'clock on Sunday morning, those on board being the Hon. A. .1. Cadman, Hon- W. McCullough, M.L.C, J. J. Holland, M.H.R., and the Misses Holland, Messrs H A. Gordon, T. ,A. Dunlop, J. H. Harrison, P. Dignan, and A. V. Mac Donald, of the Railway Department, and others. A stay of two hours was made at Te Aroha,, where the party visited the Domain and inspected the baths. Thames was reached at G. 30 p.m., where a number of prominent residents, including Mr McGowan, M.H.R., met Mr Cadman. Mr A. Grant, District Traffic Manager, has been here for the last day or two making- arrangements for the opening. Mr Viekerman, District Engineer under the Public Works Department, under whose general supervision the work has been carried on, is also here. The train which arrived from Auckland was a very large one, including two engines and a large number of carriages and trucks being brought up, some to run on the Thames-Te Aroha line and the rest for special excursions, which were run on the line to-day. The District Manager had made arrangements for the presence of sufficient rolling stock to transport the whole population of Thames in two lifts. ! DESCRIPTION OF THE LINE. The following- is a description of the line and its history: The Thames-Wal-kato railway line was "first commenced in IS7S, the first sod being turned on December 21 of that year by Sir George Grey, so that the work has extended over twenty years. Survey of this line from Thames up the valley of the Waihou was begun at the goods wharf, Grahamstown. The line is 19 miles 23 Cjhains long- from Thames to Paeroa, 32 miles to Te Aroha. 1-17 to Auckland. Mi: D. M. Beere was the surveyor who'originally laid out the route and did the reclamations. At the present terminus here two station yards, Grahamstown and Shortland. were formed. The line was formed out as far as Kopu, but there work was stopped for several years. In. ISB3 rails were laid as far as Kopu. In ISSG a contract was let. to Larkins and O'Brien for the formation of the line to Mikutaia, and formation in sectiopß. was let in the following year as-far as Ohinemuri. but after passing through three contractors' hands was not finished. In 1891 Mr Seddon, as Minister of Public Works, introduced the co-operative system, and since then the work of completing, the line to Te Aroha has steadily progressed. The line from Paeroa to Te Aroha —thirteen mileswas formed right through and opened in 1895. In 1897 work was started with the remaining portion between Thames and Paeroa, and the Premier has now fulfilled a promise made at the Thames in the middle of 1897 that by Christmas of 1898 an engine would rim through to Grahamstown. Not only this, but a big train has run through by the specified time. All this last section has been done by cooperative labour, with every satisfaction, under the assistant engineer, Mr ,7. S. Stewart, and the overseer. Mr K. Shaw, who have had generally about 100 men under them. There are a number of bridges of various spans built, of iron bark timber specially tfffported for the purpose. Station buildings are in course of erection or completion at Thames, Shortland, Parawai. Kopu, Mutatoki, Puriri. Omahu, Hikulaia and Komafa. All of fhe.se between Thames and Paeroa will be flag stations. The line throughout is generally level and runs practically straight- except where it goes through Shortland, where, to avoid wharves, etc., two reverse six chain curves have been put in. The only rise in bank of account is at Exhrenfried's cutting, Puriri. Hard stone bullasf has been obtained from Omahu quarry. It is a great relief after experiencing the dusty, light ballast used on the Waikato line. Throughout its length from Paeroa to Thames the line passes through good country. The railway will no doubt g-ive close settlement considerable impetus. WAIKATO COAL. The railway authorities reckon one result of the extension of the line to Thames will be that 15,000 or 20,000 tons of Waikato coal will go to the 'Thames by rail annually, in place of coal, from' other localities. Of this quantity ten thousand tons will be yearly used for the mines. Produce from the Waikato is also expected to be an important item. THE OPENING CEREMONY. ~~ The formal opening of the railway took place at noon at _he Grahamstown station and was attended by several thousand people. It was in. every way successful." The weather was "beautiful. The Wakatere arrived from Auckland at eleven o'clock with a considerable number of'visitors, including some." old Thames residents. Two excursion trains were sent away to Paeroa early in the morning—the firsts excursion trains ever run from the Thames—returning at about noon, at which hour the station and approaches were thronged. The buildings were decorated with flags. Shortly • before twelve o'clock the Thames Naval Volunteers and Hauraki Rifle Volunteers, numbering about one hundred men, under Lieut-Comman-der Potts and Captain Harper, marched to the station, headed by the Thames Naval Band, playing lively airs. Captain ,T. Grant, District Adjutant, accompanied the Volunteers, who were drawn up on the railway line. Punctually at noon the engine drawing- the return train from Paeroa made its' appearance at Grahamstown. As it steamed up to the station it cut a ribbon held across the line by Mrs Dunlop, wife of Mr T. A. Dunlop, Chairman of the Thames County Conn'cil, and Miss Bella, Scott, sister of the Mayor of the Borough.

The arrival of the train was the signal for loud cheers.

The Hon. A. J. Cadir/an was warmly received, and he made the openingspeech. He said the Auckland-Thames railway was commenced there twenty years ago. He had now pleasure in declaring it completed. Railway construction in New Zealand was proverbially slow, but they had broken the record in that respect, i'or this section had been done at the rate or one mile and a-half per year.

Mr Cadman referred to Sir George's remarks at the turning of the first sod of this railway in IS7B, when he expressed a hope that the line would when completed prove a blessing and convenience to the Thames community. The thanks of the Thames people were due to Sir George Grey and Mr William Rowe for their persistently urging forward this work. Their thanks were also due to a number of prominent Thames residents, some of whom had now passed away. Amongst these he named Mr Alex. Brodie, Mr Robert Graham, Dr. Kilg-our, M'r W. H. Taparj and Honi Nahe, late Maori member. These took a leading part in the ngitation for the railway. Their names should not be forgotten. Mr Cadman also referred in terms of praise to services rendered by Colonel Fraser and Mr McGowan, the present member for Thames. When he (Mr Cadman) came 1o the Thames to the ceremony of 1878, as the representative of Coromandel County he looked forward to the time when the value of property at Thames should be enhanced by the opening of the railway and the prospecting cf the Thames deep levels, lie Avas much gratified now at the successful issue of both undertakings, as shown by the running of the trains and the opening of the Thames-Hauraki pumping- plant. This railway line, was beg-tm and completed by a liberal Government. He quoted figures showing the money expended on various sections of the Thames'-Te Aroha railway by successive Governments. The toal cost of the work now completed was £159,340, of which £90.065 had been expended by the BallanceSeddon Government. Mr Cadman referred to the agitation for extending the line to Tararn. and said tho Thames people, instead of expending their energy in that direction, should try to get railway with Waihi and Waitekauri, which workwould be for the benefit of the colony as well as for this district. For (his, however, they would have 1o look to Ihe next Parliament, for there, was very little hope of getting it from present members of Parliament.. In conclusion, he expressed a hope that, the railway would brove the blessing and the convenience which Sir eGorge Grey had predicted twenty years ago. Mr Cadman declared The line open amidst loud cheering, followed by three cheers given by the crowd for himself. Mr Scott, Mayor of Thames, the next speaker, said the town would become a mercantile as well as a mining town. He referred to the tirst visit of Sir George Grey to Thames many years ago, in the early days. When he went up the Thames river in a boat, and ascended to Te Aroha he prophesied that in years to come a big city wonld arise on the shores of the river second to none in New Zealand. The speaker hoped this would come, lie also hoped that the next work of the Government would be to construct the Waikato-Taranaki railway, which would prove of advantage to the Thames, as well as to Auckland. lie spoke in terms of praise of the present Government, which had done mon! for the Thames than any oilier Government. He also warmly praised Mr 'I. A. Dunlop for his efforts in connection with the deep levels. Cheers were given for Mr Dunlop. Mr .I. McGowan, M.11.R. for the Thames, said he was present at the turning of the first sod of the railway, and was very pleased to be present at its completion. lie read some remarks made by Mr Cadman at the turning of the tirst sod in IS7S. when the latter was Coromandel County representative. Mr Cadman on that occasion referred to the necessity for a railway line to Coromandel; but they had not got that yet. Either a good coach road or railway they muse, have to Coromandel. lie hoped the people would agitate in that direction, lie spoke of the excellent quality of the land between here and Paeroa. He said the hills between the Thames and Coromandel, besides containing gold, should run thousands of sheep. He congratulated the Thames people on to-day's opening, and hoped a Coromandel line would next engage the attention of the Government. After loud cheering, the proceedings terminated with the singing ami playing of 'My Own New Zealand Home,' a school song composed by Mr John Grigg, who conducted the singing. Mr Grigg had trained for the occasion a number of school children whose parents he had trained when they were also scholars for vocal proceedings at the ceremony in 1878. The National Anthem then was played, and the crowd dispersed. A large train crowded with school children left immediately afterwards for Puriri, the excursion being free to the juveniles. An excursion train conveying hundreds of Thamesites also left for Te Aroha in the afternoon. Mr Cadman will be entertained at a banquet this evening.