THE WEST COAST RAILWAY.

Press, Volume XXX, Issue 4077, 21 August 1878, Page 3

THE WEST COAST RAILWAY.

A brief telegraphic notice has already been published of a public meeting held at (3-rey-mouth, for the purpose of urging iipoitthe Government the construction of an East and West Const Railway. The. following ie the report published, by the "Argus" of the speech made on the occasion by Mr Kennedy, formerly member for the district, —a speech which, together with its extracts, throws a'good deal of light upon the several projects : — Mr Kennedy moved the next'resolution, which was as follows—" That all evidence goes to prove that the best and most profitable line would be by one or other of the routes by way of the Grey Valley to connect with the North Canterbury lines." He said that as it had been affirmed that a railway should be made, and that the.Haast route would not suit, it remained for him only, to show which was the best route to take; Thero waa little, if any, doubt that only ione connecting line with the other coast would exist for many years to come, and that line should be that whioh would be of the most benefit to the colony at large. The surveys ] already made plainly indicated which- was "the best route. Some time ago the Hokitika people advocated a route via Browning's Pats; but he opposed it, and left the question of route to be decided by the Government after surveys had been made. Probably it would not have been desirable to raise, this question of route now, but action taken, by a section of the Hokitika people—a section only—' made it necessary for the preent meeting. The assumed object of the adyocites of the southern route wes' the opening up of the land down south, but the nature of the country forbade the idea that a railway would conduce to this result. Eoads were more generally suitable for thi* purpose, and yet all along the Bowen and Okarito roads there was no settlement whatever, or likely to be for a long time to come. This argument as to '.' opening up land" was a fallacious one, as could be demonstrated by the fact that in spite of the low price of land,' between Hokitika and Greymouth, through which a road had run for years, the countryL was very thinly populated, and the most of it: quite unoccupied, and a railway would do no: more. There, was a prevailing idea that tbej Government would not construct railways: unless the land would pay for the construction, but he did not think any such intention; existed The railways hitherto made had; been constructed, not upon the security afforded by land, but on the credit of thej colony at large,and the policy of the Govern-' menfc must be that their lines must be such as will be of the most benefit to the colony. The Hokitika-Haast route would cost at least £3,000,600 as against £460,000, the estimated cost of the other line to Amberley. Although great pains had been taken by the Hokitika railway committee in presenting calculations in favor of their scheme, they had neglected' altogether any estimato of the probable traffic on the line. The northern route would at: once provide a payable traffic, and in promoting this line the meeting was doing- so in tha.interests of thecolony-at-large. - If it -be the wish of Hokitika to connect withDunedin or Christchurch, it could do so far easier by the northern route than by the one they propose—indeed he waa certain that except the section of Hokitika residents, who for some inscrutable reason have agitated for the eonthern route, the inhabitants there fully appreciated this fact. In any case the Legislature would, no doubt, first consider the probable pay able ness of, the line, And in..this . respect -he had prepared some statistics which he was certain would be realised when the railway line to Canterbury was open:—With regard to coal, it had been said that railway carriage could not compete against shipping, but he could show that in respect of the trade with Canterbury, the railway would command the traffic. Assuming the rate from Newcastle to Christcburcb. to be 15s per ton, and tha freight by sea from here to be 20s, the- railway rate would be probably about, 15s at the present tariff, but it should. be remembered that sea-borne coal, whether from Newcastle:' Or elsewhere, had to bear an additional charge of at leait 5s per ton before it could reach Christchurch and the interior. It could thus be seen that they would have the advantage of five shillings a ton over Newcastle in the matter of transit charges, and'this, without asking for any concession from the Government. But assuming that the rate would be reduced to a penny, per ton per mile," at that rate he was satisfied a very large amount of coal would be sent to Christchuroh, and further on to Timaru and other districts. Christchurch. alone could consume ■ 50,000 tons a year, and this is the piece which most appreciates the ; Grey coal, and even pays a premium for itof 25 to 80 percent over Newcastle coal. There was, therefore, no difficulty in controlling that market." He mentioned these details because of statements that had been made to the effect that coal would not pay to carry long distances. He,was sure that £70,000 a year could be earned by the railway for coal traffic alone, as it could be delivered at 25s a ton, as against 20s at Lyttelton. : Indeed, when the probable railway■-. consumption was considered, it -was quite within reason that the Grey coal could be able to compete with Newcastle £t Danedin. Independent of the £70,000 of Bnnvml revenue that might be collected on the conveyance of coal at 15s per ton, ]at least £50,000 wou'd be saved to the colony which now went out of it—and this only with regard to our local market. It might be that when a regular trade was established, and the railway rate could be reduced, it would pay. the local companies to supply coal to the ocean steamers at Lyttelbon. As regards timber, he knew that inland at the Upper Jthaura, where the proposed line would meet the timbered country, there were forests of the best timber known on the Coast—black birch—and he did not think he would exaggerate if he calculated that 20.000 tons annually of this timber would find its* "way across into Canterbury, when the line was •opened, which, at 10e a ton freight} would return £10,000 to the line. The through pas-.,. senger traffic would imdoußtedljTi be large, as at the present railway rates the passage by rail would cost only £2, ac against £5 by the uncertain means of communication by the Christchurch road. He estimated tnat there would be a weekly traffic of at least 200 persons each way, which, at £2 plr would realise £800 per week, or £40,000 per annum. This calculation might appear large, but lie was satisfied that if sufficient -facilities wife provided, travellers would prefer the direct and certain line of railway rather than trust to - the -chapter of accidents, and the inconveniences of sea, travel, and he did riot think that he had in any way exaggerated in the estimates he had made. There would alga be a»fesge international goods and passenger traffic," which might; be esti- : mated to realise say £30,000 per 'annum.' Aβ to cattle and live stock, the best estimates theY could form os to the probable receipts from, this aource of traffic, waa to be found in the amount of toils paid at the Kayhaka gate on the Chrutsburcb, road.

These amounted to about £1500 a year—or did some time ago—and taking this toll as abatis, and multiplying it by eight—that is to gay T>y the half-crown a head charged, would give the line a revenue of not lees than £20,000 a year. Another item to be considered waa the coet of the overland mail service and tiie maintenance of the Chrwtchurch road, which alone absorbed some £10,000 a year in repairs and reconstruction. Summing up all these items it could be shown that by the best line from the Grey Valley to North . Canterbury, so to connect with the mainline* on the,other side, an annual return of £165,000 might -reasonably be calculated on, or at the rate of £1000 per mile. When they considered that there were many lines in the colony which only returned £300 per mile per annum, and yet paid working expenses, it was not unreasonable to expect that the line now under considers! ion would be highly profitable. He was satisfied that if all the ascertained facia relating to this subject were laid, before Par- ! liament there could be no possible doubt as ' to the decision. It was all very well to say ! that it was not for the public to indicate ariy particular route, but ha ventured the opinion that none were so well able to calculate the question as those who were engaged in busine»s on the spot, and he felt it was necessary that the people of this district should make strong representations to Parliament, not only by resolutions at that meeting, but by petition. In order to show the opinions as to the route formed by the Government Engineer (Mr Foy), and the Engineer-in-Chief, he would read the following extracts from official rfcporfs. ,'Mr Foy says:— ' : " On an examination of tha country between the Arnold River and Nelson Creek, before alluded to, I found that an immense open and comparatively flat district of country, extending for at leart twenty miles east and west, and a far greater distance north and south exists, and possesses for the construction of a line of railway advantages which no other part of the country on the West Coast does.

" I then proceeded up the Nelson Creek so far its to convince mc that a line either along its iouth bank or by way of Kangaroo Creek : (the latter I shonld imagine to be the most favourable) could be constructed more direct, more level, far cheaper, and with greater freedom from all destructive and disturbing agent?, than through any other district I hare yet seen upon the West Coast. " Such a line would commence at Brunnerton, and piss over the best ground through the mineral district lying between the Arnold River and Nelson Creek, thence bettween Lake Hochstetter and Bell Hill to Haupiri Plate.

" The difference of level (barometrio) between Nelson Creek where the road crosses and the Haupiri Flats is 370 feet. This would give a gradient of eighteen ior twenty feet to the mile, and which I have every reason to believe wonld be nearly uniform throughout.

" I can scarcely be expected to be able to add an 7 information on such points as the ' Opening up of the country, , traffic,' &c, beyond what you must already possess through the agenoy of the Public Works Department. I can, therefore, but give my opinion us to its engineering merits, and in that point of view I have no hesitation in saying that this partion—nimely, from the present terminus at Brunnerton to the Haupiri Flats—should form the first section of the line between the two coasts. -

"In comparing the couree of the Amuri Pass line with that of the other two, another important feature presents itself, 1 and which must have a greater or les3 effeot in favor of a portion of one of the others. . I allude to that part of the Amuri Pass line that would constitute a-portion of the Main Trunk line from north to south of this island. '

■•' " From this point of view the branch, line to Brunnerton, from the junction of the Waiau and Hanmer rivers, would be as direct as possible, and only about eighty miles in length,, whilst the remaining forty-two and a half miles of this line would form a considerable extension of the Main Trunk line from Christcharch northwards. Thie being the case, it becomes a most important point for consideration. Another important consideration in favor of'this line-is'its present and, prospective advantages, as afEordiDg railway communication to more populous districts by '< reason of a line by this route passing through a far greater area of fertile and productive, country ; for the time, cannot be far distant] when the Hanmer, Hurunui, and Waiau plains 1 will be covered with comfortable homesteads, as ii the case in the neighborhood of Christchurch at the present time. " Although these remarks may more forcibly apply to the eastern portion of this line, yet they are also applicable,, to a certain exienfc, to the western portion of the line. ■ Tor, independent of its -passing through the ! centre of a gold-bearing district, it will no dcubt become the means of opening up a large area of productive land- between Lake Brunner and the Ahaura river, now lying waste.for want of means of proper communication, i .'• '■". ■-./•■ -■••. ;.'

"I therefore consider, in view of these remarks, that this line will rot only compare most favourably with the other two, but that it possesses peculiar merits that should not be lost sight of. ." "" "" ."7-7 " By a comparison of the approaches by the means thus afforded," it will be, seen that those of the Hope Saddle are -by far the most preferable, especially as. regards grading, and it consequently possesses considerable; importance in that.respect. i : , ir " Other important points for consideration, as regards the section, are the facilities and advantages relative to construction, as afforded by the angle of the slopes and general formation of the hills that form the approaches to the passes. In this respect but. little difference exists in those of the Hope Saddle and the Amuri Pass, both possessing equally favourable ground for the construction of aline of railway. Not so, however, with the Hurunui Pass line. On the east side the approach to the pass is in every respect as favourable ac the other two ; but on the West Coast side the line would have to traverse the north side of the river, as the south side, presents obstacles of a very serious nature.

.' " The ground in the first place, commencing close to the pass, is very broken, and the hills, both Ws regards their formation and slopes, are very irregular and deiached. And these remaiks apply, though, perhaps,-to a less extent, to the north side, most notably and for a.considerable length opposite to the junction of the Otira with the Teremakau River. Here the hills rise nearly perpendicular from the water's edge, where the ' main channel of the river appears to have become permanently established.

"<There is a distance of at least a mile where the line would have to be benched out of the solid rock, provided it, is, sufficiently hard for, that purpose. But should .the-hill,side, where'the grade would place the road bed, be composed of disintegrated fragments, a line along this portion would become impracticable. In short,the western approaches to the Hurunui Pass, on either side, possess, in my opinion, serious obstacles to'the construction of a line of railway along them, and it is a question : worthy of consideration, whether tbeee facts are not alone ..sufficient to condemn this route altogether. , ■ "The choice of. the northern side of the western approaches to this pass has been, to a certain extent, adopted, so as to avoid the crossing of the Otehake, Otira, and Taupo, .three most formidable and treacherous rivers. Hence.;the comparatively short lengths of bridging, before alluded to, in connection with this line. -

" IV> summarise the foregoing remarks upon the comparative merits of three three lines, I am of opinion that, as a 'direct line,' and considered exclusively aa a means of connection between the two coasts, the Hops Saddle line is by far the more .preferable of the two direct'lines. But in consideration of the remarks I have hacl occasion to make in cqnneCtioji with the Amuri Pass line, and yiew'ing tne importance pf this line in its general bearing, .and more particularly it.its connection with the general scheme of railway communication in this island, the general route of this line, as shown upon the sketch map, is the best "the country affords, and its construction would confer a greater amount of benefit to the country ■' in- general than any other line, or combination of lines, that it is posaibkKto projecfc : ■ ■■ '<-• '■-' 7 - '- ■ " I have not prepared an esfonate of .either of the ,liaes;:first, because-! am not in possession of sufficient data for. the purpose ; I sin - riot, aware of the' of guage the line would probably be constructed upon-; and lastly, there is nothing in my instructions that wonld lead' mc to infer that one would be expected "From mc. "However,l feel mjseif justified in stating, and I do co with the greatest confidence, that, so far as I harr-: been able to judge from my own observation*, there is no portion of either the Hope B«ddle or the Amuri Pais line that should cost (more than any of the other-lanes -that have been, con •tructed in this country, provided that the

tunnel works are excluded from the esti mates.

"If the f hill-*ide cuitings ' should co»t something extra, this would be compensated for by the cheapness of the work over the level terraces aud op«n plains, which, in tl'.e case of the Amuri Pass line, would be about 50 per cen\ of its entire length." ! The following is the Engineer-in-Cbiefs report: ; " ASTOBI PABB. "This line begins at Greymouth, and, making use of the Greymouth 'and Brun: orton .Railway ac far as it extend?, crosses the level country between Haupiri Flat and Brunnerton to. the Ahaur* Hirer, which it follows to Jt then descends the Doubtful Branch of the Waiau-au to the main river, and thence along the latter to the Hanmer Plains, where it would meet the trunk line from Canterbury. The total diitance from Brunnerton is eighty miles measured on the map, which would be increased to about ninety miles by curves. "The first thirly-four miles from Brunnerton to the junction of the Tutaekuri with the Ahaura are described as not being very difficult. The» follow fourteen miles of thorough mountain country, where gradients of 1 in 12 or lin 15 wonld be necessary. The formation #f the country is not each that a tunnel wonld materially improve the gradients or lower the summit, unless' it were made very long—say from four, to four and a half miles.

" With suoh a tunnel the gradients would be as good as would be procured on the Huru-

nui Pass by making a tunnel two to two and .a half miles long. "HOPE PASS. : " This is a deviation from the above-men-tioned or 'Amuri Pass line. It has tha game termini, and is of about the same length 4 . " Instead of following the Ahaura Eiver ip its head, it diverges at its junction with-the Tutaekari, and follows the latter river,;which has its rise near that of the Hope, one ajt the tributaries of the Waiau-au. ■ ' I '

" Mr FoyVline, after descending the Hope to its junction with the Kiwi, ascends the latter, and gets into the Hurunui Valley. I propose however keeping to the Hope "Valley until thp Amuri Pass line is again joined near where the Hope falls into the Boyle. " A tunnel o£ one mile in length would give such gradients as could be worked by ordinary looomotivee, and it ie quite possible that careful surveys would show it to be unnecessary to have any tunnel at all.

" On the whole, I consider this line to have a clear advantage over either of the others, and I think from Mr Foy's report, and further information received from him, that a fairly good line can be found, which could be worked with ordinary rolling stock, and which, although costly, would be less so than ( might be expected through so formidable a range of mountains as the Southern Alps. :

" I cannot give any estimate of the cost, beyond such a guess as may enable you to decide whether further surveys are required. I should think £800,000 would be sufficient, and certainly not too much.

"The Amuri Pass line would cost about the same, but would be a far inferior line, owing to the long gradients, which would require special arrangements for working. " The Hurunui line would cost about JEIoOjOOO more, on account of the extra length of line to be built.

" These estimates are on the supposition that the main trunk line will be extended northwards as far as the Waiau-au at least; should this not be done, a further sum of £250,000 will have to be added to the cost of the Hope and Amuri lines, and of £100,000 to that of the Hurunui line, to connect their termini, as above described, with Amberley, the present terminus of the authorised lines."

It would thus be seen that.all the evidence went to show that the best line -was by way of the Grey Valley to" Christchurch. It would be the best for the West Coast and for the colony, and it was the only one likely to be carried out. [Cheers. -J '■' . ;

Captain Sir George Nares is named for a second command of the discovery ship Alert. This oruiee, it; is stated, will not be to the: North, the Antarctic rather than the Arctic, being the intended scene of her future explorations. -■■;:... - • !

Wβ are counselled by the wise not to put our trust in princes ; but we are alao.counselled that the sick need the physician. There are now so many, and all of so conflicting a tendency, that the sick are Unhappily but'too often bewildered, and. in despair apt to abandon all efforts to regain the lost health.; The trustworthy friend is now at hand. The' most marvellous cures have been effected by: G-hoilLAh'b G-beat Indian CiraßS. - Sick' people, try them.—[Advt]