THE MIDLAND TUNNEL.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13101, 28 April 1908, Page 9

THE MIDLAND TUNNEL.

"THE FIRST SHOT." j THE OPENING CEREMONY. ■ '. (STECXkI. To "THE FBlijS."; OTIRA, April 27. The general progress of the preiimi- - nary woik can stia be lutAiiuMi "go*xi j indeed." Each branch —and tnere aie J many—i» recoivuig the attention it xequir«e>, accoruing to its imporuuico - and ttie neoe&siiy for its oompxeuoxii. " libe HoU/s Creek tunroeis aro maiiiug - good and ixtie bridges axe j every day taking more detmi'i-e shape, j "\Y n«n tv« bruit,<-•& are coiupieuxi vie work oi con fey mg une pipes to ttie ! ijnakb wiU be uiuiut-diatoiyoomiiionceU, \ * and with tb» iuxjuuj* sucu»s>iiLuy uoiih» the layixg ol the utiu'iib will be oiuy ! a, matter oi detail. The site fox Uie powerhouse at this end c«iß o*>eix eje«.re*i ami levelled, and tho ground is now roauv tor the ouiidixm niucn wiii be and roomy, and" wiii, wnen completed, con-uirn; gome ot the hnest machinery oi its j land to bo round &out-h of the line, j The cement stoiage shed is finished, ! with the exception ox tho roof, ajid j this portion ol tiie big building should . soon bo in potation, and tho structure will then be ready for the opening ' function- i The telephone line is being attended I to, but the country is rough in the j extreme, and the headway is in conse- ! queue* jJow. But once the top of the pass is left behind, the rate of pro- j '" gross will be much more rapid. Tho blacksmitn's shop and goods-1 shed are in an advanced stage. Tbe ' ' hitter building is being pushed on, as there is now lying at Otira many tons of machinery which requires storage room. The Punch Bowl tunnels and , pipe line are making great strides. ; The ground being fairly good driving, the tunnels in particular are moving Bjtong at a pace that must be ex- i trwnely gratifying to the contractors . and engineer alike. Tbe latter (Mr Leslie Reynolds) deserves success in its fullest measure, for every undertaking here has bean marked with despatch and thoroughness. Tb* firing of the first shot in tbe attack on the Southern Alps by John McLean and Sbn's armj of workers ' caused but little fuss and no demonstration. Beyond the workers on shift, there were but few present. Tine fuse was ignited, the call of 'Fire" in stentorian tones went echoing up the Itolleston Gorge, a minute or two of waiting, and a deep booming sound was heard, then smoke came issuing from beneath the heavy mass of timber that protects the face of the drive, and the casual onlooker knew tbat the "first shot" had actually been fired in ■■ the Great Midland tunnel, which is to I>9 5 milei 25 chains in length. -v. is the writer turned away, he oould not help reflecting on the little scene just enacted, and wondered, as he walked down the planked Rolleston ■ bridge, how many such shota would be fired before daylight was let through -the great dividing range. With up-to-date and scientific methods of working, and with skilful and brainy men in charge, there is but little room for . doubt that the big drive -will be successfully completed in five years. The opening ceremony has been definitely 6ot down for Tuesday, Maya sth, and arrangements are being made accordingly. Sir Joseph Ward will arrive either by train from Greymouth or ' coach from the East Coast. At time of writing all the details of the function had not been definitely decided • on, but it is'a.certainty that the affair will be a brilliant one. Should: the (day be fine there will be a very large ••«■' attendance of Coasters. . The .. horse bridge over the Otira '-.. River is progressing, and pile driving is still going. on. There are, in all, fifteen piers to drive, meaning thirty piles. Adventurous spirits are already making use of it in Hood time, though to negotiate the beams ,with .a hqwling ' gale 'blowing' up.' the gorge is a work ;.' of some risk. > The traffic bridge further up the gorge is to bo commenced shortly. The approach on one side had .to be blasted out of the solid rock.] J This has now. however, been accomplished, and the actual construction of the,bridge will shortly be.put in hand. When completed it will be much easier to approach, as the turn on to, it from cither end will not bo at so acute an angle. Tho traffic on the road between : - the Otira station and the ford over .the Otira River has increased to such

an extent that the Roads Department has decided, to widen the section re- '_ ferred to above 6ft. This departure, will be duly appreciated by teamsters and others using the thoroughfare: The down express, conveying passen- , gors and mails to Greymouth on Saturday evening; met with a mishap near Jackson, the engine and one carriage , becoming derailed. No one was injured, and the passengers "and mails -were conveyed to Greymouth by the ordinary train j due to reach Otira at ". 8.30j which was despatched back' from the scene of the mishap. The passengers by the ordinary were brought;on to Otira on Sunday morning by coach. I should like to make reference-to ' an item that has been going the rounds of the Coast papers. lihis is the statement that labour-troubles have arisen with the ; men engaged at the Holt's Creek pipe line. On enquiry I-found that a slight misunderstanding had arisen, but that tho difficulty had' been amicably settled, and that all .was going along again smoothly, every man being at hia post.