POWER FOR SOUTH CANTERBURY.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17296, 7 November 1921, Page 6

POWER FOR SOUTH CANTERBURY.

THE LAKE TEKAPO SCHEME. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEG«AM.) TBIABU, November 6. About one hundred men, representative of the South Canterbury Development League, local bodies, and business interests, visited Lake Tekapo yesterday to inspect the site of the proposed hydro-electric tunnel. They were shown the plans prepared by the surveyors, who explained that a tunnel of 77 chains, with a few chains of open work, would giv e a fall of over 70tt, extensible to 90ft by a tail pipe from the turbine. The river is now very low, its volume being estimated at 3200 cusecs. A tunnel 10ft in diameter, and with a 10ft fall, would take 2000 cusecs, giving 16,000 horse-power. Mr A. Dudley Dobson, late city engineer at Christchurch, who had much to do with electricity there, was present, and spoke favourably of the scheme, but recommended the preparation of data for the tunnelling, as the cost would depend much on the nature of the material. Apparently tho mound to be tunnelled through Consists of compact, uplifted river shingle, and not a moraine, with a thin coat or moraine stuff on top. Air T. D, Burnett, M.P., stated that he had described the proposition to M. Otto Boving, a Swiss expert now in Wellington, who said it seemed a firstrate proposition, and that from 16,000 to 17,000 horse-power was an ideal size. There is a good site for a powerhouse, accessible by traction-engines, and near the main road.