ARTHUR'S PASS TUNNEL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 132, 27 February 1908, Page 4

ARTHUR'S PASS TUNNEL.

' PRELIMINARY WORK. It is stated that a large number of the iuen who havo been offering themselves for employment on th 6 Arthur's Pass tunnel works, on the Midland Railway lino, are of. a wholly unsuitable type! ' The Labour Department lias been entrusted with'an order to supply tho, contractors with .50 ■ suitable •Hjen, and will endeavour to' provide: workers who have ha'd previous l experience of-."tun-nelling .or mining • work. Prefereiice will be givon.to single men. The conditions of work at -Arthur's Pa'ss'aro' especially. liilrd,-as it is necessary to make an' impression upon hard rock and . stony river beds'.The rate of pay is 10s. a day, and hut accomnibdation is: provided. , The huts avo and built of-wood, with-Tiialthoid roofing. They Ineasure 12ft. .by. 10ft. in size, and two men ai'o: allotted to each/hut. ."■'■•

At the Westland .end of. the future tunnel quite an. imposing settlement is formed. ' Tlio' number of huts is' already large, and is increasing,' every, day, stores have been erected; and a grocer, butcher, drager, and other tradesmen aro already doing business amongst ■ •the workmen: l from rough wooden shops. Prices are 'not so dear as might bo'imagined from the unacccssibillty "of" the: phvee';* the' butcher;' for example,'is selling: meat at od. the pound, all kinds. A. recent "visitor to tlio infant settlement states that a billiard saloon, with two tables, is the next development in contemplation. About 80 men employed bv the Govern-, mont, and Messrs. 'M'Lean Bros.,'■ controc-■ tors for the tunnel, are now working at tbo westorn end. Tlio main'construction of tlio bridge across the Rollesttin river is now finished, and tho bridgo'is being decked by Messrs. M'LeanV workmen.: The Government workmen are chiefly employed in cutting out an'approach to this bridge, which faces the tunnel mouth. This part of the ivork has required very heavy cutting and levelling, but it is now almost finished. A large number of tho contractors' men aro making clear the way for the installation of the power supply, which is to come from Holt's Creek. . At the Canterbury end of the future tunnel Mr. Leslie Reynolds, engineer for Messrs. M'Lean Bros., with a staff and several chaimneii, is examining the famous " Punch Bowl" and its surroundings, with a view to getting up a power plant.