OTIRA TUNNEL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 158, 28 March 1908, Page 7

OTIRA TUNNEL.

1 PROGRESS OF THE! WORKS. ■;;;:.(nTllELKottAril-Trr.EBS' : jiSs6OIATION.) .:. i y ' 1 Christohurcli, March 27. ,Tbe. :Otira correspondentof 'the''' Press,". .StaferthatJtho.preliminary '.Sy'ork. of 'strip?; ■piflgythblliillsitjevof all.jlo'osq raatonftlr likely ;to give; trouble'in tho future),;and ; ,oi Jexcavatirig'a. sufficient distance the mountain , to rcach.solid country; has at length been ac- ; complished,' and.tho; workers will v very shortly.; ibp Irciieath; the. surface.;-Theriev are now teinj* plaped 'iii positionseveral;,heavy .'sots -of tiWr ber ' tovprpt'ecj;. ' jthe. moil -V> who . commence, .Thai.'.MieadiTig '' .will ibo pu^ed-..forward with VVigoiirjonco (layliglifc' is, ; left; bohind,\and;;with ; tlio'iheading. well". for'- : ■ \yard: whe^; tho power; is. available 'for thomaphinps,;.'a,. large; number; of< 'underground .hfn'ds .will.,'be) foundtroom...for.-'v.<; tunnels'on the-Holt's-Creek pipe' lino. •arQ .'going.■ day .andaiight/.^rdof'shitts being .piriploybd, anditlib' -tiihriols, bbifig.'.short; '.they' ■Svill ;tlius, : be . completed ■; in ' qiiiok ,-time.-' •f • In' ; tWs/j. coririeijtiou' Mri Leslie Reynolds, ■ en-' gineer, .;-has iir contemplation■'tho l ,: usol Vpf wood en :■ pipes. for, i the ■ upper' 'portion' 1 of '"tho . woik, - and .spiral riveted- steel pipes for tho of the .riiaiii'.- -The latter, pipes ; will in \ all probability oomo from rWangantii: - L ■ Sheds,; for : tho: storage of-cement, • coricreto ; blocks;'.etc., laro'about to'be-'. erected 1 oh v the' riverbed' close th\ the'• tunnel 'riioutlu ' 'These ■;sl?eds : will : ; be ;i extensivov' and; tlio ! building' to hold ithe cement, will' be ,80ft. -by 40ft., .cap? ''able,'of storing, fr'opi^-3000';iiov 3/?90 '.barrels. ,Tho ■ site -for these■ riiassivb sheds is being -cleared arid levelled; aiitl "building operations ; will bp .commenced forthwith!. .v; -\i- :: 1 : Between' the' tunnel and' the Otira '■ towriship;the. contractors-are erecting a. stable arid' • feed-house/f' IQiiito -'a ; feontjnjgeiifc. 'oftKirsos'-'iriU-■be,;required; l du'riiig ;the "wliole of-the-tinib oc-' ..oupipd in;'puriching the big :hole,. : as' the-car'-'* ; page' of /material,'. such; as' ;cement arid;' tin)-! /ber;-'pyor, the pass' will be quito an' item in itself* V-C: ! •'' v.. :\'i The' erection 'of- ;Ruts;'oni : tiib; Bpaley 'side is/ .reoeiy-iilgi due ' Jth'ero >0, quite ;a;'number ,-pf ■; men r -employed' oiv 't-lip Punch .'pipe';, 'line, -'excavating 1 for -: the: powerhouse,, etc. v. iengine's.;; residency arid offices combined, which /are being '01-ected- : -:'on,)an v 'ideal' sppt pverlpotyiig. ,tho! 'tunned inputli, are ■ fast ; approaching completion," and tliby will be .commodious and up-to-date.' ■ The offices are • roomy, -and particularly - ; well lighted'. 1 . The cp? i.opejativo, keep .'delving' away, doing their,, portion of. the. uncompleted section be- ; tweett';,the.;Otira. -station - .'arid ' the. Rolleston ■ b ™g<v . groins, - embankment,-.and cutting eaoh; having a contingent,'of workers.-' -