THE "BLACK" TUNNEL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 274, 12 August 1908, Page 8

THE "BLACK" TUNNEL.

• 'A STARTLING RUMOUR. . . On Saturday a'statement .was conveyed to us (says' the "Taihape Times") of a most i alarming character;- and'such,- if there are any grounds foriit, as 'will come as an un- • pleasant* shock to travellers over the Main Trunk line. The report briefly went to ! Jiow that what is'commonly known as: thej 1 Black" tunnel; situated between'.Toi Toi iiid. Mangaweka, was discovered to be- ini l very unsafe condition, it'being alleged that i hole existed .through which the waters )f the "Rengitikei lliver could be seen. . As Is well, known, the tunnel: in Question skirts, the Ran'gitikei stream at a precipitous height,. ;iud is regarded by those who. know the locality as- one of those , many mistakes; made rhen the southern / section -. of.; the Main ; : Trunkiline was put through years ago. : Tho; ; tnformation given us further,.tendedtoshow : that a., day or so before the Parliamentary i special made its maiden trip over the route between Wellington and Auckland, a gang of men wero engaged in shifting .the r.ails laid through the'tunnel, further : in' l fri>m the river wall, .with the idea (so our informant said) of putting weight on that side of the track, in which' the defect,.is.supr posed to. exist. It- was : also'pronouncedly prophesied that an accident was being ;awai-' ted by those .who were in a position, to know the exact state of affairs, and'that,it was only a matter of time when some train or other would- crash .through the structure and smash into'the bed of the river some hundreds of; feet below. That' this is most unpalatable information every one will ad- , mit, especially in view of' the : fact , that very soon now ; 'the heavy and speedy trains; "-including fast expresses and heavy' goods' will be dashing'over'the'metals, bound to the nortt .and south cities'/: As the rumour is an extremely disquieting one, wo must call tho attention of the Railway Department' to it 1 , and insist that an exhaustive.examination.'of the tunnel be at once made, the (result to bo given publicity--in .order to assure the' public that (a) : . either .the. rumour has ab-, solutely no foundation in fact, or (b) that if the facts are, as;such as have been'represented to us, then- -that proper measures be at once taken to put the tunnel in a proper and efficient stato to, ensure the safety ;of the'travelling- public,: or' (c) that;'if anything 'caii be done to avoid anypossibility of insecurity to that or any' other ' tunnel, mi it'"be ;at once commenced in'j the interests of the ' miblic. ■." 1

Taking 1 the case from the other' side, it is only'fair for His. td state that we know a gang of_ men was at york : in \the "Black" tunnel prioix to tho Parliamentary special passing through' on' Saturday morning.' We hare been, informed-that tjiey. were "pulling, the track," as it.is technically termed,;:or in - other words/ altering the rails,', and ■ forthis reason, ..that ► the new carriages.• which have been built for. the Main ..Trunk .line, route, are somewhat wider .tlian the out-of-date, uncomfortable vehicles inflicted ■ upon travellers in. these . parts' f0r..., some. years past, jand .it was'necessary to, so adjust the track as''to allow an equal amount,of clear space to be on either side, of the carriages. We also know that there exists in the " Black "• tunnel a small outlet in 'the outer wall through which the moisture drains into the river "below. This, however, would'not ho largo enough to allow- a passenger' to catch a : glimpse of the Rangitikei while passing through the tunnel."