OPENING OF THE GREEN ISLAND RAILWAY.

Evening Star, Issue 3543, 1 July 1874, Page 3

OPENING OF THE GREEN ISLAND RAILWAY.

To-day, the Dum-din and Clutha Railway was opened for traffic as far as Green Island. A train wasdespatchedintbemorning, and one at two in the afternoon. Mr Conyers, Manaager of the Otago Hailway-, accompanied by Mr Nancarraw and several members of the Press, proceeded up the line as far as Mr Samson’s coalpits. The stations are in a state of forwardness, although they are not yet sufficiently advanced to prove more than shelter sheds for passengers, and temporary substitutes for ticket-offices. Mr Samson, the proprietor of the coal-pits at Abbotsford, accompanied Mr Conyers, and bad proposed comm morating the opening o! the line by refresments. but to his disappointment his orders had not been attended to. The fire-clay seams and gravel pits now being worked by Mr W. Bell were visited and examined with interest on account of their geological indications, during the time necessary to yoke six waggons of coal to the train, each containing seven tons. These formed part of the return cargo of the train, which reached Dunedin a few minutes before four o’clock. The benefit this short section of the railway may be expected to confer upon • uuedin may be estimated by comparing the cost of carriage of the coa l from Green Island by dray with that paid for haulage by railway. Hitherto Mr Samson has had to pay 9s per ton for carriage between his pits and the City. The cost by railway will be half-a-crown, thus enabling him to supply the City at 6s 6d a ton cheaper, with equal profit to himself. No incident of moment took place during the trip, except the frightening of a baker’s horse, which galloped off while its driver was supplying a customer with bread. His fright was, on the whole, orderly, as he had sense to keep the road; but the door of the bread van being open the loaves were scattered on the road. We trust no serious loss was suffered. We have before described this section of the line, and can add nothing to what has been written.