THE NELSON CREEK BRIDGE.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXIII, Issue 3454, 13 September 1879, Page 2

THE NELSON CREEK BRIDGE.

[XO THE EDITOR.] Sir, — Daring a long residence on the Coast, and a continuously and almost unbroken reading of your newspaper since its commencement, I have always seen that however much you may have differed with individual opinions or measures, you have never shut your columns to a fair comment upon such opinions or measures if they were offered to you in such terms as could be inserted!, without being offensive. Might I now ask for insertion of a few words respecting the construction of the Nelson Creek bridge, and the action of the County Council in accepting tenders for the work connected with it. Your readers are all aware that the first tenders as asked for by the General Government were too high, and that the alleged cause was " the bridge covild not be built for the money available from the vote." A very close intimate study of the plans and specifications was afterwards made by experts, and this opinion was confirmed. To all those who were looking at the action of the Government, it seemed apparent that the vote would lapse, unless some steps were taken to either select another site, when a cheaper route and structure could be got, or lose the money altogether. Among those observant of the matter was the County Chairman, and he in virtue of his official position, did at once take steps to see that works intended to be carried out at General Government expense over a river situated in the territory under his official charge were not allowed to lapse. As, however, according to all contractors opinions, the first site, on account of expense, was out of the question, it was only natural that the Chairman should direct that further steps should be taken to see if any other site would do, and in view of helping the County overseer, the General Government placed all former surveys, maps, and plans at Mr Butler's disposal to guide him in his search. After spending some time a site was selected, and, Mr Editor, please to remark that this site is oaly 10 chains above No. 4, or site selected as the best by the Government Surveyors, and which was rejected by them solely on account of the cost, their estimate being about LlO,OO0 — "ten thousand pounds" — and the site further down chosen simply on an estimated merit of cheapness. Now, mark the result. The County Overseer, as I said, selects a site — it is even further than Mr O'Connor's No 4 — and yet, when tenders are called, instead of there being idO,ooo, we find that the amount required is only L 3419. Why this extraordinary discrepancy between engineering estimates and practical estimates. Ie was well known the County Overseer had all along said the bridge and road could be constructed for the vote, or even less, and the result proved hia words true ; but he always stated that the bridge to be erected at the lower end could not be done for the money. A great cry has been made of the extra length of road entailed by the (County's) proposed bridge, b'jt let us see how much of truth there is in the cry. According to plans and accepted contracts, it is about 100 chains longer than the present road by Mitchell's. 1 accept that as correct, but people run away with the idea that the proposed Government bridge was to be erected there, while, in fact, it was to be

erected 20 chains further down stream ; j or, when erected, it would lengthen the. i present, road 40 chains, ami thus be only three quarters of a mile shorter than the site selected by Mr Butler. I hope unchinking readers who are led away by popular clap trap, thundered forth by blatant orators, who cock their hats on one side and mistake arrogance for argument, will realise the fact, and allow that, the County's scheme is not so bad a3 it has been called, and that its promoters have been much misrepresented. Is it not a fact that the great body of tailings coming down the creek are fast accumulating opposite to Ross's farm 1 Some deny this ; but can any one be crednlous enough to gainsay the fact that for 50 yards before coming to the creek you can see the bed of the river higher than the road 1 Ts it not a fact thac within a few yards from the main creek there is another creek, afc least 10 feet deeper than Nelson Creek itself ? Is it not a fact that for years past it has been a constant dread that Nelson Creek will some day break out and overspread Ross's farm ? | Can it be denied that the original piles driven by Mitchell are now nearly covered by the ever increasing tailings deposit. Some urge these have fallen down through scouring, but a scour in a creek does not raise the bed of that creek higher than it originally was, and which actually keeps growing higher, as if to contradict the assertion. Will any one, for a single moment deny the fact that an immense body of tailiugs is continually travelling down Nelson Creek, and that the progress of such body is only permanently interrupted when it comes to low-lying flat land. Can anyone deny that at Mitchell's, at Ross's — even at Kennedy's, and higher vp — the land is otherwise than flat, and that consequently there the accumulation is formed — formed so as eventually to become a bed higher than the adjacent land, and of necessity, at a future time, to cause that land to be submerged during the creek's overflow, ending finally in a change of the river bed, and the implied future construction of addditions to already erected, or most probably other and newer bridges. Compare this fact with the one that at the site selected by Mr Butler there are two bluffs, each about, if not quite, 50 feet high ; that these bluffs aro of solid " old man " rock formation : that no previously known flood has ever yet submerged the adjacent land, and that the force of the creek flow is so concentrated there that no accumulation of debris is ever allowed to lie for any time ; and I am sure the general public will admit, in fairness, that there is no foundation for the unnecessary cry and hubbub that has been made by a few ' individuals, most of whom are in no ways interested except by their feelings, which : have b^en appealed to by statements untrue in themselves, and facts so distorted as to appear truths. Another good 1 and valid reason for the Chairman's courae of action is that the new road will bring Hatter's Terrace township into nearer communication with Greymouth by two mile 3, while it shortens the distance to Ahaura and Upper Grey by at least one and a half miles. Is it not well known that several petitions have already been presented to the Council for construction of a x'oad from Hansen'a farm to Hatter's Terrace 1 Has it not been urged, that by making such road a vast extent of agricultural and auriferous land will be opsned up, and can any man say that such assertions are not true in fact ; are not several parties working at Wyudhamand adjacent creeks, who are at present isolated ; will, it be denied that if a means were afforded of obtaining supplies through the construction of a road near to auriferous ground, that numbers of men would not be attracted there, and will it be denied that if a road were made through the terrace land small settles would seek for holdings. Only rabid demagogues or directly interested parties will deny this, but even their denial will not affect the matter, for it is, and must remain a fact that the opening up of this road will develope new auriferous country, and throw open land for selection. There is, however, another matter that appears to me to have exercised a great influence upon the public mind, and that is — would this agitation have arisen had the road been taken to any place except Drennan's farm ? Mr Editor, is not this really the bugbear ? Candidly, I think it has a great deal to do with if; superficial observers states it i 3 a job. What care I what you call a measure i r that measure benefits the public— call it job, trick, or what you like, so long as the public is beneh'tted so much ought the public 10 be grateful, and so much the more ought it to thank those who carry out 3uch measures, in the face of hostile criticisms from parties who knowing absolu'ely little or nothing of the matter, talk all the more to hide their ignorance. The Chairman and a majority of the Council have persevered so far — by carrying out this work they nearly complete the road to Hatter's Terrace — they assure a substantial bridge, guaranteed against floods, and eventually the public will thankfully recognise their efforts. I am, &c, Watchful. Greymouth, September 12.