DAWSON FALLS ELECTRICITY

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 27 February 1935, Page 12

DAWSON FALLS ELECTRICITY

PROTECTION FOR POWERHOUSE ADDITIONAL WALL LIKELY.

■ Although •finality in the plan has not yet been reached, it is probable that a concrete Avail will be erected some distance above the Dawson Falls as protection against damage by floods to the powerhouse, which supplies the hostel and adjacent buildings. It is expected mat the work will cost about £.‘lo.

At a meeting of the South Committee of the Egniont National Park Board it was mentioned that the co-operation of Mr T. R. Overton, engineer to the South Taranaki Power Board, had been secured for the work. Air Overtoil has a scheme for the erection of a concrete wall some distance above the powerhouse to relieve the weight of water and- prevent tliA boulders that did the damage in the recent flood from reaching the powerhouse wall. A suggestion that an outcrop of rocks a short distance up-stream, should be blasted out was also made and ■will probably be carried into effect.

Early in January some trouble was experienced with the generator, reported Mr L. O. Hooker (secretary). Mr Overton had taken the matter in hand.

Dealing with the floods of last week, Air Hooker said that on Friday morning through an abnormal rise in the river at about 6 a.m., some structural damage was done to the building and river sand and silt were deposited in the station to a depth of 18 inches. Air Pettett and his son, of the South Taranaki Power Board’s station staff, and MV Overton, with an electrician, visited the powerhouse for inspection. Air Murphy and his son started to remove the deposit from the power-station and immediately AIT Pettett arrived lie prepared the list of material for restoring the damage to the building. Araterial was obtained from Eltham. By midday, ■ on Saturday the structural damage was repaired and by 6 p.m. on Friday night the electrician had the lights on. It was expected that flood damage would amount to £5 or a little more. A wall erected at a cost of £3O would be a useful addition, said Air W. G. Walk ley (chairman). Arrangements .could be made for an overdraft. AIT A. G. La re out thought it would bo advisable to do the work as money was cheap at present. The work was essential, said Mr F. Alourie.

Air Tait: The wall will need to be a strong one on account of the boulders.

“A little outcrop of rock on the side opposite the powerhouse acts as a kind of groyne and shoots the water right on to the house,” said the chairman.

“With .-inall blasting charges a quarrvman could easily get rid of that without doing any damage. The rocks below the ,powerhouse are dangerous in collecting shingle, and they could be got rid of in the same way.” “In building a protective wall,” said AIT H. Arurrav, “would it not bo a good idea to concrete the back wall another two feet up, making it absolutely watertight?” Air Hooker said that the trouble in the recent flood lay in huge boulders which crashed into the concrete Avail and smashed it. Protection Was needed higher up.