OTIRA TUNNEL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 6 August 1923, Page 5

OTIRA TUNNEL.

OPENING CEREMONY.

A NEW EEU

(BY Tisi>i;GßA?H —PKESS ASSOCIATION * CHRISTCHURCH, Au<r 4 A couple of big A.B. engines drawing teii cars set out from Ohristehurch station this morning on the four and a half hours' journey to Otira, carrying the visitors to the opening of Arthur's Pass tunnel. West Coasters in force met the train at Arthur's Pass and gave the East Coasters a rousing re^ ception. There was much handshaking, cheering and jubilation, and the township itself was decorated^ and presented a pretty scene in its snowsettings. The, Christchurch train arrived at Otira at 1.50 p.m., fifty minutes late. The delay was due to the Westland train being held up in the tunnel -for twenty-three minutes. between Otira and Arthur's Pass on account of a minor fault in the overhead wires ,

It had been raining heavily at Otira, but it cleared after mid-day. Mr. Massey had a great ovation when he entered the crowded power-house at Otira. Mr. Ma-s'sey said it was & great pleasure to think -that this little country had the biggest tunnel in.Australasia, the biggest in the British Empire, and the seventh biggest in the world. He expected a great deal of traffic through the tunnel. There was more hard coal in Westland than in ail the rest of New Zealand, and the tinw. ber resources, too, were magnifieent.-'Tf he were any judge the passenger traffic would be tremendous. • ■

-/ The Hon.-J. G, Cbates saidcthe event J signalled a neyera iij ihe opening of direct ..communication in trade and industry aad of interchange of primary products between the West and East coasts, of the South Island. . In the celebration they should remember the efforts and devotion of the; men who had carried' through this great work to ' its conclusion. They should let goodwill.apply to all, from the humbles!;*.' worker to .the skilled engineer. Sir Joseph "Ward said the eommun-r. ity- to-day had a lot to thank ths pioneers for, particularly the late Mr.- . R. J. Seddon, who had fought all along for the tunnel. . . . v■ . ■ '_^. . Mr; T. M. Wilford said the railways . of the Dominion must' be electrified, particularly in suburban areas, to re- *'• lieve the congestion of the cities. Messrs. H. E. Holland, G. W. Forbes.' J. O'Brien, Al.P.'s, and Mr. T. E. Y. Seddon also spoke. At 3.40 p.m. the "people boarded the Christ church train, which Mr. Coates drove through the ribbon held by the tunnel workers. f '-.... - ...

When Mr. Massey appeared again on the Otira railway station, prior to the departure of the train on the return journey to Christchurch, he was presented with a comraeraorative medal byMr. .T. Hoslaiul, x>f Springfield. The medal, which was of a large size ati'3 solid gold, bore an engraved .inscription relating to the opening of the tunnel. Mr. Massey thanked Mr. Hogland most sincerely for the presentation, and said he took off his hat every time to the pioneers of the Coast. Opt: Mr. Massey's call hearty cheers weref then given for the pioneers of the Coast and for the returned soldiers

Heavy rain started to fall just as th'©;> train was leaving on the return to. Christchurch. . Considerable delay "'occurred before the train got away. The insulation in the tunnel^ was still giving trouble, and it was "not until 5, 20 p.m. that the train^ after several false starts, finally got under way/ The return journey through the^svrwiel was; made without v stoppage in twenty-one minutes and C&ristehurch was reached at 9.25 p.m.,. over two hours behind scheduled timte. Th«=r whole delay was,caused.by -the trouble .experienced with the. electrical equipment in tihe tunnel,. ,a^;. JAtiiS Ari turnwas caused, by Unty^tmMstfoYi^ &ns, ■ it was stated,- to .the- danip' oonditioijs"; prevailing/" ' ' ■■•*'■• ■'■"■ '-;:'-' ■''':?;'-; .■:"'

Th*> ba«qiiet organised by the Canterbury Progress; League was a. fitting conclusion to a day ol memorable iuna- v tions. Nearly three hundred were present. Mr. W. K. McAlpine, presi- x dent of the league, presided, aa-i! had • on his right Mr. Massey and on Jiis left Mr. Coates. Sir Joseph Ward was on Mr .Massey's right: . Mr. Massey, on rising to propose the toast of a "United Canterbury and Westland," was enthusiastically cheered", the ovation concluding with "For He's a. Jolly Good Fellow." In tho «ourse of his speech .Mr. Massey said he ha;d been delighted to notice that tho-; whole of the. machinery connected -with the electrical working of the tunnel wo*- * British made. It was thoroughly up^ to-date and would compare favourably with any machinery made for the purpose in any other part of the world.' •