The Lyttelton Times

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 613, 22 September 1858, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times

Wednesday, September 22. It is curious, now that fine weather has restored something like solidity to the surface of the earth, to observe the results in different parts of our highways and thoroughfares of the late prolonged contest with the elements. We have not now, as then, a constant brown carpet of mud to gaze upon, in which- the. deepest slimiest depth was made known only to the experienced traveller by the greater smoothness, the treacherous evenness of its liquid surface. We can see now the pitfalls, bare and dry; the tough, white-baked, lumpy field of mud-crusts, like pack ice, indicating the position of a late unfathomable slough; the little hillock or the" thin ridge of a yard or two—all that remains of the original road—pared down by cart wheels, hard put to it to maintain existence, and preserved most likely from destruction only by the ruin of its old associates who have been buried in the great impassable mud-gulf which washed its own borders. The real state of,'the road is exhibited, as a horse purchased in sleek condition off a spring pasture shows his points when brought into hard summer exercise. We see the bones and muscles, the good points and the bad.

The conditions under which a road becomes worn out seem to be, as far as present observation is a guide, first, an absence of provision for taking off quickly the water' which falls upon it or flows over it—second, a want of metal. The examples before our eyes go to prove that for the support of traffic on a level surface, both drainage and metal are required, and that one is thrown away without the other. Let us see what we have saved out of the flood; let us enumerate our killed, wounded, and missing after three months battle with the element of water. It will be enough for our purpose to take the two towns and the road irom one to the other. In Lyttelton there is a constant cart traffic along four streets, one of which is drained and metalled. This (Oxford Street) exhibits scarcely a sign of injury, except where the drainage of the street has been thrown upon and cut up the footways. Norwich Quay was once metalled, but the coating had become much

trary, water from the streets above poured copiously upon it; this street at the conclusion of wet weather was accordingly full of holes.

worn, and there was no drainage j on the con-

Canterbury Street had the drainage which its natural slope afforded; but, not being metalled, the .water took its course on any portion of the road which ife chose, and made the ruts ten times worse than ever they were before (which is saying a good deal). London-street had been neither metalled nor provided with natural or artificial drainage. It therefore presented to the observer during the rain a lake of standing watei*, whose shores were formed of spongy clay, nine inches in depth; since the rain, this street, drying rapidly, has become coated with several inches of dust. We must remark, before leaving Lyttelton, that Norwich Quay is nearly reduced to apple-pie order, being in course of formation into the semblance of a very neat street, of level and smooth surface, besides having that surface covered with thick and (literally) very heavy metal. i The bridle path, one part excepted, seems to have made less of the rainy weather than other roads. During the wet months it was, as it always is in rain, coated with slippery mud, but maintaining a sound foundation, like a scraping of butter over a hard crust of bread. After drying up there are few symptoms of the rain's effects, except where the neglected, broken, perhaps maliciously destroyed memorial of an absent lady, wife of our founder, and one always bearing Canterbury in affectionate remembrance, has been suffered by us, instead of collecting the drops of the hillside fountain for the wayfarer's refreshment, to turn its waters into a slough across the highway. There being no cart traffic over the hill, its tolerably good condition is not a criterion of what may be done without metal. But where the road has to bear the carts and dips into the hollow, we find terrikle evidences of late disasers. Here there was neither drainage nor metal, except in patches. Prom the Perry to the Quay with both one and the other the road is as sound as a bell, but the coating of metal appears to have been nearly worn through. A yard beyond the Quay, where last year's [metalling ceased, the road has not yet recovered; here its condition during the rain must have been frightful. We were surprised at the very feeble efforts made, when fine weather began, to make the road ship-shape, until the late advertisements of the Government proved that this, as well as other main trunk lines, is to receive at pnce a large share of attention and new votes — i. c. to be taken in hand in earnest. We are informed from authority that the tenders advertised for for the repairs of this thoroughfare will be accepted if offered either for the whole or for portions of the work, as may be most advantageous. Though bad roads are our greatest annoyance, and^ public works our most serious concerns, it is a remarkable fact that more jokes come to light on this than on any other subject. The following sent Vy o. friend, is .a specimen, of jocularity and suggestion joined in an EPIGRAM.

To metal the roads, means (at least so I 'm told) That the Government on them should lay down their gold. Bell-metal on trial the best might be found To set up a toll and make bad places sound!