SPRINGFIELD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 9493, 15 August 1891, Page 2

SPRINGFIELD.

THE RAILWAY WORKS, [from our own correspondent.]

The progress made by Messrs J. and A, Anderson with their Springfield railway contract has, considering the heavy nature of portions of the work, been extremely rapid. The immense block cuttings on the banks of the Kowai and various creeks are now all but completed,, and consequently the number of hands has been considerably reduced of late. Since the work was taken in hand eighteen months ago the weather has been remarkable for Its fineness. I don’t think the men can have lost, on account of unfavourable weather, two successive days, and for months at a stretch they nave not lost a single day. This, besides being gratifying to the wage-earners, has proved signally favourable to the contractors, enabling them to get ahead advantageously and expeditiously. It is understood, by the way, that Messrs Anderson have taken an additional contract to form the approaches to Paterson’s Creek, where their present contract ends, and also to put in the foundations for the bridge. This undertaking will, from the great height of the bridge as proposed, be a work of considerable magnitude. Considering the unique structural form of the bridge which is being placed across the Kowai, one and a hair miles from Springfield, a few details respecting it may be of interest. The style is that known as the Kanzua pier, and the bxidgo will be the first of the kind in New Zealand, if not in Australasia; although in America, and also in Russia, bridges in this form have been in use for some years. The total length of the bridge is 450 ft, and from' the river-bed to the rails the height is 63ft. There are four 83ft spams, and four 80ft alternating. A foundation, has been obtained by sinking .columns of cylinders in the river-bed, which is purely of gravel, to a depth of 20ft. These cylinders stand 10ft out of the water, and are filled throughout with concrete. On these the Kanzua columns, 45ft in length, and which carry the bridge, are placed. The Kanzua columns, or pillars, are of wrought iron, hollow, cylindrically shaped and formed of four ribs securely riveted together over the entire length. They weigh five tons, and a set of four forms a pier. Although slender to look at, the structure, when every portion is braced together, will present a combination of strength and elegance in appearance. The girders, which are 6ft Gin in depth, are placed on top of the Kanzua columns, and, with cross girders and rail beams, complete the bridge. The placing in position of the iron work is under the efficient supervision of Mr A. H. Alabaster, who has been for years in the employ of Messrs Anderson. A week ago there was an interesting feature of the work in progress. Tnis was the launching of the first columns. The wire cables for the purpose have a breaking strain of one hundred tons, and although some difficulty was experienced in finding suitable anchorage in the newly-formed earth embankments to bear the strain, Mr Robertson, who has much and varied experience in works of this nature, soon solved the point, and the work was successfully carried out.