HARNESSES THE WAIMAKARIRI.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12423, 12 February 1901, Page 7

HARNESSES THE WAIMAKARIRI.

TO THE EDITOK. Sir,~-iA pubic meeting has been : (held, Jaiunerous letters iba/ve. appeared in th© newspapers, the experts have spoken, the Jasb, Mr G. P. Williams, -winding up with the statement, "I* -would bo as foolish to under-rate it (that is tike. Waiinakariri) aa , to uEa'der-arate the Boers, and it is about as- ? easy to conquer." This surely is a damper ■when -we reflect that our little trouble with Ifche Dutch farmers as likely to cost us soma three hundred Diillkm odd. I think, also, that, so far, the scheme for fiojroessing the "Waimakariri has fceeoi under- .' estimated, both as to the expenditure and ■ ijihe advantages to be derived from the com- ■ Jpleted -work.. All your correspondents so * far appear to me to be wedded to the old- * (fashioned idea that the -water must be- con- ■ Iveyed from the river by a -water-race run- ■ bing along the steep, friable face of the ter- ; brace, bo as to get the necessary fall for the ' jtnrbines. This plan appears to be expen- * fcLve and unreliable, on account of damage \ Jfrom floods and slips, and the accumulation '' tof gravel at the intake. Any damage arising in this way, as you yourself and one jof your correspondents pointed, out, would • be fatal to the success of the undertaking, ks once started, the continuity of the power brast be maintained. '' Why not tackle the rivar in another way? In your issue of Saturday we are informed j »y cable that in connection with the irrigation works in Egypt, the Messrs Aird, of > Glasgow, had succeeded in closing the last jcbannel of the Nile, and that it was possible jto walk across on foot. Is there any reason ,why the Waimakariri should not be treated $n "a, similar way? It appears to me to be 1 jquite feasible to erect a dlam or embanfc- ' ineht' in a suitable part of the narrow, (rocky gorge. There ds jjb'undance qf the , raw- material, both rock and .gravel, • close ■ ibyvthat could be used for the work. • -In this . way^a.fall of from 50ft to.lOOft could be , easily-obtained, and it is only a matter of 'detail t the; l providing of , the necessary sluices,flood-gates, or overflows to allow the flood waters to pass. The advantages of, such, a scheme would be many arnd important. (1) The necessary fall could be obtained at once, and the expense in forming* and maintaining a canal, .- or wat&r-raee, .avoided. (2) The accumula- ,:" tion-of gravel could from timei to time be ! i speedily got rid of by opening the sluices [.- at' the .bottom. (3) The, penstocks for .the turbines could he constructed in the embank- : meat. The whole of the;water o£ the i liver could be used when the river was low. ' '(5) The water would be raised permanently to a higher level, which: would .greatly 'facEi- ; v 'tate the supply of water to the present water-races. (6) A lake for boating or fish- - ing would be provided, and in this lake • sevjerail miles in lemgtlh, sufficient wfate 'could be stored to supply the turbines when 'the river was at the lowest through a long ipell of frosty weather in the ranges. | M'sonie such works were carried out, probably sufficient motive power could be obtained to supply the whole of North) and - Central Canter bury, not only Christ churchy 'bub air the freezing works, woollen mills, dairy factories and creameries, including .the lighting of the smaller towns,.and the . 'power required by them for other purposes • :could be supplied. To finance and oarry , |out such a scheme a Board, representing the whole district, on similar lines to the present Water-supply Boards, could be brought into operation. No doubt the expense would i be considerable, but if old Egypt can successfully throw a dam across their great river, .so as to raise the level of. the water to ! irrigate the higher parts of the country, I eurely we, ill progressive New Zealand, could do the same to a comparatively small river like the Waimakariri. I must apologize for taking up so much of _ .your space, but the importance of the mat: • ' "ter, and the fear that," with the present tern-- ' Sper of the community, some half-measures ' ' !ef some kind-might be adopted .which might be disastrous to the succtss of the undertaking, has induced me to do so.—l am) etc.,. QC.K.R,