THE OTIRA TUNNEL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13691, 6 March 1908, Page 5

THE OTIRA TUNNEL.

PROGRESS OF THE WORK

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Christchurch, Thursday. The Otira correspondent of the Christchurch Press writes:—"Mr. Leslie Reynolds brought the survey of the Punch Bowl to a successful termination at the er.d of last week, and the work of clearing tax d forming the route of the pipe line will to put in hand immediately. The tunnel portion of this work will also be commenced at an early date. The starting-point of (he drive will be some 740 ft above the river bed, and it is estimated to secure in the driest season some 12 heads of water, which, with the great altitude of the intake, will be quite sufficient to generate B'jOhorse power. On the Otira end work generally is being pushed; ahead with vigour, and the Holts creek pipe line tikes a more definite shape as the days go by.

The contractors have been fortunate in securing a fine piece of bush some six miles from Otira. This particular strip of forest land contains some splendid birch, as •straight as the proverbial arrow, and of a very serviceable length. Men are now busy felling these trees and conveying them to the bridge sites up Holts creek, there to be utilised in the construction, of the bridges to carry the water mains. The general aspect of the tunnel approach is much !be same as hist week, there being no sign of the solid country so far. The heavy jain of Sunday, Monday, and. Tuesday brought down a. quantity of loose material, but a day or two will see things squared up again. Six inches of rain fell during Sunday, and as a natural consequence the Otira was running a banker. Beyond x slip or two of no moment no damage is reported, and the coaches 'left for Broken River en Monday afternoon. Some of the older hands here declare it to be the biggest volume of water seen in the Otira River for the past eight years.