NORTHLAND TUNNEL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19032, 1 June 1925, Page 10

NORTHLAND TUNNEL.

INQUIRY AT WELLINGTON. OUTSIDE EXPERTS TO ADVISE. The condition of the Northland tunnel was referred to at a meeting of the Wellington City Council last week. Mr. A. L. Monteith stated that he understood, that a gang of plasterers had visited the tunnel and had plastered up the crack. He did not know that plastering cracks in a tunnel added anything to its strength. The Mayor, Mr. Norwood, stated that ho had asked the Works Committee to give this matter consideration along certain lines. Mr. Monteith suggested the setting up of a special committee. They had Mr. Troup, an architect, Mr. W. H. Bennett, a builder, and Mr. R. Semple, who knew a good deal about tunnel building. He' proposed that these three members bo a special committee to go into the matter and furnish a full report to the council. He understood that even the plan of the tunnel had been altered while the tunnel was in course of construction. Mr. Semple said that he had inspected and reported upon the tunnel. He had found serious cracks over one section, some of which travelled over the crown of the tunnel. Moreover, bars (of wood) had been left in, a thing he had never heard of in the whole of his experience. They could not know what would happen when the pressure was readjusted when the macrocarpa bars rotted away. He would like to have reported the tunnel safe, but he could not do so. It might last a year—it might not last a month. He had not said very much in his report, but could have said a lot—it was the biggest mess up he had ever known. The Mayor favoured an outside committee, as they could noli very well report on their own work. Mr. Semple also favoured an outside committee. . Messrs. Bennett and Troup declined to act on the committee. Filially, on the suggestion. of the Mayor, it was decided to refer the matter to tho Works Committee, with a proposal to obtain a report about the tunnel from an outside committee of , engineers and tunnel experts, preferably from the Public Works Department,.