HOMER TUNNEL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22722, 7 May 1937, Page 12

HOMER TUNNEL

AVALANCHE TROUBLE TWO DANGEROUS PLACES SUGGESTED SAFEGUARDS Statements flint, unless special provision is made trouble is always likely to occur from avalanches not only at the present mouth of the Homer Tunnel, which has been the scene of two disastrous avalanches, causing loss of lite, hut also at the place proposed for the opposite end of the tunnel, are made by mountaineers familiar with the district and its peculiar liability to large snow and rock slides. It is explained that in the Hollyford district in which the work is being carried out the mountains are not really high, the chief peaks. Crosscut, Talbot and Christina, running from about 7000 to 8000 feet. On the other hand the valleys are deeply cut by glacier action, while the ridges are steep. Snow accumulates oil these and then pours off just as in minor degree snow comes off the steep pitch of a roof. Accumulation of Broken Rock By the mouth of the tunnel there is a huge accumulation of broken rock formed by avalanches. The cliff face from which it has come or over which it has been carried must be quite .'3OOO feet ill height and above is a large slope that, while not technically a glacier, is very similar, huge masses of frozen snow being always present.

Fresh snow falling on this, or which plasters itself against the cliff face, must eventually come down, but there are no danger signs to indicate when the snow will actually slide. Snow might pile up in great quantities before its weight causes it to break free. On the other hand, fresh snow might fall on frozen snow and slide off very soon after being deposited. But the point is that there are periods of the year when the vicinity of the tunnel mouth is a highly dangerous place. Further, while the cliff face is fairly clean rock, there is always the danger that rain and the action of frosts will bring down big quantities of rock to the road below. The presence of the huge masses of broken rock near the tunnel mouth, the cascading stream near by, formed from the meltage from the perpetual snow slope 3000 feet above, should sufficiently indicate to anyone familiar with mountains the dangers that may develop. The opinion was also expressed that the proposed spot where the tunnel is to emerge is almost equally as dangerous as the present mouth, there being rock slide present and every other indication of avalanche tracks. Snow Storms Throughout Year Climbers consulted expressed the view that there would always be some risks associated with the roadway although in certain periods of the year, except in bad weather, these might be slight. It had to be understood that snow was liable to fall at any period of the year, intense blizzards with high velocity winds coming up from the Antarctic. One man in order to illustrate that fact said that in an adjoining district in a high climbing camp, over 7000 feet up, two companions and he had been held for seven days unable to move while a blizzard raged. New Year's Day fell in this period of severe storm. The fact that it was not mountain practice to do any really high climbing after Easter was because avalanches then became prevalent, especially on the eve of winter, when much unconsolidated snow was inclined to break away. These facts were important in relation to the undertaking of the tourist road and tunnel.

It was the considered opinion of men who had climbed in the Hollvford district that trouble at each end of the tunnel would periodically occur unless for some distance the roadway were protected bv overhead cover and diverting walls, such as were provided on many mountain roads in such countries as Switzerland. However, such overhead cover would have to be of extremely solid construction.