EAST COAST RAILWAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22983, 10 March 1938, Page 16

EAST COAST RAILWAY

NORMAL WORK SCHEDULE REPAIRING FLOOD DAMAGE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF CAMPS [BY TELEGRAPH OWN CORRESPONDENT]! GISBORNE, Wednesday Railway construction work in the neighbourhood of Bartlett's camp and south of that camp as far as the Tiki-whata-Waiau tunnel portal is proceeding on the normal schedule again after the interruption caused by the dislocation of transport due to the flooding last month.'At the side of Boyd's camp, which .was inundated by flood waters brought down by the Mangakotukutuku and Maraetnha streams on February 19, preparations nro being made to re-establish the workers and their families in huts placed almost on the road level, well above that at which the workers dwelt prior to tho flooding. A good safety margin is also being applied to the re-establishment of No. 4 camp in the Kopuawhara Valley, the scene of the greatest tragedy in Jhe history of the Public Works Department. Investigations of the causes of tho flooding have been carried out and reports are to be forwarded to the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple. The rehabilitation of tho works near Boyd's camp has proceeded well during the past fortnight, a new ford having been constructed over the Mangakotukutuku creek and the crushing plant at the low level having been cleared and put into operation again. It is expected that a slight deviation of the railway line will be made in this locality in order to provide for an increased margin of safety for the approaches of one of the small bridges in tho Kopuawhara Valley. Attention is still concentrated upon the re-establishment of the service road between camps Nos. 3 and 4, where the flood completely obliterated the road on short sections and did many thousands of pounds' worth .of damage.