WELLINGTON AND MANAWATU RAILWAY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 656, 19 September 1884, Page 1 (Supplement)

WELLINGTON AND MANAWATU RAILWAY.

THE PAIKAKARIKI SECTION. No more beautiful drive could be desired or conceived than the one between Wellington city and beach on the other side of PaiKakariki. Given you have pleasant, genial company, a bright, sunlit, spring New Zealand morning, and are seated behind; good cattle,, whose task, judging from the manner in which they spank along,, is a pleasure, ana no greater treat could be vouchsafed one could imagine to mortal man, here below at any ratm Such a one was accorded to a member of tbe New Zealand Times staff on Saturday last by Mr Samuel Brown, the contractor of a section

of the Wellington and Manawatu RailwayCompany, lying between Pukarua and Paikakariki. It was the monthly pay day, and consequently there would be an opportunity of seeing the section at its best and worst. Leaving town just at sunrise, we soon arrived at No. 1, or Mr Saunders’ contract, which we are informed is completed with the exception of laying the rails. Just before the line reaches the high road, the gradient commences to steepen, and continues to rise until it is lost to view at Kaiwarra. We still follow the Hutt-road and turn off when Ngahauranga is reached, where we leave the main road and take the one to Pahautanui. The railway line is again struck at Johnsonville, which hamlet, by the way, has evidently profited,, temporarily only though, perhaps, by the railway works in its midst. New houses and stores are to be seen here and there, and a new publichouse ba3 been opened, though why the licensing bench should have considered it for the convenience of the public, passeth all understanding. The general prosperity of the place has even warranted the expenditure of a coat of paint on the Halfway Hotel. The sun is well up as we reach Johnsonville, and we have a good opportunity of seeing this portion of the works which are. completed, and now only require ballasting to be ready for the rails. A pretty little roadside station ha 3 been erected here. We just managed to catch a glimpse of the viaduct, as we rounded a corner, before arriving at Tawa Flat, and could just see the cuttings at a distance, some of which appear to be pretty heavy. Newly-formed railed works are nothing like so pleasant to townsfolks’ eyes, however, as are the pleasant hedgerows of haw-haw or yellow blossoming gorse through which we pass, recalling the lovely country roads of Old England. Snug little farm houses and “ smiling homesteads ’’ are to be seen everywhere. Peace and prosperity, if not wealth, are evidently the characteristics of the settlements hereabout.. After|leaving Porirua, we soon reach Parramatta and come to Henderson’s contract, which includes the iron pier bridge across a portion of the bay. We now lose sight of the line, which we shall see no more till we reach the other side of the big hill. Poor Pahautanui, with its old colonial history, for it has a history, and a tragic one, too ; its traditions and its settlers are left out in the cold, so far a 3 railway accommodation is concerned, the line branching off to the left of the township. Pahautanui was in the early days of the settlement a military station, and here the old Gsth Regiment fought several bloody fights with tbe Maoris. Just across the bay, some years since, were to be seen traces of Maori rifle pits, and the graves of those who fell in more than one sanguinary affair. We have no time, however, for any more memories of the past. Ours is an onward, a thoroughly utilitarian age—“ an age of companies,’’ as Mr T. K. Macdonald truly says. We get through that bit of sterile country between Pahautanui and Blackey’s, at Horikiwi, as rapidly as we can manage it, and having made a short halt, moved on up the hill. Those who have travelled over Paikakariki know its ever-varying beauties, and those who have never been over this little eminence, with its tortuous, narrow winding road, which with difficulty affords room for two vehicles to pass each other, its wooded heights and valleys covered with foliage of every possible hue, the admonition is go and go at once—the chances are never many —for the shrieking locomotive will not pass this beautiful specimen of New Zealand scenery. All pleasures must oome to an end, as our drive, alas ! does when we arrive at the Paikakariki Hotel, where we must take the line on foot. The township is not a very extensive one, but to those who are working on Brown’s contract it is not only regarded as a place of some commercial importance, but it is an absolute necessity. It is the depot for their tucker, and on “ pay night ” it is visited by those who on pleasure bent “ knock down ” the greater portion of their money after the “ tucker bill ” or the boardinghouse keeper, has been settled. Besides the inn, there is a baker’s shop, a butcher’s stall, a cobbler’s ditto, and a store under the management of Mr F. Grßville, in which is sold everything from bread to boots, from cake to coats, and from sngar to stockings. There will be a station here just behind the hotel, and a large railway yard for the engines, which so far have brought the train up steep inclines, and which will be changed for lighter ones, and such as are run on level country. Mr S. Brown’s contract extends from Pukarua to Paikakariki, the length being 5 miles 60 chains, the price being £60,748. The section is.to be completed in 18 months from the signing of the contract, in default of which a penalty or £l5O per week may be enforced. The No. 15 contract designated the Paikakariki contract starts at 21 miles 35 chains, and terminates at 26 miles 19 chains, being 4 miles 54 chains. The contract terminates a few chains, beyond the hotels, where the station yard is being levelled. Here the engine will change. (De.ing a different class for the hill). From this point, for near two miles the line is on the flat, with a ridge of sandhills below it and the sea whenever the sand is, but the surface is covered with sods and earth to prevent the sand blowing. The railway is level with the mam road in front of the hotel. From thence it ascends by easy grades to the first tunnel , from this to the top where the line crosses the low saddles at Pukarua, the grade is more steep. being Ift rise in 66. The camp at Pukarua being about 200 ft above the sea, the line rising that distance in about four miles. There , are six tnnnels on the line,, the longest being 300 yards, the shortest 70, the one nearest the hotel/or No. 13. being the shortest as well as the hardest. It is nearly half done. The othera are all being excavated, three of them, from both ends, a drive of about 7xß being put through first in order to get a road through, so that all the tunnels could if necessary be kept going with bricks for the lining. This arrangement will save much time in the exe-

cution of the work. On the flat at Pukarna is the contractor’s camp. Here is erected a extensive brickmaking plant, which is capable of making about 10,000 bricks per day The brickmaking is under th ® ch * rg ? ? £ . ¥* Considerable thought bad to be exercised in the brick machine, as it was necessary to get one suitable to the clay. After careful consideration, Mr Brown made a combination which does the work in a_ most satisfactory manner. The machine consists of a set of rollers to crush the clay, with a pugmill underneath to pug it, from whence it is forced from the mouth the size of a brick, carried by rollers on to a table which cuts off 10 bricks at every stroke. There are eight sheds for drying, each 140tt long, three kiln 3 for burning, each capable of holding 50,000, so that one kiln will be always burning, one being filled, and one' o® ,n S emptied. The works are so arranged that all the material is travelling down hill, and the kilns are on the edge of the line, so that bricks can be taken out of the kilns into a truck, and run down where wanted without a second hauling. Water (of which only about a pint 13 put to every barrow load of clay) is brougb in pipes by gravitation. The wood is cut on the ground. The burning of the bricks has only recently started, and first-class bricks are being turned out. It is remarkable to notice the solidity of the machine-made bricks in comparison with hand-made. Tne burning, which is considered the critical part of brick makiDg, is under the care of Mr Banks, a veteran brickmaker who seems to make tunnels his specialty, having made bricks for Brassey, on the Paris and Rouen Railway thirty-five years ago, as well as the Lytteltcn tunnel. The engine for driving the machinery is 12 h.p., with 20 b.p. boiler. All machinery had to be designed so as to be launched from a surf boat, as it could not be got round the beach ; the boiler had the tubes plugged up and floated ashore. Where the machinery is fixed is about 200 feet above the beach from whence the material is hauled up by a whim and inclined tramway, 11 chains long, with a trolley and steel rope. On the beach is a large space for storing goods, also surf boats for landing cement and other material, a large portion of which has been landed, the work being done under the supervision of Captain Pope of the Tui, whose large experience of surfliDg, was most valuable. There is also a telephone established on the works, having communication with Wellington. This is found of great service, as well for conducting the work as for sending instructions for a steamer’s load. In connection with the works there is a Post-office and Savings’ Bank. This, as well as the general supervision of the work, is under Mr John Lughton, Mr Brown, manager. The Post-office and Savings’ Bank is conducted by.Mr Brown for the benefit of the workmen without any charge to the Government. The work was started about the beginning of May. The earthworks are nearly completed. At one time there were about 400 men employed, hneluding about 50 woodcutting. The resident inspector is Mr Foster. This piece is considered the most difficult and important on the line, and yet so carefully does it seem to have been laid off, that Mr Brown expresses his opinion that, so far as he can see, not the slightest alteration id detail or deviation will require to be made. The total contract time is eighteen months, by which time Mr Brown hopes to get the work done. At present there are upwards of 300 men and 25 teams employed, but as soon as the tunnels are opened out, it is anticipated that fully 400 men will be put on-including bricklayers. The job has apparently been prosecuted with the utmost vigor, and the work already performed is something astonishing. The wages men at present employed number upwards of twentyfive, the majority of the men beiog put on by sub-contractors, who, of course, employ their own men. Several of the tunnels and cuttings are let out to small sub-contrac-tors, and the men engaged on these works are quite distinct operatives. JFor instance, the navvies are useful only in constructing embankments and in delving cuttings, while the men engaged in the tunnels are, comparatively speaking, skilled workmen. The latter are more intelligent, and, as a rule, more thrifty than the navvies. Most of the people in the tunnels are either Italians or Austrians, with a sprinkling of English, Irish, and other nationalities. It is a singular fact, and one worth recording, that few Scotchmen are to be found on the works, which is accounted for by the reasonable assertion that Scotchmen, as a rule, prefer to acquire a trade before leaving their native land. The Italians, to a man, state that they gained their experience in tunnelling at Mont Cenis. This assertion is, however, open to doubt. Be this as it may, there is no question that they know how to keep their money, which, unfortunately, is more than can be said of the navvies, who are thorough Bohemians, and, as such, work like slaves, and spend like fools. The contractor, assisted by his manager, went up the line to pay his hands and sub-contractors on Saturday last, and our reporter accompanied them. The trip could not with truth be characterised as a pleasure trip, although, of course, there were ■some oases in this coastal desert. Unless a man possesses the nerve of iron and the feet of a chamois, it would be as well if he stayed at home. The manager took the reporter along the line during the day, for the purpose of “showing him round,” and the former mentioned gentleman, in the process, very nearly succeeded in showing the scribe more than he bargained for. Tracks of about 12in wide overlooking precipices, some of them nearly 300 ft high, though, aDparently, they seemed to be at least 1000 ft above the level of the gea were traversed j and the excitement was still further intensified through the diligence and activity of the navvies, who were ensawed in throwing down stuff ana small boulders on to the narrow pathway. These men knew it was pay-day, and they were equally aware that Mr Lawton, the manager, had a portmanteau in his hand, weighing something like 701 b, and consisting of notes, gold, and silver, and yet until a vigorous cooey or a ear-piercing whistle was sent up by the manager, they obstinately persisted in making us play at hide, and seek behind huge friendly rocks, by hurling nearly as huge masses of stone at us. When,, however, the men condescended to take in the situation, they slid down the sides of the range with immense velocity, and gathered round us and the treasure, which reminded one of the famous picture in the art gallery of the Public Library in Melbourne, wherein the Marquis of Lome and “ Louise ” are depieted as being surrounded bv the bold bandits of the Alps.

It was worth the trouble of watching the different dispositions of the men on the receipt of their month’s money. The contractor would first of all count each man’s pay, which he passed over to the manager, who would go through the same formula. Then the recipient s character would come to the front. Your thorough Bohemian would just cram the notes into one pocket, and the silver into another, whilst others more cautious would depart, a few paces and recount his -‘screw” for himself. In no instance, however, was the slightest inaccuracy in the accounts made, and the recount having been made, his navvyship would struggle up the mountain side like a goat, or into" the cutting, and, taking up his tools, would resume his work. The sub-contractors generally were ready with great canvas bags to hold their money, although there was one “boss” sub-contractor, whose monthly account reached between £SOO and £(300,. who crammed his bundles of £IOO, each in single notes, into his coat and trousers’ pockets. The man informed us that his garments had been specially designed and constructed to hold bundles of notes. This was on the following morning, however, and after spending probably a “ wet ” night in the. township. The view of the Straits from the. hillsides was truly a magnificent one, and will. doubtless prove a source of wonder and delight to visitors from town when the line is completed. The pay-office, in every instance but one, was in the open air and the desk a large boulder. At each pay the sub-contractor or ganger was informed by the contractor that the Government bad established a Post Office Savings Bank at tbe “ Camp,” and .recommended them to induce their men to invest in it. The manager generally contented himself, by a short admonition to “ Look out, and mind anc. turn to on Monday morning.” The works all along the line appear to be in a forward state, and speak well for the enterprise of the shareholders of the company.