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New Zealand Mail, Issue 866, 5 October 1888, Page 28

Another Southern work, beside the Seacliff Asyluip, which has been the subject of njjicji newspaper writing and of contradictory reports, is tfie proposed plan for avoiding tfie dangerous cliffs overhanging tfie sea on the Ofirist-chnrch-Dupedin railway between Waitati and Purakanui. A number of rival schemes have been suggested, several being by amateurs who have evidently not made themselves acquainted with the conditions to be faced. All, however, have been duly considered by the authorities. Among the plans investigated was that urged so earnestly by Dr Caughtrey in the columns of a southern comtemporary. It

is not necessary to -review them in detail. Suffice it to'say that the proposal, so much favoured by many persons, that a new line should be made direct from Dunedin to Waitati, starting by the North East .Valley, -Would necessitate a tunnel no less, than five and a half miles long to give practicable grades, so that although the distance to Waititi would be shortened by several miles, this tremendous work puts the plan out of the question. The Colcny could not-afford it. A short tunnel just to clear the most dangerous part of the cliff is' the alternative that, -will most probably be adopted. From what has appeared in some papers on this subject, there seems to be a misconception about the route proposed for the new tunnel. It is not intended to take it in a direct line, cutting off the great curve that sweeps round .the cliffs after leaving the bay near Waitati. This, it is true, would save some miles of distance ar d avoid the perilous. cliffs, but the expense would be large, and there is a still more serious objection. By such a deviation mo practicable grade could be obtained workable—that is to say by the locomotives , ordinarily in use on the line. It would involve long gradients of about 1 in 30, and that would mean always having powerful pilot engines in steam on that spot to “ bank up ” the trains. It would in fact be something like inserting a Rimutaka . incline in the middle of the Dunedin-Christchurch line/ and that is deemed undesirable: It may be worth while to add that some of the engineers regard the clamour that has been raised as to the extreme peril of the passage round the cliffs as being quite uncalled for, and the peril itself as very remote, if hot largely imaginary. It is true that the late unprecedented rains have caused exceptional slips, but that might happen anywhere that extensive cuttings have to ? .be made, and a little facing down of the cliff will remove all reasonable • risk of slips from above now that the weak point has revealed itself. Another point oh which the engineers are very clear is that the route round the cliff was on the whole the best and most economical one: The current report that ic was chosen through political influencemainly that of the late Mr Macandrew, who is said to have sought to benefit his constituency, Port Chalmers,by the railway expenditure-—is declared on high authority to be groundless: The engineers declare that the route was chosen after most careful consideration and investigation as the one which rendered feasible the least costly mode of construction with the: easiest gradients/arid that even in the fight of subsequent experience it still remains the best route,taking eVery tbingin to consideration. The proposed new tunnel will be less than a .quarter of q mile in length: and -the entire) cost of the fresh works contemplated will be by no means heavy, while it'is - believed that they will answer every practical purpose.