WELLINGTON DRAINAGE SCHEME.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1190, 21 December 1894, Page 32

WELLINGTON DRAINAGE SCHEME.

y ■ * f .THE TUNNEL COMMENCED,

On Tuesday afternoon the retiring Mayor (Mr A. de B. Brandon) performed the ceremony of “ turning the first sod ” in connection with the drainage tunnel, in Douro avenue, off Coromandel street, Newtown. Although the weather was anything but favourable for such a function, there was a good attendance of ladies and gentlemen. Amongst those present were the Mayor-elect (Mr C. M. Luke), Councillors L. L. Harris, J. B. Harcourt, C. Tatum, C. W. Tanner, F. Penty, W. Barber, F H. Fraser, G. Anderson, Messrs J. E. Pao-e (Town Clerk), G. Wiltshire (City Surveyor), T. F. Martin (City Solicitor), W. Ferguson and H, P. Higginson (Consulting Engineers), R. L. Mestayer (Drainage Engineer), R. C. Kirk (Mayor cf Petone), J. W. Foster (Town Clerk of Melrose Borough Council), Councillors Kershaw and Wright (Melrose), Rev W. C. Waters, Messrs J. Collins, S. Brown, C.F. Worth, J. Duthie, M.H.R., and others. The proceedings were opened by tbe Mayor,, who said that the function of that day was of the utmost significance when the history of the city of Wellington in regard to its drainage was considered. For many years the City Council was inundated with advice professional and amateur, some of which was paid for and some not, till at -last it was unable to move in any direction ■without" Being confronted .by foes to the particular scheme for the time being under consideration. Hence the extreme vacillation which for many years characterised the proceedings of the Council. At last the citizens became thoroughly alarmed on account of the increase of typhoid fever, and assisted in a large degree by a body now defunct, called the Sanitary Reform Association, the City Council was able to submit a definite scheme ; but even then many people were apathetic, and others regarded the proposals for drainage as a excuse for drawing money out of the pockets of the ratepayers, and inconsequence of that apathy and opposition* it became necessary to apply to Parliament for special enabling powers. The result, however, was that by the energy and determination of his predecessors in the mayoral chair, assisted by the members of the City Council, he was able that day to commence the most important link in the drainage scheme—the tunnel connecting the town with Cook Strait. The place on which they were standing did not mark the position of the tunnel itself, but the position of a shaft which would at first be used in connection with the excavation of the tunnel, and ultimately for its ventilation. The shaft would not then be open to the street; it would be closed about 6ft below the road by concrete slabs on iron rails, and from the top of the shaft thus closed a line of 24in pipes would, be led to the crest of the hill on the town belt, and there connected with a brick shaft carried to such a height as will effectually prevent any trace oi sewer air being perceptible. The shaft at the point where they stood would be 112 ft in depth, and, with two other shafts 99ft and 106 ft deep, would give . six additional faces at which the work of excavation could be carried on. With a population of 75,000 the flow of sewage would be about 2000 cubic feet per minute, and as the outfall sewer from the tunnel to the sea would have a capacity of about 33 per cent, additional, provision could be made for taking the sewage from Kilbirnie and the neighbourhood. The line of the tunnel was between that proposed by Mr Higginson and that proposed by Messrs Cuthbert and Ferguson, and the alteration in route had been the cause of a considerable saving in cost, this present contract

having been let for .£16,500 as against the sum of <£26,500 in the original estimates. The total amount expended by the drainage department up to date was about <£23,500, of which <£19,850 had been spent upon work done, the amount of salaries chargeable against this work (exclusive of the salaries of the Consulting and Drainage Engineers) being <£6lo, or only 3.67 per cent. The plans of the intercepting sewer were complete and the draft specification prepared, so that the contract would be let early next year. So far all the work had been done within the estimated rates, but he was not in a position to say definitely that the scheme would be completed with the funds now in hand. They might have possibly to be supplemented from the general revenue, because it had been found necessary to do many things which were not contemplated at the time the estimates were prepared. The Mayor defended the sanitary by-law, saying that no person could honestly and authoritatively say that any single requirement of such a by-law could be safely dispensed with. The city, he said, was to be congratulated on having a_Council eager to govern the city properly, and _ which, except for an occasional disposition to play fast and loose with their own building bylaws, did so govern it; on having in each branch of its service a staff of officers thoroughly competent, and whose one idea was to serve the city faithfully and zealously, and last, but not least, in having the contract for the works to be commenced that day undertaken by gentlemen who had already established for themselves a reputation for straightforward and honest work. , The Mayor then, with a new miners pick, turned the earth at the spot where the shaft is to be sunk, and then amidst applause declared that iC the work on the contract had begun/’ Mr C. 'M. Luke said that the work marked an epoch in the history of the city. Nothing was so important to the citizens as a good drainage scheme. The statement made by the Mayor proved that the councillors had been zealous and earnest, and that they had arrived at such a point in so great a work redounded to their credit. Following in the footsteps of a gentleman who had proved such a capable Mayor he approached the position with a great feeling of responsibility. He, however, hoped with the help of the Councillors and the citizens that he would be able to carry on the work the retiring Mayor had been so much interested m ’Mr S. Brown' said that the Mayor had asked him to make a few remarks as a former Mayor who had taken a great interest in the drainage of the city, but his modesty had prevented him from saying that he was the active spirit in getting the Sanitary Reform Association formed. This Association had done a great deal in drawing public attention to the want of a proper system of drainage for the city. As a contractor, he could say that the work so far had been done in a most satisfactory manner, and that the question of deciding how many people should live in a limited area would have to be faced sooner or later. ’ ' * This terminated the ceremony, and at the request of the Mayor, the ladies and. gentlemen present partook of afternoon tea in a marquee which had been erected close by. . / , .. .