TURNING THE FIRST SOD OF THE TRAMWAYS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12600, 2 March 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

TURNING THE FIRST SOD OF THE TRAMWAYS.

Tlio Mayor enid tbnt beforo prccc-edin<* wills t!io ccromony of turning (lie first sod ] of i;:" electric tram system it might be as : will if lie tool: his hearers hack to tlio liuio when the corporation purchased the tram 1 service in October, 1801. The service was , purchr.se-d at a cost of £42.881. and at that lira? ovnrything was to pieces as far as the i permanent way was conccrned. A most d:-?-lieartening accident happened just at tint i time, when tho corporation lost 17 of lis : bojt ears by fire. They wow also liaras'ed i a great deal by the dilapidated state of the i plant. At -that time horse feed co.-t some- i thing like £2 per ton. and horses could ha i bought for £12, whereas horse feed was i now £5 per ton, and they had to pay £o0 i for horses. The corporation had also raised | tho wages to tlie extent of £.'OCO per annum ; the increased price of horse feed i , was equal to £2000, and tlio price of borscflesii to £500, making a total additional ' annual charge- of £6500 since- the service was acquired. Tho council, and particularly ' the Tramways Committee, had to thank tho 1 travelling public for tlio great patience they ( bad shown with the present sorvico, and j thus helpins the council in thr-ir difficulties ] in nursing the present scrvico until the dec- ■ trie cars wcrt> running, whicli he hoped would be before very loner.—(Hear, hear.) ] He could assure those present ihst the J trams as they were run now w«<> better ' managed and were more comfortable, and \ that ihey had a bettor clas; of drivers and ' conductors than they ever bad before. As ' to the new scrvico. the City Council had 1 honestly, conscientiously, and carefully gone ] into tho matter, and he cxpc-cled that the ' city woti'd po??e<s s service fit- an estimated cost, of £220.GG0. Tlii'i, of course, 1 ciid not include tho purchase of tlio service. ! As to power, in Wellington and Auckland - steam was to be usod to generate electricity, ' which involved n heavy annual cliaige for 1 up-kcep. The council, by adopting water ' power, would save from £3000 to £1000 p"r 1 annum. This, in years to came, would ' mount up to the cosl of the sorvico. He f v.T.s quite certain that Dunedin would shortly porsess a rno-t up-10-datc- tram { service. Their engineer (Mr Goodman) in , his rcccut trip to Kurons and Amoriea had gained information which would he of tho i uirnost value in the new sc-r-vie?, and he had secured rip ht to use i patents which would make Duncdin trams rnequalled ill the Southern Hemisphere. J Tn connection with the installation, ho ' could, assure them that the financial out- j look was satisfactory, and if the council i wanted a fow thousands to extend the ser- . vice he was quite satisfied the ratepayers ! t would agree to authorise its being raised.—i (Applause.) ' •! j Ills Worship then turned ihe first sod of ' the permanent way. Ho wr.s liicu prese-nted ' by Mr Goodman, on behalf of Noycs 13r05., j j with :i gold spado, bearing the following in- j t scription:— "To ,T. A. Park, E-:q., Mayor! ( of Duncdin, to commemorate the inrainy ! nf the first sod of (lis Duncdin electric i train*. 26/2/03." j J Or Scott, chairman of the, Tramways Com- : mil. '.M, in tho course of a- spccch, said the . j responsibility for flic carrying out and , r MwnWiou jf Ihis wcrlc ro;ld en- , lively upon Mr Roadman, in whom ( ilw cmmnittcc had every ec-nfidnncs. t Tip whole of the plant ha-1 bivu j bought virtually at bedrock prios. He wiw rathe - amused the oilier mc/mng to read in the 0!a;.o Daily Time! an extract from the ' n American Exporter, which r-tni.-d tliat "tho ), electric I r.imway system of Iln.ncdiu. New ,• Zealand, consists very hrpo'y of American v equipment." The statement 'w.-is totally in- | correct. The IVets wre Ih'-se: Hm 'rails v.-erri not made in America, but v.-eiv. coining , from Holginm; the mrs were made bv tlio , Brill Cc.inpa.uy, ill Philadelphia: tho battery t was from Ocrmany, and the whole of the ' ( gen era. to re and dcctrical machinery and j r motors for the cars f-om fircat Britain. L A. Voice: Only one item. ) s Or Scnlt said it was u lar<;o item. The , 1 brak.M were also lwinp; made' in Great Bri- ! s t-iin; Ihe overhead enpnor v.'irc was comin(r , ( i froin America, and'(lie rkencrs from Now - f .South Wales. The temporary steam plant t prnvid-nl would lie sufficient'for a service, j similar to thai being run nt present, but , nL a very rnti—by nrldiuj; one unit— r tliny would bn a hie lo vovl; ihe wlioln of the ' |: eomplclcil service. Titey did not buy . f the coir.pleto plant, as fhev l 1( ,d not come [ i: lo terms with all the suburbs. Tend»rs had t. been called locally tor (he boilers, and thern c was every likelihood thnf local tenders wonid ho ncccpled at a- satisfactory price.—(AnnauFo.) Ho irustc-d that- all the wdmrbnn boroui'hs would assiit in cxpeditint; tlii« important undertaking. Ho had reason to believe that llio completed system could be I finished inside of 16 months if the committor \ a were free to !ro ri?ht on. All tho cars would , a lie here in about two months. He under- i 'I ptood that 27_ cars would bn sufficient for j I the service. Rivini; double (ho present mile- « age, hut'tho committee worn procuring 34, I s and by that means hoped to have ample cars : c for any crush of traffic, hco;tu*n it was tho : r ■ a intention lo do away entirely with- over- | v crowdinir. and io find a seat for everyone li who paid for il.—>'lTonr, her.' 1 .) The car- * house, which was now ncarinc' completion, h would have accomnioilntion for 52 cars. P From the point where ihe gathering were alandins; it was proposed to run a two and fi a-half minute service throujli the city via » ami Princes streets.—(Hear, hear.) i 1 Hi> had put the question to Mr Goodman: a 1-Tow will it tnl.-p a car to run from <i Xormanhy to St. Clair?—the intention was s (o run tlio earn through without a ptop.— a and !\rr Goodman replied that it could easily R be done, and would, he done, under 40 , minutes. At present it tool; 52 minutes, I n not countinu stoppage!!. He believed him-s:-ir. tlien, that when the new system was | l-unniiis a person would , he able lo <;o from ' sn Normai'hv to St. Clair in 35 minutes. Ho '' believed that in Mr Goodman they had a j '1 man who was not only .qualified to carry a! out the work, but capable of Join* it—a ! man who had the mlcreat" of the system at i tl heart, and would make it a success. The ' a' council and the Traimvavs Committee mipbt , t( vnrv well leave the work in Mr Goodman's ■ C hands, dependinpt on liisiability to cavry it w out. to n succebfiil issue. He hoped that ; v: before liinn months were over they would T have Ihe pleasure of inviting the citizens to a ride in the first clccti'io car from the - r i Gardens to the Southern He-servo in Print-en li plroet. He was fully convinced that with T] iudieious management there was every pro- h; liability of the fares being considerably re- cl dnced before the electric system hod been fi working very lons. It. waa the committee's si bops- to confer on the public the boon of w ehc.ii) travelling. Timo was money, and tl rapid transit would 110 a savin? to business ai jieople as well as a pleasure to all. This waa ir one of the things the committee wore aiming li at.—(Applause.) a> Aftor ilio formal ceremony was over the u ladies present were invited to a marquee, p>

where afternoon toa. was' being dispEiiied, and at the invitation of the Mayor and councillors, tlio representatives of other local bodies and others adjourned to another marquee to drink success to the service. Apologies for absence from the day's ceremonies wero here read by the Mayor from tho fallowing: —Bishop and Mrs Nevill, Mr John Roberts, C.M.G., Mr and Mrs .T. T. N. Anderson, Mr and Mrs 11. H. Browne, Hen. D. Pinkerton, M.L.C., Mr 11. D. Bedford, M.H.R., Mr S. 11. Miram.s, Dr Coughtrey, Mr N. Y. A. Wales, Mr It. Cbisholni, and Crs Maitland, Lawrence, and Hally. A telegram was also read from Crs Cable, Edgar, and Tait, from Port Chalmers. A number of toasts were proposed and duly honoured. Tho Mayor proposed tho customary loyal toast, which was duly responded to. THE GEORGE STREET BRIDGE. ! The following facts iu connection with the new bridge will be of interest:—Width of bridge, 66ft: width at waterway span of , bridge, 40ft; clear height under bridge, 10ft ' 6in ; rise of arch, 6ft; south abutment, 6ft below creek on a hard boulder bottom; north abutment on a solid rock bottom; first concrete laid on 4th September, 1962; contract signed on 12lh August, 1802; 860 yds of concrete in abutments and spandrel work: Port Chalmers stone facing; Tiniarn stone j moulding panel; Kokonga granite for pillar. limcs and cap mouldings: arch. 12in thick at . the crown and 14iti at the springing; iron | netting of \ liars 4in apart; 130 cubic yards of sand concrete, 1 to 3: arch constructed ; in 42 hours; cast-iron hand-bar railing; j wrought iron ornamental railing in slono i base; four ornamental wrought iron lamps ' on tlie four large pillars, to be lighted by : electric licht: arch constructed, 9lh Decomber. 1932; contractor, .Mr A. Ferry : I stonework, Mwsrs Thomson isnd Co., Moray i placo; ironwork, Mr .1. Mann. j i