THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14156, 7 March 1908, Page 10

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

PROGRESS REPORTS. (Fhom Qui Own Colrbesvondent.)

CHBISTCHURGH, March 5. Tho Otira correspondent of the Christchurch Press writes:—"Mr Leslie Reynolds brought the survey of the Punch Bowl to a successful termination at the end of last week, and the work of clearing and forming' the route of the pipe line will be put in hand immediately. The tunnel portion of this work will also be commenced at an early date. The starting ■point of the drive will be some 740 ft above the river-bed, and it is estimated to secure in the driest season some 12 heads of water, which, with the great altitude of the intake will be quite sufficient to generate 800 horse-power. Mr Reynolds expressed himself as being well pleased that this particular survey had been concluded, with such a trifling accident as that mentioned last week. ' The work,', said Mr Reynolds, ' was at all times attended by the greatest danger, and had the man been injured there would have been nothing for it but to lower him over the face of the Punch Bowl—a straight drop of close upon 400 ft.' On the Otira end' work generally is being' pushed ahead with vigour, and the Holt's Creek pipe line takes a more definite 6hapo as the days go by. The contractors have been fortunate in securing a fine piece of bush some six miles from Otira. This particular strip of forest land contains somo splendid birch, straight as the proverbial arrow, and of a very' serviceable length. Men are now busy felling these trees and conveying them to the bridge sites up Holt's Creek, there to be utilised in the construction of the bridges to carry the water mains. The geueral aspect of the tunnel approach is much the same as last week, there being no sign of the solid country so far. The heavy rain of Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday brought down a. quantity of loose material, but a day or two will see things squared up again. Six inches of rain fell during Sunday, and as a natural consequence the Otira was running a banker. Beyond a slip or two of no moment, no damage is reported, and the coaches left for Broken River on Monday afternoon. Some of the older hands here declare it to be the biggest vqlumo of water seen in the Qtiro Riyer far. $« Mat eight £ears t "