WEST COAST COAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20156, 21 July 1927, Page 16

WEST COAST COAL.

RAIL TRANSIT INITIATED. AN IMPORTANT OCCASION. (Peb United Pbess Association.) WESTPORT, July 20. The first rake of coal, comprising 22 wagons, with approximately 200 tons of coal, was brought down the Duller Gorge to-day from the Cascade Coal Mining Company s mine The coal was flumed seven and a-half miles from the mine-mouth to bins on a railway siding in the Buller George, the bins being nine miles 15 chains distant from Westport. The coal arrived in excellent state.

The Mayor (Mr Harkness) and representative citizens were present and made congratulatory speeches. The Mayor said he hoped that the continued prosecution of the railway would leid to the Buller Gorge disgorging its teeming millions of mineral wealth. The Public Engineer indicated that the department’s intention was to proceed with the construction of the railway.

Mr Curtis, secretary-manager of the Westport Harbour, stated that it was intended to proceed vigorously with dredging and protective work, assuring the despatch of all coal coming to hand. Last year 44 overseas vessels had visited Westport for bunkers or bunkers and cargo, and for the first quarter of this vear there were 13 vessels, so that if the average was maintained there would be 52 for the vear. The highest output since the war was last year’s 600,000 tons, and he honed to see the pre-war output of 80C 000 tons reached this year.

The train arrived in Weetport amid a great fanfare of sounds from engines and the steamers in port.