EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27043, 30 March 1949, Page 4

EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

FROM THE FILES OF THE ©lago IDail'? irimes DUNEDIN, MARCH 30, 1864. The condition of the bridge over the Water of Leith on the main road to Port Chalmers is highly dangerous. One portion of the roadway is entirely denuded of metal and the timbers exposed are being rapidly destroyed by the traffic. The case is just one of “a stitch in time.” etc., and for the lack of the expenditure of a trifling sum, the safety of the bridge is endangered. It is a great farce to levy a toll a few yards beyond the bridge for the privilege of using a roadway which is in a state of wretched disrepair. Surely there is someone responsible for the culpable negligence which the present state of the bridge manifests.

Our Lakes District correspondeni, writing under date March 23, says: “A tremendous storm of wind and rain burst over the district on Saturday, March 19. since which time the weather has been bleak and unsettled. A great deal of snow has fallen on the ranges, which now present a very wintry aspect. The rivers have not been affected in any way, but continue extremely low. Mining operations consequently are being pushed on with vigour, a flood being a possible contingency within a few hours. Great attention is now directed to Arthur’s Point and its immediate neighbourhood, so much available ground having been thrown open owing to the success of the gigantic works for turning the river. The Hibernian Beach Company has also successfully turned the river, though from the nature of the ground, on a different scale altogether from that at Arthur’s Point. On the Arrow the same steady work is going on and as far as the escort returns are a test they vary very little month by month. Considerable disappointment has been experienced on the river claims which, as a rule, have been failures owing to the enormous expense of working them with such deep sinking. The parties above the Falls have not yet bottomed and will probably abandon their claims if they have to go much deeper. One enterprising speculator has taken up an extended claim among the Falls I themselves, from the top downwards i and has projected a plan of drainage 1 for his ground by means of a tunnel driven into the face of the slope be ] low.