COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27211, 14 October 1949, Page 6

COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY

American Engineer Visits 1 . Roxburgh Gorge RAPID PROGRESS OF WORK Staff Reporter ROXBURGH, Oct. 13. Before the last tendrils of morning mist had left the mountains which flank the rugged Roxburgh Gorge, the distinguished American advisory .engineer, Dr J. L. Savage, together with the senior engineers from the Ministry of Works and from the Roxburgh Gorge hydro-electric project, was high above the dam site inspecting the full panorama to-day. The survey maps which the engineers had with them to “ brief ” Dr Savage were almost superfluous, for every detail of the work already done and the river and rock contours was apparent from the outcrop on which they stood. For almost an hour Dr Savage studied the layout of the gorge, asking questions and checking against his maps.

Leaving the cars to bump their way back across the scab-weed and tussock and down the winding grade of the Knobbies road,- Dr Savage and his party made their way down the side of the gorge on foot. Dr Savage did not spare himself on the comprehensive survey trip. ,At the 70-foot investigatory shaft on the river’s edge, he made his way down the vertical ladder to see for himself the rock layers and the progress of the bore, which still has another 50 feet to go before a side tunnel will be thrust out qnder the bed of the river.

burgh Gorge. Thousands of cubic yards of soil and shingle have been scooped out of the course of the diversion channel and soonarock blasting on its bed will be commenced. All day long there is an incessant chatter of compressors and the dull roar of bulldozer. dragline and heavy truck engines never, ceases. Despite this progress, the work must yet be regarded as in its initial stages. It still remains a preliminary problem in logistics, with necessary groundwork such as the provision of adequate accommodation, the establishment of lines of communication, and the accumulation of necessary equipment and machinery taking paramount importance in' the plan of operations. Rows of massive American trucks — units which weigh -about 24 tons when laden—stand ready in the vehicle park, while new buildings are going up at a ■surprising rate. The majority of the administration block is in use, and a start has been made to the camp for single men on the plateau across the river. Bulldozers and carry-alls were working to-day on the levelling of the

Instead of climbing back up the ladder, Dr’ Savage took the quicker method of coming up standing on a spoil bucket hauled by a motor winch parallel to the ladder. “ I thought I might have tricked you that time,” he said with his customary good humour when he discovered the Daily Times reporter with camera poised at the head of the shaft. Dr Savage’s normal dapper appearance was somewhat marred by spatters of wet sand from the sides of the shaft.

After a further conference at the water’s edge. Dr Savage and his party motored back to the camp and along the opposite bank, where the diversion channel is being cut. This busy pattern of inspections, questions and consultations was kept up throughout the day, a conference with the engineers into the various aspects of the .work being included in the schedule. - To-morrow Dr Savage proposes to motor to the Hermitage by way of Pukaki and Tekapo. where the hydroelectric works at those lakes will be inspected, and he will then return to Wellington to commence the collation of his notes and observations into his official report. It is possible that Dr Savage, may come south again before leaving New Zealand. To the layman, there is a tremendous amount of progress to be seen at Rox-

site for “ Married Village,” where there will be an initial batch of some 100 homes. The foundations for a new store building of substantial size are in place, and the Bailey span across the river is to be strengthened to increase its load limit from 24 tons to. 40 tons. From Roxburgh, the lights of construction teams on the road from the railway station at Roxburgh East to the dam site can be seen throughout the night. When the I}aily Times visited these men before breakfast this morning, a new shift was due on the job. “ The engines of these crawlers have not stopped since last Sunday,” said one of the drivers, who was busy greasing a huge Diesel caterpillar tractor and its attendant carryall. It was easy to see what was being done with high-pressure 24-hour shiftwork, for the road along the east bank is rapidly changing from a winding gravel track wide enough for two cars at most to a level, three-car highway which will be sealed as soon as possible. Up this road will be carried the majority of the equipment and building materials for the dam.