SUCCESSFUL PIERCING OF THE DEBORAH BAY TUNNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1340, 4 August 1877, Page 7

SUCCESSFUL PIERCING OF THE DEBORAH BAY TUNNEL .

The highly important and grand work of piercing the Deborah Bay tunnel, near Port Chalmers, was successfully accomplished on Saturday afternoon. In the middle of the tunnel, the drill was got through at a quarter to 4 p.m., and exactly two hours afterwards the first man was put through, and great were the rejoicings when the navvies on either side communicated with each other, and found the object of their persistent endeavours satisfied. The tact was immediately afterwards telegraphed to Dunedin. The meet waa accurate. In response to invitations from Mr W. N. Blair, C.E., and othera directly interested in the successful opening of the Deborah Bay tunnel, a party of gentlemen left Dunedin for Port Chalmers per the 9 p.m. train on Saturday, when the weather was really magnificent for an outing — the moon shining amid an almost cloudless sky. Among those present were — Th 9 Mayor ot Dunedin (Mr C. S. R«eves), Messrs John Davie, L. 0. Beal, D. M'Kellar, J. T. Mackerras, Professor Macgregor, J. L. Denniston, J. C. Marshall, W. N. Blair, G. W. Eliott, Usshei: (Government Engineer), Frank W. Petre (contractors' engineer), A. Grant (General Manager of the Otago Railways), and A. Armstrong (Engineer of Constructed Railways). On arriving at Port Chalmers, the party was joined by the Mayor thereof, Mr A. M'Kinnon. Though the road leading from Port Chalmers to the Deborah Bay ' tunnel was in execrable condition, yet the members of the party decided to walk the distance by the brilliant light of the moon rather than to take advantage of a boat. And beyond the inconvenience of having their boots well coated with soft clay, they had no occasion to regret their decision. After about 40 minutes' brisk walk, the party reached the western mouth of the tunnel at 10.30 p.m. This is situate at a good elevation some distance from the road-line skirting the bay, and doubtless the majority of the touriato were surprised to find themselves climbing a hill in order to reach the tunnel. However, a couple of trucks and one horse were awaiting tneir convenience on the tramway near th« tunnel, and they vrere soon comfortably seated upon the edges of the trucks. The requisite order having been given, the tunnel was immediately entered, and the atmosphere became rather thicker as progress was made, the current of air apparently not having yet been sufficient to clear the tunnel of foul air. However, it became clearer a3 tho middle of the tunnel was reached, and by the light of the candles which had been supplied the splendidly even brickwork and masonry work could be discerned by the visitors. The scene near the middle of the tunnel was of the most unique and pleasing character. Imagine about 200 navvies, including a lot of Chinese, within a huge cavern lighted by the flare of numerous candles, a genuine Irishman on the top of a well-covered truck singing and dancing to the tune of one of the most stirring of his native pieces, and a crowd of visitors in trucks, drawn by a solitary horse, and then you have a faint description of what took place in the Deborah Bay Tunnel on Saturday night. The visitors, who were received with enthusiastic and ringing cheers, passed through the juncture to the other part of the tunnel, and proceeded along for some distance to admire the wonders of the subterranean passage, and to rejoice over this one *of the latest triumphs of man's genius. They then returned to the crowd of navvies in order that A FEW APPROPRIATE TOASTS might be observed in honour of the occasion. Several bobtles of champagne having been prepared, Mr Reeves (Mayor of Dunedin) said : — Gentlemen, we are met here at the present moment I may say in the bowels of the earth, some 620 ft. under the surface, and I ask you to drink a bumper to "The Engineers and the Contractors," for this, I believe, is cne of the largest works of the kind that has ever been performed in the Colonies. — (Hear, hear.) This tunnel is close on a mile in length, and it was one of the great objects that required to be cut through to connect Ub with other portions of the North of this Island. The Waitaki bridge was one difficulty that had to be surmountdd, and now we are met here to-night for the purpose of celebrating the meeting of the two ends of the tunnel on the spot where we now stand. — (Applause.) It says much for the engineering skill we have got in the country and the contractors who supplied the bone and sinew to carry this work through successfully.—(Applause.) I will now ask you to drink " The Healths of the Engineers and the Contractors, not forgetting the bone and sinew — the Workmen." — (Applause.) The toast was drunk with great enthusiasm, the chorus of " They are jolly good Fellows " sounding excellently in the tunnel. Mr W. N. Blair responded on behalf of the Engineers Sir D. M'Kenzie responded on behalf of the contractors. Mr G. W. Eliott also responded, and commented upon the difficulties which had been experienced in making the tunnel. Mr D. M'Kenzie said ; We have had the be3t class of workmen that could be got in New Zealand. Men that would go into battle would turn their backs upon a tunnel. The man who had the brickwork in this tunnel had death staring him in the face whea it could not be told by the best experienced of miners that two or three tons of earth would come down in ten minutes or three hours. There have been pieces come down in this very spot weighing from 20 to 30 tons, secure as it is now. Mr Ranger was the man who did the brickwork. Some men have come to the tunnel and refused to work. They have turned their backs upon it. I have no hesitation in saying that we have had the best workmen in New Zealand, —(Applause.) Mr Beal, Mr Eliott, Mr M'Kinnon, and Mr Reeves having spoken, On the motion o£ Mr Keeves, three hearty cheers were given for Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen, and the "National Anthem " was spiritedly sung, Mr J. C. Marshall officiating as conductor. On the motion of Mr Eliott, cheers were given for Mr John Davie, and for " The Workmen," coupled with the names of Messrs Mitchell and Chisholm. The party then dispersed, and the Dunedin visitors took advantage of the last train to re-

turn homewards on Saturday night, all expres sing themselves as highly delighted with their outing. DESCRIPTION OP THE TUNNEL. The following particulars regarding the tunnel will doubtless be of general interest. Its elevation above the sea level is 350 ft., and the top of the hill is 600 ft. above the tunnel. The length of the tunnel is 66 chains or 1452 yards being upwards of three-quarters of a mile. It is the second largest in New Zealand, the Lyttelton tunnel being twice as long. The height and width of the Deborah Bay tunnel are just the same as those of the other tunnels on the Southern line. The contract for this work, which is called the Deborah Bay contract, was let in March, 1874, and the first sod was turned by Mr James Macandrew, the last Superintendent of the Province, on the 26th March, 1874. The original contract time was to August of last year. It was supposed at first, on account of the rock being very hard, that no lining would be required, the ends of the tunnel consisting solely of bluestone. However, the contractors pushed the work on fast, and in October of 1875 about two-thirds of the driving had taken place. The material, however, was getting softer. It consisted of the same class as the Port Chalmers building stone, only much softer. For some months after being cut through, the stone showed no symptoms of giving way, but the atmosphere seemed to act upon it, and it gradually came down — first in masses of a few inches, and latterly in blocks weighing many hundredweight. It was then found neces3ary to line the whole of the tunnel, particularly on the south side. A fresh arrangement was then entered into with the contractors, Messrs Mackenzie Bros., and the time was extended to the Ist September next. No driving could well be done until the lining was put in, and consequently, the south side was delayed for twelve months. The north side has been | harder all through, and of this there are 8 or 10 chains which will stand without lining. All the rest of the tunnel is lined, from 9in. to 18in. thick, according to the nature of the ground. The materials that have been got through are of a very varied kind, some being of hard black basalt, requiring the hardest steel to get through, while other parts have been S'j sott that the piok could easily get through | them. A large collection of the various materials gone through has been made for the new i Museum at Dunedin, and these are likely to prove of a very interesting character. The driving at the south end of the tunnel began on the Ist June, 1874, and at the north side on the Ist September, 1874, and, with the exception of the stoppage already referred to, the work has been kept going constantly day and night. The actual tima occupied in driving at the South end was 22 months and 20 days, and at the North end 31 months. To give an idea of the magnitude of the work, it may be stated that 3000 casks of cement have been used. Since the new agreement was entered into, the value of the explosive materials— powder and lithofracteur— that have been used, is L 3050, and the candles, amounting to 800 boxes, have baen burned, and these are valued at L 916. The contract time expires on the Ist September next, and if the work is finished before that date, as it no doubt will be, the contractors are to receive a bonus of L 2500 from the Government. In conclusion, we may mention that the works were carried out, under the supervision of Mr W. N. Blair, C.E. Mr E. R. IXssher, Resident Engiueer, had the local charge of the tunnel, and it is due to his ability and care that the satisfactory result of the meeting is due. He ranged out the work, and gave the lines and levels of ihe tunnel since its commencement. We have also much pleasure in reporting favourably upon the progress of that section of the northern railway between Sawyer's Bay and the Deborah Bay tunnel contracted for by Messrs Allan and Kingstreet. All the cuttings are completed, also the culverts, and the section ia fenced in from end to end. One or two of the embankments have yet something to be done to them, but not much, and by the time the balance of the rails for the permanent way comes to hand tne embankments will be finished, and to complete the contract nothing I mil be left to do but finish laying the"permanent way. Two months will see the contract in working order. Work outside the contrast has been undertaken by Messrs Allan and Kingstreet in removing that very ugly and dangerous mass of rock I;has overhangs the Port Chalmers Railway at Wales's Point. It farms the side of one of the Moeraki line cuttings, and is very much in the way.