THE MOUNT HUT RACE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2284, 9 December 1897, Page 18

THE MOUNT HUT RACE.

(Oamaru Mail.)

At l»st this undertaking, which h*s from the fkst been cirried oo with such laborious toil, unswerving courage, and unf Ailing energy, is drawing to a moat successful completion. That this race was commenced-'over six years ago by a body of practical but poor miners, and that during all the time they have toiled A without pay wifch varying success, has often been referred to in these columns. They have kept on with dogged perseverance because they have all good payable claims to work when they get' the water on 'the ground to work them. The I race takes the water from the north-western ; branch of the Maerewhanua, and is run round a spur of the Domet Range called Mounb Hut ; (heuce the nime), seven miles above Thompson's Creek, where the first syphon pipes are to be I put in to cwty the water across to tha opposite I spnr. From here regain the work has betn completed another four miles farther down towards the field of payable grouud, and which is liot commanded by any other race. It will be remembered that as this undertaking was somewhat of a 'puUic character, and is calculated to benefit a large number of persons, the ! Government promised that when five sluice f haads of water wera brought to Thompson's Creek they would assist these men, and at the same time foster the industry, by supplying syphon pipes to connect the different; portions of the race. A desperate effort has been made Itherefore to bring this quantity of water along this seven miles of race, and during the last few days the task ha 3 been accomplished. The ! Government were communicated witb, and Mr I 6. Wilson, inspecting engineer, was instructed by Mr C«dman to visit the race and report. Mr Wilsni went up to the race yesterday, and through the kindness of the miners who are constructing the race, our representative was also asked to go up. Thompson's Creek is 20 miles beyond Ngapara, via the Dansey'B Pass j road. It was necessary therefore to proceed by fcraiu to Ngapara and drive from there to Thompson's Creek. Arriving there abaut noon, Mr Wilson, who had been expected for a day or v two, at Qnce proceeded to gauge the water. The water was let into the box constructed for the purpose- according to the mining regulations, and at once showed considerably over I five sluice heada of water running through it. Mr WiUon was exceedingly pleased with the j result, and congratulated the men upon their success. After luncheon the wator in the box was gauged again, Jind the result was even better than at ficafc. There were over »ix Bluice heads coming through the orifice. Mr Wilsonthen tested the flow in the race, and with an approximate calculation found over six sluice heads. Tfais.may therefore be considered most shl isfaetory, and now that more thau the required quantity of water is brought to Thompson's Creek the G /vernment will be ready to carry out i>s promise. The present dry season is an unfavourable time for bringing the water 'along a newly-conslrucbed race, as there is so much leakage and soakage and also evaporatioD. It is said that a hot dry wind will take fully one sluice head from the race, and a slight | shower, on ths other hand, will very materially ! add to the quantity brought down. The men say that at the present tima fully 10 sluice heads of water are taken from the river, and that after the water has been running a few weeks a much larger proportion of this water will be delivered at Thompson's Creek. After getting the pipes in and another length of race — between 130 and 140 chaina — completed, the water^will be at the dams for use. These dams, of which there will be three, covering an area of two, three, and fire acres respectively, will be finished immediately. The water will therefore be available in a few months' time. The race, when larger flam-ngs are pub in, will be capable of carrying a much larger quantity of water than what is coming down now — the men say three times as much — and it is evident that twice the quantity could flow along it without taxing its capacity. Mr Wilson is going to remain up there a few days and test the race in every way, in order to be able to make an exhaustive report to the Minister. The men hare had many hard problems to solve and laborious tasks to perform. They first constructed the intake at what they considered a natural dam, formed by huge boulders of rock in the river bed, and after devoting a large amount of labour on ib a flood came and washed away the whole thing, boulders included. It was then

decided to construct an intake a few chains higher, and at a spot on the opposite side of the river. To do this ib was necessary to construct a bridge also to convey the water over, and the Government being appealed to sent up some pieces of railway iron weighing 3801b each. These had to be taken over a saddle up an all bat perpendicular face nearly lOOOfts above the race. No pack horses could stand because the ground was too wet at the time. The men therefore hauled them over themselves. They then had to carry a coil .of wire rope weighing 4£cwt up over tho name saddle. After the performance of such tarculeau fekts as these their being able to carry a big of potatoes into their camp, situated in the same vicinity, would be nothing. The sceuery up there, with the lofty peaks of Ben, Lomond and Mount Domet towering above, is extremely grand, while stretching away to the east the undulating hills, leadiog right" to the sea, are a sight to be long remsrabsred.