HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

Otago Witness, Issue 3513, 12 July 1921, Page 52

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

MANGAHOE WORKS. . WELLINGTON, July 5. Local journalists who have returned from the hydro-electric works at Mangahoe, near Shannon, report that excellent progress is being made there by the Public Works Department. 1 his work has been undertaken to supply Wellington and various localities in the provincial district with electricity. r lhe locality at present is a hive of industry, and there seems a likelihood that the Government will be ab’e to supply power fc-efor; the city is ready to receive it. The Hon. J. G. Coates (the Minister of Public W orks) is earning golden opinions for the energy he has infused into this very important undertaking. Engineers, tunnellers, electricians, blacksmiths, and many others are working industriously, the workmen’s_ camps are excellent. A steam plant of 065 horse-power provides the necessary power for present operations, both electricity and compressed ail- being in use. One of the tunnels is through loose country, necessitating concreting. The other tunnel is going through rock so hard that oven timbering is unnecessary. The spoil f*'om the tunnel is being scooped up by means of an automatic shovel, and generally i\iv Furkert and his officers are aooptmg up-to-date methods. Quarters hare been provided for the married men, and the T.M.-C .A. run a picture show every evening, and even assist in the education of the workmen ,s children. The men have no. grounds for complaint, and seem well satisfied. A Government canteen enables the workmen to procure stores at a reasonable price. Two thousand five hundred tons of material have to bo shifted from the level of the power-house up a precipitous slope to the level of the surge chamber, and to do this a cable tramway worked by a ICO horse-power electric motor will be constructed. Trucks carrying five tons eac.i will be running on the mountain side within two months. Tenders are now being invited for the power-house machinery.