THE GISBORNE RAILWAY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12214, 2 August 1910, Page 5

THE GISBORNE RAILWAY.

— *• ♦ THE OTOKO SECTION. ; A BOON TO THE SETTLERS. Although no eloquent speeches or ceremony marked the opening of a further stretch of the Gisborne railway to passenger traffic, the event Mas of' considerable importance. The eight miles of railway opened yesterday for traffic was perhaps the most difficult stage of the line met with up to that point, entailing nruch brain work and engineering skill. /The line winds up and around the hills, S s«»d .much exploratory work had to be . <upi.ve to. obtain the best and easiest grade. A visit over this section is recommended, as it gives some idea of the magnitude of the work. Big creeks and gullies had to be filled m or bridged with substantial structures. Cuttings m the hills of great height and depth had also to be undertaken. This was most arduous wprk, owing to the slippery nature of the country, and although the task appears to have been completed m. a most workmanlike manner," unpresentable land slides often come down and undo the result of many weeks' hard labor. An especially bad slip is to be noticed about half-way, -along, the section, where the Avhole side of a high hill came away, taking the road above with it, and piling up along the side of the line, an opening having been cleared just wide enough to allow the train to pass. A short tunnel is also gone through, .and. the ship-like base of the bridge called the "Dreadnought" is also pointed out to the passengers as a feature of special interest. The small station of Waihuka is called at. The train arrived at Otoko, 31 miles, from Gisborne, about 10 o'clock. a{t<»r half-an-hour's interesting- trip, And an the train does not return until 4 p.m., the traveller- has plenty of time to wan-' tier' about the canvas township of Gtoko* which is situate .at the bottom of the hi11.,. Although, the population of Otoko was, greatly decreased through a large proportion of .tile workmen- having moved further Up the line, towards Rakauroa, there still remain obout 100 people, wliope tents are quaintly dotted about on the side of the hill. The big viaduct which lias to .be negotiated before the iron horse can proceed further . will be a great undertaking. "A number of workmen are at present employed digging great holes, .where the concrete foundations will go.. Already about five of Ihcse cavifyips lyive bseivsunkj and; as the ironwork and timber are expected to arrive soon; the work should bo m full swing shortly, and the b'ljr' crowd of workmen required will again, help to swell Otoko's population. ,'•.-• FORMATION WORK. ' The formation work, has , been carried k on for a considerable distance towiydß Rakauroa, 'where a large number of men ' are!, employed-. ' The, line windy- up and do^n along the hillside, with marry difficult grades, duttinprs, and fillings, but. b^ ( . the time the bie Otoko viaduct is finished, the formation work should also be completed a long way, ahead. The task of making the cuttings and filling m gullies is one of considerable magnitude, and it is most interesting to watch the tnan, at work, v A, truck is filled from the C tit ting ; a horse ; .s then attached, and it Hauls the . truckNjnto .motion ;' a man pulls a rope, which loosens, .'the fastenings; the hor«e>quickly jumus ,off the line, and the truck continues down • a slope at a. great, pace. At- the .end of the line is a block of sleepers* ;• the truck hits this, and, tippjng up, throws it-s contents dgwn into the, space that is being filled up,. ..' The] men employed appear to be satisfied with their work, and are a fiiie "stamp of workmen. '",; „ . 1 ."■•'; ■i Ax BAI) i; ROAD. . ; The road from Waikohu to 'Otoko, and frOm there Km to Rakauroa, is m a very bad cortditiott"' at present ; it i« almost impassable, and it is n sorry M<rht to watch three, foiir, and five horses trying to pull "a cart or dra/ while mp to their bellies m mud. A man statedvthat he had had about 20 bullocks to drag his dray,, and they had pulled the dray completely off its wheels, and left the wheels behind m the mud. It. appears .from •reports to be quite a frequerit occurrence for teams to >ret bogged and to leu vc all the spokes of the" wheels m the niugVami the good progress beinuf made with the, railway is a great satisfaction to settlers. It. will be a creat , day when the line eventually reaoijles '•■ Itakatlijoa, and 'Motu.