ARAPUNI TUNNEL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17739, 28 March 1932, Page 9

ARAPUNI TUNNEL

GHOSTLY SCENE IN GLOOM DRILLING HEARD FOR MILES Fifteen minutes alter the gates at ArapuuL were closed the waters which were hanked up at the. tunnel exit subsided sufficiently to allow entry. .Mr. D. G. Marehbanks, senior engineer, supervising operations at the dam, entered with his party of drillers by walking tight-rope fashion along a plank thrown across the wafer from the rocks to the tunnel entrance.

Holding their (lares aloll, the men groped their wav forward like explorers m an underground cavern until they reached the gates and the equipment whie.ii had been lowered to them Hum the new valve ,shaft.

A message sent to Mr Ralmne by portable telephone, lowered into the tunnel from above, reported “all well. and at 8.45 p.m a terrific reverberation, heard lor miles round, .told those above ground that drilling had commenced. It was like, the abode of demons inside Hit- tunnel. A steady roar as of subterranean thunder deafened all and made conversation impossible. Eight pneumatic drills were in operation .simultaneously, with tour more held in reserve. Electric floodlights had replaced the Hares and in the murky atmosphere ot ccinenl dust, the forms of the men loomed up in eerie fashion like ghosts m a log.

The gates held strongly. Only a mere trickle percolated llnmigh the joints, although this was sufficient to produce a continuous stream Sin. deep which sent up shoots! of wider as the drills plunged into the concrete lion)'. At 10.15 p.m., the drills stopped, and the men emerged dragging their drills and lamps with them.

The gates were partially opened once again. Silence reigned in the gorge. Instead of 6000 msecs the river was now only carrying 600.