SUMMARY.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14156, 19 April 1916, Page 1 (Supplement)

SUMMARY.

NEW ZEALAND MARBLE.

KAIItURU QUARRY AND TRAMLINE.

(From "The Colonist."- March 24.) •The March1 number of "New Zealand Building Progress" contains an illustrated article by Mr Chas. E. Wheeler on "New Zealand Marble." The article describes how, after ton years of failures and disappointments. New Zealand marble is being produced in ample quantities, and of splendid quality, from the Kairuru quarries, near Sandy Bay, Is el-J son. Interest is given to the -nbjecb from the fact that Kairuru marble is being used for the superstructure of the new Parliamentary Buildings now in course of erection ;<t Wellington. The base of this edifice, up to a height of 14.fi', is constructed oF-granite, and Kairuru marble is being ivseci for the whole of the remainder. Mr Wheelor's article gives a. comprehensive account of the Kniniru quarry and tramline, and is altogether of an extremely interesting character. He says that the marble under notice bears a throng resemblance to the material of which some of the glorious buildings of ancient Greece were constructed, and which, but for the ruthless hand of the spoiler, would be intact to-day. There is no real quarry face at t4u> head of the tramline, says Mr Wheeler, but the great mass of •splendid marble -blocks .awaiting trucKiug shows that the uncertainties of supply are over. These blocks have been taken practically from the surface. The real quarry face to be opened up is behind i his pile ot stones, a few score yard.; up v narrow gully. The great problem at Kaivuru was" not how to get sound stone but how to transport it. And that difhcultv has now been overcome