PROGRESS TO THE RAILWAY WORKS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XIII, Issue 3571, 25 March 1880, Page 3

PROGRESS TO THE RAILWAY WORKS.

The contracts entered into some months ago for works in connection with the Thames Valley Railway are rapidly drawing to a finish, and it is a matter for regret that others have not been let before now, in order that the line might he extended as far as possible before the winter season really sets in, and more work afforded to those now engaged on tho existing contracts. Of

THE EEOLAMATIOtf CONTRACTS, of which there are two, one (Messrs Houter and Co.'s) has been finished some time ago. The other, which ia known as the Shortland, and is being performed by Messrs O'Brien, Thompson, and Sinclair, will be completed in a month's time. The undertaking is an extensive one, but the contractors have proved themselves equal to it, and are making a very good job of it. The section stretches from the Pacific Hotel to the Shortland wharf, a distance of a mile, and when filled in the requisite depth, width, and length will absorb no less than 85,000 cubic yards of earth, and 9000 yards of broken metal. The earth, aa most of our readers are aware, is obtained from the face of the Queen of Beauty hill, being broken down chiefly by the aid of explosives, and is conveyed to the beach in specially built trucks drawn by the small locomotive formerly used on the Grahamatown and Tararu tramway. When first starting considerable difficulty was experienced in getting the trucks to work properly, and two months elapsed before any real work was done; but after several alterations had been made everthing worked satisfactorily, and for the past six months over one hundred waggons have traversed the line daily. The average height of the reclamation is 5j feet, and the narrow portion between Kichmond and Albert streets is 11 feet wide at the top and 33 feet at the bottom. The side facing the gulf is coped with a depth of metal averaging 3 feet, so that the earth may not bo washed away by the sea, whiob in winter time is usually very high and destructive. The stone is obtained from a large quarry some distanoe up the Karaka Creek, and the expense incurred in breaking it out and conveying it to the beach is a very heavy item. The contract affords employment to about 60 men. The price agreed upon for the work I is £8893. I THE BBID3E. I Mr Alexander Watson, the contractor I for the construction of the railway bridge i over the Kauaeranga river, is making very satisfactory progress with the work, and expects to be in a position to hand it over to the Government Engineer in a fortnight or three weeks. The structure spans the river a little below the slaughter house, and. appears to be very substun• tially built. The length is 220 feet, and there are two spans in it; Its greatest width is 20 feet, but the floor, which is oomposed of square timber 12 inches by 15 inches, ia only 3 feet aoross, only sufficient for a single line of rails. The piles, which are about 40 feet long, are of totara, and are 42 in number; considerable delay took place soon after the work was started in consequence ot the piles, which were obtained from Whangarei, and were of the stipulated length, having proved to be too short. Several which had been driven had to be taken up, and replaced by others of greater length, and in consequence of this mistake of the railway officials the agreement, as regarded the time in which it was to be completed, was broken, and Mr Watson allowed to finish as soon as possible. The contraot price is £763. Mr Thomas Hammond is superintending the work on behalf of the Government. THE SLEBPEE CONTBACI. This contract will not be finished'for about a year. The contractors, Messrs Gibbons, Darrow, and Co., have cut up to the present about one-fourth of the stipulated number, 100,000, and have nearly a year-and-a-half in which to supply the remainder. Up to within a the sleepers were split by men in the Tarara, Ohinemuri and Matatoke (Puriri) districts, but a sub-contract has been let to Mr David Adamsonand; others, who have erected a small mill in the latter bush, and will saw the remaining 75,000. The machinery con* sists of a new portable steam engine, of 12 horse power, made by Hornby and Co., England, and a large circular saw. The logs are cut into sections by pit sawyers, of whom there are eight pairs, and then sawn into sleepers by the circular saw, which cuts on an average 250 per day. The mill being situated in the ranges, it was found impossible to convey the timber to tho flat by ordinary mode, aud tho contractors adopted a method common in America in such cases, viz., erected a shoot from the mill to the County road, a distance of over two miles. The gradient is very steep, being 1 in 20. A stream of water is constantly flowing down it, and the sleepers are thrown into it at the side of the mill, and float down to the flat in the space of a few minutes., They are then carted to their destination, The amount of the contract is £12,083, or at the rate: of 2s 5d per sleeper. THE KteISIBI CLEARING. ' At present there are very few natives engaged in clearing the line at Kirikiriand Wharehoe,the Maorisearningbetter wages: at digging gum; but now that the price' of this commodity is decreasing it is. probable that others will accept the terms offered by the railway officials, The line has now been cleared of titree atd undergrowlh for a distance of about three miles. Mr R. H.'M. Puckey, the only railway official now residing here, is acting as overseer, and from his know* ledge of the Maori language he is able to perforin.tho duties satisfactorily,