TOOMEY'S CROSSING.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12871, 5 January 1906, Page 6

TOOMEY'S CROSSING.

OF THE BRIDGE. 'x he ■' formal opening' of the new bridge orer the river" at: Toomey's ' Crossing, - took place at 3 o'clock : yesterday afternoon. There were, about, fifty persons : present Mr Flatman. M.H.E., Mrs Flatman, Messrs •J. 'Kelland (chairman Geraldine Road Board), A. Dixon (Geraldine County Gouncfl),'. A.. .McKenzie, M. G-uerk, and (contractor) and P. Billings (clerk of works) wer-e present. After the party had been photographed, Mr Flatrdan addressed those present. He said that they had met at the invitation of the contractor, Mr Hopkinson, to formally open A the for traffic. The building of <she bridge was an instance of the progress that-.the district was making. They wouFd : all agree that the building of such bridges was more necessary now. than, in former days.' Years ago, whenr a vessel came to Timaru to get loaded, 'it stayed' m the harbpur- tome months> but now the big steamers stayed only a day or two, and ofe was verjfiimportent that farmers should have easy iaccess to the railways- to get their produce, to Timaru. Mr KeTman had' been the first in the matter of getting fthe bridge there,, and he (Sir ; <Flatman) had firsti6£:ai2 got a £3OO-"grant and then ah additional £SOO. : The votehad been on the Estimates smce" 1899, and an saying that it would have -been more creditable #o the local bodies interested if they had spent the money sooner, be had no wish to ; ;hurt the. feelings of the members of those bodies. The bridge, appeasedto be substantial, and the work was faithfully carried but. Mr Flatman read a letter from ."Mr F\ W. Marchant, CE" •apologising |f or absence, and stating that the contractor had made a very, good job and that Ms iwbrk generally 'was always; honestly ddne.' '.j.Mr Flatman said- that-Mr Hopkinson |had';previously;:, erected, another/ fine bridge.iHhat over,the Opihi near Pleasant Point£an'^'now'"all-that, tie people needed was£a bridge over the Kakahu at Sharp's Crossing and they :? would have, complete TOmnlunifcat-ion m Sll 5L be*ween Geraldine and Pleasant Point. There bridges and between Cattle Valley and Fairlie, and he thought' that both these bridges were highly necessary and should be gone on. with. In speaking on- -the-•question l o£'-sites ' lor bridges, Mr Flatman said that his work ;w-as toj get the votes put on th.e Estimates if the people reaHy:heeded, the works;.'but : ifc was the duty- of |lm? localbooies to deibHei which was thVbefet site : fof' a "bridge 'He' regretted that Mr 'John Talbot" (chairman Geraldine County Council) was unable to be present. He had much pleasure in asking Mrs Flatman to cut the line of flags stretched across the bridge. On Mrs Flatman doing this, Mr Flatman declared the bridge open amid applause Mr A. Kelman said that- he was a worker and not a talker, but be was very pleased to see the bridge "completed: He detailed liis efforts towards getting the bridge built and said that now they had a Substantial badge, one that- would last a-huhdred vears' if not for ever. "

_ Mr Dixon (Kaincliff) ' said . that on' -the Council he had voted. against -the building of the bridge, but neither he nor the people he represented bore .'any ill-feeliag. and "he congratulated theoi on the thoroughly good

job .that had been made. They' could not open up country properly "Without bridges, and now that they had' got their bridge, he hoped that they and Mr'Flatman would help his district to get a bridge to Fairlie. . ■ * °

J. Kelland (chairman Geraldine Road Board) said that he had strongly supported the proposal to erect this bridge. It was a very fine.bridge, and reflected great credit on the contractor. He hoped they would soon have a bridge over the Kakahu. The present bridge was built at the worst ford m the Haehaetemoana,. and was very necessary. . * •

«. *i W ' H< >pkinson, the contractor, thanked, the speakers for their kindly reference v and spoke of the olden days when there were no bridges between Christchurch and Dunedin.

-- .Those present were then entertained at luncheon, by 1 : Mr W. Hopkinson. ' The bridge is about 200 feet lono-, substantially built on ironbark piles and <n r . ders; of = great, size and strength. The floor is of medium width arid the railings are sloped so. as to allow of the passage of agricultural machinery. The river on the left bank has been turned to Sow under the bridge by means of a long willowfaced embankment and the right bank of clay some six feet high, has also been faced with willows. The piles have been driven 16 .feet into the shingle, and the bridge, standing .very ; high affords ample room; for the waters of the biggest floods