PURE WATER

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18008, 13 July 1928, Page 20 (Supplement)

PURE WATER

Recognising that cleanliness is next to Godliness, and that apart froift this an abundant supply of pure water was essential to the physical well-being of the people, the Borough Council early set about obtaining this all-important requisite. In this, as in other things, they had difficulties to contend against. Tho borough was not so situated as to make it an easy matter to provide it with a supply of water that would be adequate for domestic purposes and for coping with fire. But the pioneers were men of dauntless spirit, and wiien they met with the water difficulty they were up and doing—there was no suggestion of sitting down with folded hands and saying, or even thinking, that the problem was one to which there was no solution. Whe*o there’s a will there’s a way they said, and they very soon found the way. There was at least one large na-

tural pond, in which grow “niggerheads,” flax and raupo, on top of the cliff between what is now Stafford Street, and the railway, which is said to have been used by the whalers of tho ’forties, when other supplies failed. Wells were dug about the town, through the clay down to the rock, but those were unsatisfactory, and fallen in a dry season. The wells were fitted with windlass, rope and bucket, and casks and barrels which had previously been used for beer and wine, were requisitioned when the water (some of it-brackish) had to be carted any distance. At times water was carted round the town and sold by the pailful. After a time it became the practice to provide an underground tank for each house that was buils, a pipe leading from the roof into this, and thus rain-water was conserved tor household use. Some tanks v.<-re also provided in the streets for the use

THE TOWN’S SUPPLY

A GREAT UNDERTAKING

of the Fire Brigade. But all this soon became un.sati.sh.u.-' tory, and a petition bearing 51. signatures was sent to the Superintendent; of the Province (Hon. Win. Rolleston) in 1865, asking him to send down the provincial geologist' (Mr Julius von Haast) to examine the country to the westward, and report on the possibility of obtaining an artesian supply. This X'eport was furnished, but the provincial engineer. (Mr Dovne) reported against the possibility of obtaining an artesian supply, and lie recommended sinking a deep well. Nothing was done as a result of these reports. But the great lire which swept the town in 186 S made it imperative to do something effective, and it was suggested that water should be led into the town by means of a race from the Tengawai or Pareora rivers. To a Mr Fraser, a miner of con-

siderab.e experience, must be ascribed llio credit of suggesting the best scheme, and one which was adopted, and (he one of which the town lias ever since received the benefit. Mr 1' ruser s scheme was to bring in the voter Irom the .Pareora- river. He indicated the place lor the handworks, near Mt. Horrible, and the lino the lace .should iollmv. Tins line was surveyed, and Hie Provincial Government reserved a strip r.f land 2.5 chains wide along tlie surveyed line, and let two contracts to Mr Fwiser—one for £3500, to make the race, and the other, for £.5000, to malm a. reservoir at Landsborougli, on the outskirts of the town, Jor holding a stand-by supply. Before the completion of the reservoir Mr Fraser brought the water down Waiiti Bond, crossing the gully just below the Chi remont road bridge, by a suspended pipe. The next step was to bring the water into Timaru and distribute it. Some mistakes were- made, and it was not until 1881 that Pareora ware, could bo obtained from the house tap in Timaru. Messrs Dobson and Son, engineers, who were engaged alter Mr Fraser, improved the work that had been already done, both at the lienuworks and along the lino of-the race, and laid a 15-inch iron syphon in Briggs's Gully, near tho foot of the Pareora zig-zag, a 15-inch syphon from the reservoir to town, and were responsible for the reticulation of the borough. At the date of opening the work had cost £60,000, of which about £IO,OOO had been found by the Provincial Government, and £50,000 by a 7 pci cent, loan which was . raised by the Borough Council. This loan has since been renewed at a much lower interest rate. The turning on of the first Pareora water in Timaru was celebrated by a banquet and a demonstration by Fire Brigade. ■ The water-race is laid out for the most part in very 'good and safe ground, and is canned across numerous hollows in neat and substantial iron flumes. A part of the race, however, lies through some veiy bad ground on the steep southern slope of .Mount Horrible, some parts of which a, e liable to slip in very wet seasons. These slips have been a source of great anxiety, as a slip means a break in tlie race, and a stoppage of the water flow until repairs are effected. Recognising the vast inconvenience that must ensue (especially since underground drainage was adopted) if a break occurred, such as would result in the emptying of the reservoir, tho Borough Council some years ago had ;« second reservoir constructed, capable of holding a month’s supply of water for the borough, and the old anxiety regarding the possible results of * bad slip were thus got rid of. In one dry summer the whole of the flow of

the Pureora river was taken into the race. Coincidently with the construction of the second reseiwoir, a second main pipe was laid to the town, thus ensuring the circulation should any accident befall the first main. Some years ago a bore well was put down at the Atlas Flour Mill, to a depth of over 400 it., when a poious stratum . was struck, yielding pure water that passed near enouglv to the surface to be within reach of a suction pump. During the past fourteen years £20,000 has been spent by the Borough Council on the water-race, the reservoirs, and reticulation. A year cr two ago ihe ratepayers sanctioned a loan of £31,000 for completing the ictieulation of the Borough, and now the water service in Timaru, both for fire prevention purposes and for domestic use is excellent.

THE OLD ROAD. The narrow block cutting from Patiti Point beyond the rubbish tip, down to the outlet of Otipua Lagoon, is a weathered fragment of the main road southward from Timaru, before the unfordable Saltwater Creek was bridged, after the arrival of the Stratliallan. The route then lay along the Otipua spit till near the spur on the south side of the lagoon.

PATITI POINT. Patiti Point, the area of land between the sea and railway, from Otipua lagoon to the creek flowing through the Park, was set, aside at a ' survey of Timaru as a “Military Reffirve.” It therefore included the present Caledonian Grounds: It was expected that some day a fort would be constructed on ■ the point, whic.x overlooks the sea and the roadstead. In those days there were no guns able to shoot and hit from beyond' the horizon. The point was used for military purposes to some extent. Two or three heavy iron smooth-bore 18pounder cannon Were .placed there for the Volunteer Artillery, ‘ formed, in 1860, to practice on. A powder magazine was built (it is still there), and an elaborafjl ,set of rifle targets was constructed later. The latter were given up and the range shifted Vo Scarborough on the ground that the nearer range was unsafe to the public. In 1575 the Government built a village of 22 sod huts to accommodate immigrants, of whom nearly 2000 arrived in South Canterbury- in that! year. As most of the newcomers sentthere came out in the ship Peeress, ■the village was called Peeress Town, and twenty-two families were housed there. The occupants took no trouble 1 to provide drainage, the village be-, came insanitary, typhoid fever became prevalent, the people were ordered, to leave, and in 1883 the cottages were razed and the site levelled and sown

with grass. Concrete huts were built on the beach at the Point in lull, to house an automatic fog-signal to warn shipping, in - thick weather. ■ It was not used, many, times, but-these were enough to prove that it . was too expensive’ for the Harbour Board t« maintain, :and the complicated machinery was removed. When the sand began to fend off the sea from >the, shore of Caroline. Bay so that -the tc.tvn garbage could no longer .‘be shotover the cliff near Whales Creek, twd sea face of Patiti Point became .the town rubbish-tip, and to this date it has grown into an unsightly .heap-rf waste, many chains in length. Close to the Caledonian Grounds there was at "ohe "time a'!'whaling station. ’ . ' '

FIRST orchard: ■ Between Messrs Priest and Hold--gate’s building and the Ladies’ Rest,; a large fruit tree is seen,’ and there! were others until recently south of Priest and Holdgate’6 iron yard.; These trees are the remnants of an ; orchard planted in.the very' earlydays by a Mr French—the first orchard in Sou-th Canterbury. It extended across the Bank gully, beyond where the ; “Timaru Herald” building stands. Some of the foundations of this building extend at least 20 feet below the level of the floor.