THE LEAKAGE AT LAKE COLERIDGE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21085, 11 July 1938, Page 8

THE LEAKAGE AT LAKE COLERIDGE

To the Editoi 1 Foe Imu Her:,..: Sir, —Apart from political propaganda your correspondent Ex P.W.D. Xvorz.r does not know' what he is writing about; and he writes in such a way as to obscure the truth from your readers. He is annoyed because the Minister of Public Works blamed the previous Government for neglect in allowing the leakage to continue for years without tire engineers on the job knowing whether the clear water escaping came from the tunnels or from cracks in the rocks surrounding the lake. He then suggests that Mr Semple should have made an inspection of one tunnel and then the other to make sure where the clear water was coming from before he made all the hue and erry. When “tx P.W. D. Worker” made that suggestion he did not realise that he was reflecting on the previous Government and the engineers on the job; just as Mr Semple had done; for it was obviously their duty to have located the seat of the trouble before it became so serious. But although neither your correspondent nor the engineers of the previous Government knew that the escaping water was coming from places in the tunnels themselves, but Mr Semple knew all about it and straight away took action in the matter. Your correspondent then applies the whitewash brush by saying that the old tunnel reflected credit «nd not discredit on those who constructed it. I say it was a positive disgrace to lhos“

responsible for its construction. As I w T as a worker at Lake Coleridge for three years during the duplication, etc., I had an opportun ty of w’alking through about half a mile of the old tunnel from lake end; and there were holes in the concrete floor and w'alls, seme of which you could have put your foot into. The engineers on the job knew this and yet your correspondent has the cheek to say they knew nothing at all about it. Furthermore the work was so deplorably bad that the lathes used in timbering had only been plastered over in one or two places. When the new tunnel was finished the water was turned on for 24 hours and then the tunnel was emptied again; on an inspection It was found that it had cracked in all directions, this happening at the surge chamber end, where the country is composed of shingle and sand, going to prove that the leakage had washed away the shingle and sand, therefore leaving no resistance against the pressure of water in the tunnel, hence the cracks. It was then decided to shoot grout (cement, sand and water) with a grout gun. in an attempt to seal up these cracks and fill up any holes that might have been behind the concrete, '.i-'ndreds of holes were drilled in the concrete walls and roof where the grout was pumped or shot at 1001 b pressure. At one particular place the grout was pumped into two or three holes for about three days and nights, and those on the job had not the slightest idea where the grout v as going to. It looked as if « did not matter so long as the cement was used up and paid for by the public. Let me remind your correspondent that this happened long after ferro oncrete had been well established, it having been used in Invercargill away back in ICOO. If “Ex P.W.D. Worker” wants to still continue this little political stunt let him sign his name—l am, etc., A. THOMAS. Timaru, July 9.