City and Suburban Tramway.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4684, 30 June 1893, Page 3

City and Suburban Tramway.

♦ At the invitation of Mr F. E. Wright, Chairman of the City and Suburban Tramway Company, the Directors, with a number of other gentlemen, went for a trial trip over the line as far as Stanmore bridge yesterday afternoon. Mr Ussher, Government engineer, was also present to inspect the : line. Starting from the terminus, at 1 Messrs Edwards, Bennett and Co.'b corner, the party waa taken in a car, drawn by a pair of horses, over the length of rails laid 1 down. The trip was successfully per- • formed, the party being brought back to ! town thoroughly satisfied with the arraage--1 ments. The running was perfectly smooth, 1 which may be attributed to the heavy metal used. This section of the line has ' now been passed by tbe engineer, and will ■ be open for passenger traffic very shortly. ■ On returning to town an adjournment was 1 made to Coker's Hotel, where " Succesß to ; the Company," was drunk in champagne. : The Chairman, in proposing tbe toast, referred to the satisfactory manner in which the contractor had done his work, and stated that, now matters had been 1 amicably arranged with the City Council, the line would be pushed on to its termination. The health of the Chairman having 1 been drunk, the party separated. The contract for laying the line from \ Christchurch to within three-quarters of a mile of the New Brighton beach, has [ been let to Mr John Brightling, in three ' sections, the first of which was the one opened yesterday. Work on the second section has been at a standstill during the ■ last fortnight, owing to a misunderstand--1 ing between the City Council and the 1 Company, as to the lattet's liability for ' ' grading streets intersecting the Stanmore road. The Company contended that it was only liable to regrade streets along ' which the line would run. The matter • was discussed at the last meeting of the ! City Council, when the Company's con- • tention was upheld, and work will be 1 resumed on Monday morning. The rails J used are 401 b railway metals, and the sleepers are placed transversely, which is 1 said to make the line much more solid 1 than would be the caße were the sleepers ! laid longitudinally. The work has been 3 carried out in a thorough manner by Mr ' Brightling. Mr Walter Blake, C.E., has had the supervision of the contract.