THE WEST COAST TELEGRAPH.

West Coast Times, Issue 352, 8 November 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE WEST COAST TELEGRAPH.

(FROM THE liYIXELTON XIMKS.) Among the many papers laid on the table of the Provincial Council this session, not the least interesting and curious is a " Report by the Provincial Telegraph Manager on the Construction and Working of the West Coast Telegraph." The public have heard very little of the West Coast telegraph bej^ond the fact of its having been established, and occasional rumors of the imperfect communication that has thus been obtained with the other seaboard of the province. We have, however, waited for more certain information before expressing an opinion on the manner in which the undertaking has been carried out, or its performances. The document in question divides the work into three sections — from Christchurch to Bealey Gorge ; from Bealey Gorge to Hokitika, and from Hokitika to Greymouth : in which order the line was put up.. It contains an account of the time consumed, a minute statement of the expense in the erection, and an elaborate description of the country through which each section passes, for the better understanding of which is added an exceedingly valuable diagram, giving a clearer and more comprehensive view of the route across the island than anything we have yt_t seen. There are also, in appendix form, statements of revenue, balance sheets in account with revenue, and the last year's vote for the maintenance of the line, estimate of the expenditure for the current year, &c, the whole comprising a complete history of the line, and showing its prospects in the future. It appears that, " the erection of the section between Christchurch and Bealey (103 - miles) was commenced on the 27th August, and opened for work 25th November, 1865, at a cost of L 4431, omitting fractions, or L 43 per mile." " From Arthur's Pass to Hokitika (67£ miles), was opened 14th February, 1866, at a cost of L 4657, or L 69 10s per mile." The extension to Greymouth (27 miles), was commenced Ist May, and opened for work 9th July, 1866, at a cost of LI9OS, or L7O 13s 9d per mile; making a total of 197f miles, at a total cost of Ll 0,995, averaging L 55 10s 9d per mile throughout. The difference in cost of the section between Bealey and Christchurch, and the other parts of the line" — quoting from the report — " is very remarkable, but easily accounted for. At the time of the erection of the line between Arthur's Pass and -liokitika, no road was in existence ; a wheeled vehicle had never penetrated that part of the country, and all the material used was laboriously and expensively panoed and packed by horses. To show what effect this had on the cost of the line : A ton of material from the sellers hands, cost L 46 2s 9d ; the same delivered for use, L 129 13s Id, or at an average cost for delivery of LB3 10s 4d per ton. The weather was most unpropitious; in a period of thirty days only nine days work were obtained, and it is a fact the greater part of .this section of the line was put up amid continual rain. The track j from Hokitika, by which the workmen j were supplied, was a quagmire, dan- [ gerous and laborious to travel, the 5 rivers were constantly high, and, as the work lay entirely amongst them, it was difficult to induce men to undertake it on any terms. 1 ' So we should think, "Two shillings an hour was paid for labor. On account of the imperfect means of transit, it was found impossible to supply a large party, and even if it had been possible they could not have been obtained, on account of the many hardships attending the work and the counter-attractions of the goldfields, all of which combined to delay the work and increase its expense. Oi the amount debited to the Gre\ mouth extension, L 550 Bs. was incurred for bush clearing, which, in the otuer sections, had been done in the formation of the West Coast road, and Ll5B 16s. for the purchase of instruments, &c, that have been distributed over the whole line, leaving the cost of the line itself, with the office at Greymouth, Lll9B 16s. 2d., or L 44 per mile. It is to be noted that every expense incurred of whatever nature has been brought into account." The report then goes on to describe minutely the whole line, the description of poles used, and under what circumstances they were placed, which is very interesting but too long for quotation here. From it may be gathered that the line from Goldney's Saddle to Hokitika passes through a succession of river-beds and dense bush, which render its position at best but very precarious ; in fact, the line is liable to serious damage at any moment, and the wonder is, not at the many interruptions that have taken place, but that under the circumstanops there have been so few of them. This state of affairs seems to have been fully understood from the first, for the report quotes from a letter of the Manager's to the Secretary for Public Works dated Otira, November 13,1865. "I cannot, however, say as much for the work down the Bealey. That river is now impassable for hordes, and, if in any similar flood the river changes its course, the poles all the way down the flat will be in imminent danger. Nor can I see any remedy. It seems to me that nothing can -be done to guard against the danger in this river, the Otira and the Teremakau, except cutting a track through the bush on the hills which skirt these rivers at an immense expense. I have taken every precaution .possible under, the circumstances, but' the farther I advance with this work, the more I am convinced of its precarious nature,

1 Floods, falling timber, bush fires, and even, strong winds, may at any time render it useless, and from the impossibility of getting at -the line, to repair it, the interference may be of long duration." This is explicit enough, aud is, indeed, a description of what has actually taken place. Speaking cf a part of the line in the Teremakau vallej', between the Taipo and Otira, the report says : — " When the river Teremakau is at all fuller than usual, more or less of poles are washed out, and it is quite impossible to cross the river to repair the damage. Line-men have been repeatedly detained here, when their presence was urgently required elsewhere, so that the effects of these damages have been of tar greater consequence than the mere breakage. Out of 115 days work, no less than 9 were lost through breakages here." That a line put up under such anomalous circumstances should be full of defects is not to be wondered at, but the question naturally comes, why, after communication was once established, was not the line rendered safer, as jlySeems might have been done with the increased facility afforded by the completion of the West Coast road? For " There is no doubt that had the line been erected after the West Coast road was completed, a work of considerably more value at a far less expense would have been the result ;" but then again, " All the advantages that now exist, or ever will exist, can never alter the face of the country so far as to permit of the construction of a telegraph through it that will approach in safety to the lines on the plains ;" and " The improvement of the line has been the subject of much attention. A report obtained by the Government exhibits a plan that seems calculated to render the line as perfect as possible, but the enormous expense and length of time necessary to complete it will pi'obably prevent its adoption." The report referred^ to is given in the appendix ; its main feature cdnsists in clearing a wide breadth of timber, and crossing the water-courses with submarine cable. The cost is estimated, for seventy miles, at L 12,547, a sum truly •* enormous." But it is given as the amount to cover the expense of entire renovation. It does not seem to have struck the writer that the worst' portions of the line might be attended to at once, and gradual re-formation, spreading the expense over several years, proceeded with at leisure. The aversion of engineers to partial schemes is well known, and this is no exception. If the facts are as stated in the report, which we see no reason to doubt, we quite agree with the writer that any less comprehensive alteration would only be productive of dissatisfaction ; " any one unguarded section will vitiate the whole line." But, any improvement taken as a part of a " comprehensive " scheme is obviously desirable The report disposes of some inconsiderable objections to the construction of the line, and deals with the question of high versus low charges ; shows that the income produced since the time of working has more than covered the expense of maintenance, and furnishes a mass of interesting matter, which, as we hope to .see it in a more accessible form, we refrain from mutilating here. On the whole, an intelligible and finished account is supplied of the expenditure of a considerable sum of public money, which we are sorry to say is not always the rule.