DRAINING THE OUSE.

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19638, 26 July 1935, Page 4

DRAINING THE OUSE.

DOMINION ENGINEER’S MODEL. FORMER WELLINGTONIAN. Formerly of Victoria and Canterbury University Colleges, Mr 0. Borer, engineer to the Ouse Catchment Board, has been responsible for another greit step In the continual progress toward the draining of the fens” around Cambridge, according to English newspapers. Tills is the construction of a minutely acourate scale tidal model of the Great Ouse and the Wash. This model, which is the-largest of its kind in the world, represents the tidal section of the River Great Ouse, a distance of about JO miles, and tho whole of the Wasli from Hunstanton to Friskney Flats, together With the estuaries of the rivers William, Welland and Ncne. ’ It has been constructed to enable engineers to study the effects of the numerous factors bearing on the drainage of tho catchment area, and with a view to designing (raining w'alls and other civil engineering works which will eventually result in improved and less costly drainage. Tho model is contained in a concrete box. The estuary is moulded in sand: the surface is set in cement. The river portion of tho Great Ouse is made up of concrete blocks, and the three other rivers are incorporated as Cvoodcn labyrinths. An electrically-driven plunger weighing 12 A tons displaces water from a pit, and this water, bowing over the model area of the Wash, correctly reproduces the tide. The flow from the various rivers is by valves which may be set, by observing graduated gauges, so that a correct volume of water per second Hows down tlie model channels representing the rivers. Speaking at the opening ceremony held in connection with the model, Mr Borer said that the mechanism allowed the tides to be produced in appropriate order from neap to spring, and right through lliomyliolc cycle. Mr Borer is in charge of 500 men. Working under him are live engineering gruduates of Canterbury iiiiiiege.