RAILWAY BRIDGES.

D.—No. 6c

18

Brought forward ... ... ... ... ... £4,074 13 6 Pile Shoes CG6 at 401b. 26,640 lbs. Spikes to do. 1&03 lbs. * in. Wale Bolts GGG at 8* 2,198 f bolts to raking pile heads 222 at 6 1,332 3 11 in. wale straps 11 at 13 1,443 Spikes to do. Ill 3 x I in capsill straps 666 at 7| 4,995 Spikes to do. 1332 at f 666 Spikes to braces 1332 at J 666 Spikes to posts and strutts 6956 at i 1,912 Spikes to planking 12,870 Pile Shoes, Bolts and Straps ... ... 36,608 & 18,323 lbs. Spikes Tons 8 3 2 11 say at 10s. ... 81 16 0 If 70 lb. Pile Shoes add 19,980=56,5881bs. 25 5 20 0 say at 14s. ... 353 12 G Total say ... ... ... ... £5,110 2 0

No. 20. Mr. Blackett to Mr. Millab. (Telegram). Wellington, 10th July, 187). It is reported by Mr Tancred that your surveyors have not laid out the line of railway from Moeraki to Waitaki to meet the exact crossiug place for a bridge selected by the Commissioners on that river, and that the line as lockspitted is about 25 chains too high up the river, being above a branch stream or storm-river, instead of below it. The gravel discharged by this stream formed a mound or foreshore, which offered a natural protection to the bridge site which was thus fixed to be below it. Please see to this, if statement is correct your line may easily be made to join by producing straight part of line from the South, and using a smaller curve. J. Millar, Esq., C.E., Dunedin. John Blackett.

No. 21. Mr. Millab to Mr. Blackett. (Telegram). - Dunedin, 11th July, 1871. In reply, scrupulous nicety was observed in laying off the railway line in immediate connection with the site for bridge. Crossing over the river Waitaki iu order to rigidly comply with the unanimous report agreed to by the Commissioners on the 21st February, and as shown upon a tracing of the boundaries of Cauterbury and Otago, posted by myself to Mr Bray, with duplicate, to the Chief Surveyor of Canterbury, on the 10th March, whilst you were at Christchurch. From mature study of the shingle beds, founded upon repeated observations during and since three months residence in the locality of the river, and'whilst it was at its lowest level, I am, in consequence, now of opinion that the site as agreed upon is too far East, i.e., not high enough up the river by five chains. This I propose bringing before you when all the Commissioners meet, as doubtless they will at Wellington, in September. In the meantime, in accordance with last paragraph of our joint report, which see, "We recommend that an accurate plan and section of the site for the proposed bridge, with description of the nature of the ground be made." This I have had done by a careful traverse of the shingle bed, whilst exposed, their position fixed, together with course of the deepest stream so as to incontrovertably prove that my modified and more mature opinion is correct. Of this survey, since I had your telegrams, I am having a tracing make for your inspection, showing first Messrs. Paterson's and Dobson's ; second, the Commissioners'line as laid off; third, the line as it ought to be. This tracing with record of borings will bo forwarded to Wellington by the first mail hence, together with further explanations. Come what may, your suggestions simplify the matter, as thereby the bridge site may be moved up or down the river, by simply increasing or reducing the radius of joining curve. N.B.—By Mr Tancred's recent idea of 25 chains further down the river, the length of bridge would be increased 455 feet, at a cost of £1,550. Patersou's and Dobson's site 924 feet, at an increased cost of £9,210. J. Blackett, Esq., Wellington. J. Millar, F.S.A.

No. 22. Memorandum by Mr. Blackett on Mr. Millar's Explanations respecting his reasons for changing the site of the Waitaki Bridge. It will lie necessary to send a copy of Mr. Millar's telegram to Messrs. Tancred and Bray for thei r consideration, in order that they may confirm or otherwise Mr. Millar's altered opinion on the subjectThe receipt of Mr. Millar's plans of the Moeraki and Waitaki Eaihvay will assist them in forming an opinion, as a tracing of the new section of the river may be supplied to them from these plans. The alteration of site will not affect the cost of the railway itself (only the bridge) aa the ground is almost quite level, and the line of railway, as laid out on a curve, can be made to adapt itself to the site, if altered by reducing the radius of the curve.