GISBORNE’S ONLY RAILWAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2436, 26 February 1909, Page 2

GISBORNE’S ONLY RAILWAY.

THE LATEST EXTENSION. ;fOW THE DEPARTMENT IS PUSHING ON THE WORK. .'LOSE ON 400 HANDS EMPLOYED (By Our Special Reporter.) In just about a fortnight from to-dav v further portion of the 0 isbornedotorua railway ival'l be officially open-' d by the Minister, for regular*traffic. Hus addition is only a few hundred yards in length, but it is a. most important o)ie, as, running from the present terminus of the line to the new Waikolm station, it includes the Waikohu bridge, an unde-)'taking of considerable magnitude. The importance of this addition will be readily scon when it is remembered that hitherto there has been no means for the settlers further out to .get backwards and forwards across the river, -or-drive, their stock, except by means of what was at times ia dangerous and unreliable ford. This bridge, which is more than 120 yards long, is very substantially built. It will be used both .as a : railway and a traffic bridge, and at present a small army of workmen are busily j engaged in forming theroad approaches from both ends. Just oyer the bridge is the station, with its commodious go-ods-shed of corrugated iron. The work of gravelling the station yard and approaches 'is completed and everything is practically ready for the opening. Four comfortable cottage sjuivo been, erected' for the use of the permanent way men when they are appointed, and at the far end of the station yard there are sheep and cattle yards avith provisions for trucking. THE NEW STATION.

The station is prettily situated at the ■ entrance to the Waihuka Valley, surrounded by gently sloping hills well grassed, and with the monotony broken by an occasional patch of virgin hush. The adjacent country is apparently most fertile, and the stock seem to do remarkably well. Comparatively little is known by townspeople of the progress of the line, which undoubtedly will ultimately be of immeasurable benefit to the district. With the object of ascertaining, if possible, bow matters really stood, I was despatched on a trip to the seat of operations.

Leaving town with a friend by the early train at 7 a.m. we--pulled up some distance on the town side of the Waikoliu bridge at 5.45 a.m., and disembarking, prepared to- investigate. On commencing the journey our intention was to endeavor to reach the farthest point of the workings. Upon enquiry I found this to be a distance of over eight miles, and with no other method of getting there than by walking! This was rather a bad beginning from a townsman’s point of view, but nothing daunted, we set off t rudging up The line. The completed line comes to a stop just past the station, and from that point onward there is no work of a permanent nature. Thus,' when the bridge is opened shortly, the train will travel over it, hut can go no farther in the meantime. Just outside the .station yard a temporary line has been laid down for the purpose of carting the material for two bridges a little further on. This line" is roughly constructed on the site of the permanent way, and is easily lifted and set down-again as required. The question naturally arose: “Would it not have been simpler to put down the permanent line straight away and have done with it ?” This idea was soon dispelled by the explanation that the earth .underneath -was required for filling-in purposes hat the station, .and as fast as one side was levelled down the line was transferred on to that part and the other half was utilized. The first bridge is just about- a quarter or a mile front the station, and os rapidly approaching Completion: The large top pieces were just being prepared vixen we were there, and it is expected that the whole structure will be finished in .about two weeks. It is a very s‘outly-built bridge with large steel girders, and two spans of 80ft.. To get .across it was the next consideration,' and with nothing to walk on but narrow plianks loosely laid across from each, cross-piece, it was with some trep dation that the narrator essayed the journey. However,- although suffering many qualms, I got safely over, and then stopped for a moment to look in wonder at the-way. in which the men employed on the bridge, hopped from plank to plank, in absolute unconcern of the yawning chasm beneath. Further on, about another quarter of a mile, the piles, are driven for a second bridge. This will be a lofty affair over a very small stream, but owing to the nature of the country the work was necessary. It is expected that this structure will be completed in five or six weeks, the fact that no decking will be required rendering the work easier. Leaving this bridge the line takes a wade curve to the left, leaving Mr. E. M. Hutchinson’s homestead on the right. Following along the levelled roadway, the next thing of , interest that is met. with is a very steep cutting where the route runs close to the road. -and the river round the base of a high bluff. It is known by the name of Clay’s cutting, ' and some idea of the dimensions of the work can be' gathered from' the fact that a gang of six men has been steadily employed at it sauce June last. WHAT THE WORK IS LIKE.

- Olio can have little idea ol tho enor-mous-amount of work entailed in the making of these- cuttings, without actually seeing the work in progress.

Many of the hills through which the cuttings run, are several hundred feet in height and slope gredually down to the roqel. Starting at the summit the works "overseer must, first of all, take most accurate measurements as the slightest error in judgment at the commencement would render the. work futile. According to the nature of the soil in which Jthe mon are working, so is the slope of the cutting, -and while in sonic instances the sides pro almost precipitous,'in others they run in quite a gentle slope. . While gradually working downwards on the face of the cutting .attention, must also bo paid to what may be termed the "ground fioor.” Temporary rails are laid down an the cuttings to aid in the transport of the . excavated material by means of trucks, and care must be taken to keep 'the floor at such am incline that the truck' will run by its own momentum. The truck when filled is sometimes started bv a horse, but in most cases by the inon themselves. It -runs down to the end of the.cutting, where a man stands ready to - release a bolt as it reaches him. The truck then strikes a large log placed there for the purpose,' .and, tipping u.p, empties, itself. One of the greatest problems in . this direction -is the difficulty of transit of the materials required, and ofte’s first thought is a feeling of wonder as to hew these trucks have been taken through the hush and conveyed through the thick scrub to the top rf a hill many hundred's of feet high. As a matter of fact the bodies of the trucks arc made at what is known as the Main Camp, where there is quite a substantial-looking workshop. The wheels and iron frames are of course imported, and they are taken up the hillsides by bullock teams, along narrow tracks that have first been scooped out. Needless to say, this is all very laborious work. Not alone is the cost heavy, hut in the winter time' the roads are at times almost impassable, so that efforts are being .made to push on the work- as rapidly as possible before the bad weather sets in. " THE WAIKOHU TUNNEL.

After inspecting this cutting, onward was again the order, and, still following the route of the line, we passed through a most remarkable avenue of that- curse to farmers, the Scotch thistle-, growing on each side to a height of .about six feet,' and extending for close on a mile, with just room to walk between the rows. After crossing the stream- for the third time, the only tunnel so. far attempted on the Hue is reached. It is known as the Waikohu tunnel, and extends for about 24 chains through a hill of solid papa rock. Five men have been employed here- since October, -and have been working from both ends. The boring will be finished in a week or two, and the tunnel practically completed in about two months. Down stream a little way some men are busily employed making the solid concrete blocks of cement of different shapes for the arched roofing. There is also a- small clearing adjoining the tunnel which is used as a depot for timber and other materials for the line, and close by there, is’being dug a • most remarkably fine crop of potatoes in one of the Waihuka station paddocks. This is one- of the finest crops I have ever seen, and a sack could be easily filled in about a chain. All along here the country appears to be excellent, and affords good pasture for both sheep and cattle. Not only this, hut the presence of a number of large haystacks indicate its suitability for cropping purposes. CUTTING THROUGH THE BUSH.

Right from the commencement of the line route there are dotted here and there the camx>s of the workmen, but from this point onwards they become more numerous, and in some cases almost assume the proportions of small settlements. There are “boardinghouses” of canvas and sacking, stores, and workshops fashioned of like material, and at what is termed the main camp there is a perfect hive of industry : carpenters, blacksmiths, and other tradesmen being employed in the manufacture of wheelbarrows, trucks, tools, and the hundred and one little things required for the w-ork.

By this time, after clambering over hills, scrambling down steep, bluffs, and crossing the winding Waihuka stream dozens of times, hopping from boulder to boulder, we were beginning to feel somewhat tired, and were looking forward to the time when we should reach the survey camp, our ultimate destination. Toiling steadily on, one would meet individuals at most unexpected places, and from enquiries as. to the distance, we seemed to be getting no nearer our goal, but rather further away at each time of asking. One man would hesitate, and say, “Oh, about two miles,” and a hundred yards further on another man, on being accosted.,. would promptly reply: “I think it is -about five or six miles, but I am not quite sure.” There was nothing left now but to go on until the end -was reached, a,nd with a sort of grim determination to do or die wo continued plodding along. This portion of the line, from about-four miles out, and extending for over a. mile is one of the m-ost difficult sections undertaken. The line runs .round the side of the hills high above the river bed, and through very rough country, but when completed there is- no doubt it will be a magnificent ride from a scenic .point of view at any rate. There are many most difficult cuttings along this section, hut the work is progressing steadily. On and on, sometimes on a fairly level i'oad, -and sometimes distinctly the reverse, we continued until, rounding a hill, wc came in full view of the settlement at Gold Greek. After being refreshed by a very welcome drink of water at a boarding-house, tho good news was

learnt that the survey camp, that long looked lor spoty was only, about -half a mile distant. • There is quite a little settlement in this locality, and one enterprising individual who has started a store there, has just added a bakehouse and brick oven, and judging by the sample loaf wo saw, is turning out a most excellent article. 'The old controversy cash v. credit is raging even in this remote spot, -and the position, of affairs there was humorously described by the proprietor as follows:—'‘l am all cash.,” he said, “and sometimes the bread is sour and there are other faults, but I tell-you if it went down in the book it would be as sweet as a nut.” GOLD CREEK TERMINUS.

Almost immediately afterwards we came in sight of the survey camp, which marks the furthermost portion at which work of any kind in connection with .the line is being done. The camp i« situated right on the road under -a fairly high hill, on the side of which the line is being -at present surveyed. This is just about 30 males from Gisborne, and .at the time of our visit the survey gang were just commencing work on first ten chains of the 31st mile of the route. Further on, crossing the head of the Waihuka Valley, there is to be a large viaduct over eighty feet high, and with two spans of 200 feet. It .will be a big under-taking, and we learnt that the work is to be done by the regular workmen, and not let by contract, as are the bridges. The Government rarely employ any private surveyors far their work, their own men doing nearly all the engineering and surveying. The scarcity of surveyors has often been remarked upon, -and the difficulty of obtaining mon is explained in various ways. It is said that engineers in the Dominion are .poorly paid in comparison with other countries, where their services are always in demand, owing to the variety of the experience they have gained in New Zealand. At present the main body of the workmen employed on the line are, pressing hard on the heels of the survey party, and if more surveyors were available more men could with advantage be put on and the work proceeded with more rapidly. After refreshing the inner man, by an excellent dinner at- the survey camp, we commenced the return journey, taking the route of the proposed railway all the way. On going out we had left . it- and made our way along the ” stream for the latter part of the journey. The main work being carried on is the making of cuttings, and several of them in the last- mile or so will involve an enormous amount of labor before they can be completed. To the uninitiated, at times it looks like two great hills on either side of a deep gully and- truck after truck of earth, papa, and rock being emptied into the ravine, in what appears to be an almost impossible attempt to bring the bottom of the gully lo a level with the top of the hill. AN ARMY OF NAVVIES.

The men invariably work in gangs of five"or six. On the whole they are of an excellent class of laborers and the co-operative system of working is adopted. Their pay for excavating and removing five chains away is Is per yard if they are handling .clay, Is fid for papa, and Is 9d for the harder, papa rock, with Id per yard added when the distance is over five chains. There are altogether close on 400 men employed on the line, and their average daily wage is about Bs, not counting bad weather. A number of them have their wives and children with them, and have established little homes of snowy white canvas in the heart of the bush. Often they keep fowls, and even, in one or two instances, have miniature gardens around their camps. The life is to many of them exceptionally dull, especially after knockiing-off work, but the evenings are generally passed in reading, card-playing, impromptu concerts, and any other amusement that- may suggest itself, while am occasional visit to town breaks the deadly monotony to some extent.

A great number of the men are married, having tliqir homes in Gisborne", and they hare been compelled to leave their wives and children in town, -owing to the fact that there is no provision made for having their children sent to school in the country. At present there is a school being built at Pulia, and the question of further advantages is being considered, so that there is every prospect in the future of these men being able to be joined by their families, and this will doubtless make their long sojourn in the solitude of the country much more pleasant.

j BACK TO TOWN. j With our faces turned homeward once moro tho journey did not present such a formidable aspect, and after about 2-J hours of steady walking we came in. sight of our starting point again, one of us at least sad'ly tired and 'worn, but proudly conscious of tho “something attempted, done” feeling. Once again that fateful bridge had to be crossed, but by now it bad lost almost all its terrors, and we eventually reached theMiaven ’ of Waikohu station to sit down and await the coming of the train to convey us back to town. Although, as has already been stated, the completed lino terminates at the Waikohu station, thero is every prospect of anot-bef three or four miles being .available before , the winter sets iu. Once the two bridges and tunnel arc completed there is no other hindrance to the line being permanently laid and ballasted up to | about a mile past, the tunnel, and 274 miles from Gisborne.

The gravel _for ballasting purposes is obtained from tho pit near the To Karaka racecourse, and an additional incentive is given to the efforts of pushing on the, work as -rapidly as possible by the fact that, tho pit being so shallow, it is impossible to got gravel out of it in tho winter time, when the river rises a few feet. Tho carting of it is another difficulty, both on account of the expense and the almost impassable nature of the roads in wet weather. The ma jority of the rails used in the construction of the line are imported from England, but there are also a. few used of American manufacture. They are "extraordinarily heavy, weighing five owt. each, and the great cost of tho 'lino -Will be. more readily understood ,by tho uninitiated when it is stated that tho cost of laying and ballasting one mile of rails and sleepers is estimated at £2OOO. Tho exact date of the official opening of the bridge and station yards

is not yet decided upon, hut it will probably bo .about tlic 11th Mai ch;. as Mr-C. E. Armstrong meets the Ministerial party at Opotiki on tho Bth .Vl.ml). Once this addition is opened 234 miles will bo available for daily traffics, and given a continuance or the present .fine weather and a favorable aiitumn, there is e-vorv probability that before winter finally sets in, some 274 -miles wall be available tor general traffic. It will necessarily bo many years before the line is completed, but there is no doubt- that satisfactory progress has boon made of late, and while each, addition as it is being opened is proving of good value it is impossible to o-verest’mate the ultimate benefit of the line to tho district of Poverty Bay.