INANGAHUA COUNTY COUNCIL.
Engineeb's lißfoet: I have the horor to report that since the last meeting of the Council, I have tuade the usual monthly visits to the different contracts on the main lines of road. On the Grey >oad, between Eeefton apd tbe Saddle, the contractors are en» gaged removing one ot the points on the Saddle, also removing- the bridge that has become unsafe, and filling in the bridge site with earth, as there is no necessity for a bridge at that place. Tbe work has been somewhat retarted owing to one of the contractors meeting with an accident through a fall of earth while undermining the bank at the point alluded to. Tbe road has been metalled along the wheel ruts with broken metal, and will shortly receive a coat of gravel over the broken metal, which will have the effect of reducing the present roughness. From the Saddle to Sqttaretown the road is in good order, but the quantity of metal required by tbe sperfications has not been placed on the Saddle portion of this section, and is somewhat of a depart ture from tbe usual manner that this contractor has formerly performed tbe work. Below tbe bridge o*er the Little Grey there has been three bridge culverts con* structed since my last report—- thexe will have tbe effect of keeping the road entire during flood times. One of them, how evert is placed in the room of an old structure that bad become' unsafe for traffic. From Squaretown to Bitera's, the contractors are engaged placing the necessary gravel upon the road, and also reducing some of the heights that exist on the road between Squaretown and Casola's Creek. From Bitera's to the Big Grey, there has been some work performed, but it will be necessary for this, contractor to perform a large quantity of work before winter sets in, otherwise he will find it ( difficult to maintain. At present the road is in good condition, owing chiefly to the fine weather and small traffic. The Blackwater road between the Grey road and Barman's, is in good order, and is one of the roads passed over by the Public Works Committee on February 18, when inspecting that portion of the County. On February 25, in company with the Chairman and Mr Trennery, I left Beefs inn for the Maruia plains by way of Walker's track, for the purpose of inspecting the work now being performed by Mr Walker, and on the 2nd March, I accompanied Mr Wilson, Government Engineer, over the same roue, and as far as Lake Guyon in the Amuri County, The distance from Eeefton would be about fifty. seven miles— fifty-one miles of which are along very easy country for road purposes. The country between Eeefton and tbe Maruia by way of Walker's track present no d'ffieulties at all for road malting, the Eahan saddle being crossed by very easy grades, and m the eastern slope, the grades are barely perceptible. From Eeefton to tbe Maruia plains is about thirtys'wo miles, and from the plains to the boundary of the Inangahua County is about eleepn and a-quarter miles; ten miles of this distance requires very little doing to it for a stock track, the remaining one and n»qunrter milps is very rough and would require a considerable outlay <o make it passable. But after leaving the Tnanea* bus boundary which is situated along the summit of the Spencer range, there are six miles of very rough country interm'xed, however, with patches of flats and bush, when the Maruia and Ada river saddle is reached, after which there are no difficulties in the way. In fact a hcrse can be taken anywhere, 'as the countfy becomes entirely changed after crossing the Ada saddle. It is, however, absolutely necessary in order that the track from Reefion to ihe Maruia plains may become useful that the portion of country from the plains to the other side of the Ada river saddle, have a track formed, to junction with the end of the track now being formed for the Inangahua County—for unless this is donp, the track to the Maruia plains will not answer the purpose for which it was intended. When at Lake Guyon, which i is on M'Arthur's station, 1 was informed by the manager who resides at tbe lake that, for a long time they have been unable to send any sheep <o market owing to the country west of the Waianua being infected with scab, and that several large sheep runs were in the s'irre pre-'if-irrtpnt, arM for s"mc time , ;•,.,. , ,, M .r. ...■> \r I, • ! ;]■--«-■-, .-, i«\ >«J r. ,i,| ■-. ■■ V ■ ■ ■ ■ , j ! . : ■ , ■ ' ..■•-,'(
was made to the West Coast through the CaDnibal Gorge it would be the means of opening up a market for them, it being the only way remaining open onaecbunt, as I have before stated, of the country below them on the Canterbury side being infected with, scab. This, without a doubt, would mean cheap me.it for this side of the country — for there are bun> dreds of thousands of sheep ready for a market were it opened to them. lam unable to say what Mr Wilson's report t> the Government may be, as he was very reticient on the matter, but the fact of so many sheep stations being entirely closed in as it were from a market, and a large population requiring cheap meat within easy distance, provided a track were formed, it certainly should be some inducement either to the Government or to the Amuri County to construct the track through the required portion. Black's Point. The contract for forming Trennery street is nearly completed. I have had to employ labor for a few days on the Ajax track, clearing trees that had fallen upon tbß track, owing to being burnt through by the late bush fires. At Crushington, there has been a chant nel cleared at the end of the wing dam at a cost of £10 ss. Keefton I hava taken the dimensions of the Eeefton Cemetery, and prepared a sketch of the ground as laid out, I presume, by Mr Woolley. The dimensions are 295 feet in length, by 225 feet in breadth, and is divided in the centre by a carriage* way are 16f feet in width ; on each side of the carriage-way are paths, 4^ feet wide, acd at right angles to the paths, and at distances of 15J feet are other walks laid cff, which are 6 feet in width, and extend to the boundary each way. Parallel with the carriage-way there are pegs driven in the ground at 8 feet dis« tances which divide the space between (be 6 feet paths into blocks 15J feet by 8 feet, which are the allotments for burial purposes ; on the inside of the grounds aud close to the fence are pathways of 7| feet and 2f feet respectively, as shown on sketch. Through the want of system or preper laying off, of the gravel before any burials bad taken place, about half the area has been made use of indiscriminately — lines of pegs have, therefore, been placed where possible, leaving spaces of different dimensions as figured on the plan. It would be hard to say what works ere necessary to place the ground in order, as it is purely a matter of taste, and whether the paths that are marked green on plan should be gravelled or laid down in grass becomes a subject for the Council to deal with. If this were decided, I could form an estimate of the cost. I employed labor to fiil in the holes in Dick street and Buller road, which has been done at a cost of £4 10s ; and there has been seyeral other small works per» formed about Eeefton , such as hand rails to foot.bridge on J,he road to the State School, &c, at a ccst of £3 15s. Westpoet Boad On February 7, I visited the Westport road in company with the Chairman and Mr Gallagher, as far as the boundary of the County, and on Nos. 1 and 2 sections there is an improvement in the quality of the work being performed, but on the road are large stores considerably beyond the s'ze allowed by specifications, also no attempt bss been made to remedy portions that have been improperly treated previously. From Larry's to Brandt's, the road has been run over for a considerable distance since I was enabled last to inspect it, but the quantity of metal that has been put on, is much under the quantity required by specifications. There are a large quantity of stones above the regulation size along this section. From Brandt's to Mindermann's. A considerable quantity of work has been performed along this secfion of the road, but in many places is much below the requirements. The stones also are beyond the size allowed. From Mindermanu's to the boundary, I found that a very small quantity of work had been performed since I wss enabled on January 13th last to visit the road, and it is evident that advantage has heen taken all along the lower portion of (lie road of my inability to visit it. There has not been any attempt to break the large stones which have beenmp numerous, and it will be necessary that I again go down the road to work up arrears, as soon as possible. At the crossing Boatman's Creek, the large trees and timber lying in the bed of the creek has been chopped into lengths to allow flood water an oppor« tunity of removing it, al«o a small dam has been constructed to prevent the water from entering a bye-wash or creek, and that was likely to have damaged the road. The contract let to J". Williams has been abandoned, and tenders invited for the work required to b<* done to the Fern Flat road. The work has been let to Cochrane and sons for £27, Boatman's. The dray road to Boatman's is in fair working order, and there is an improvemen on the horse tracks from the township towards the Welcome and Pactolus mines. I have passed the third TTiTror* mvirent ♦Hs month, and which
become necessary to repair it from tbe main road to the Left-hand Branch. The bridge over the branch also required a general overhaul, which has been done. TTPPEB PtTLtEB. The Overseer at Harden has been instructed to do the necessary repairs to the Maruia track from its junction with the Buller. and at Hampden, the horsetrnek from the township up the Mataki* taki river, let by contract to G. Moon* light has been completed. John Bell's A ppiiCATir.N. I have made enquiries respecting the claim made by John Bell for eompensa. tion for ferrying travellers across Larry's Creek. I am informed that Mr Bell does at all hours provide a horse for the accommodation of persons requiring (o cross at Larry's, and on several occasions after nightfall that he has rendered good service to many that had gone astray when endeavouring to cross. To a stranger especially, this crossing becomes difficult after dark, owing to the quantity of timber that of late has been deposited on the line of road, and has diverted the stream into numerous channels, that run 1 in all directions. I The other instructions that I received from tbe last meeting of the Couoeil have been attended to. Eeefton, 10th March, 1880.
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Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 29 March 1880, Page 2
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1,911INANGAHUA COUNTY COUNCIL. Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 29 March 1880, Page 2
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