Evening Post 17 Sep 1883

In reference to the works at the reservoir, Wainui-o-mata, we learn that during the heavy rain which fell up the country a few days ago, the dam filled so suddenly as to overflow the retaining wall now in the course of construction by the contractor, Mr Bayliss, doing a considerable amount of damage to the work. While this retaining wall is being built the ordinary flow of the stream is diverted through a small tunnel which is constructed for the purpose of cleaning out the dam when required. In front of the tunnel there is a strong grating inserted in the concrete walls. The grating, which is made of three-inch angle iron and one-inch round rods of iron, is intended to guard the mouth of the tunnel, but the sudden rise of the water brought down a large segment of a round tree, which toppled over the grating; the one end, by the draw of the water, entered the mouth of the tunnel, the weight of water over it jamming it down behind the grating so firmly that it fitted like a cork in the mouth of a bottle with no room to extract it. The whole of one day last week was spent in trying to get it out by every means, but without success, their being 15 feet of water over it with no means of letting it off. Mr D. Sinclair, the inspector, proposed to build a watertight dam outside the grating, and then to go down and cut and split the log up as the only means of clearing the tunnel to let the water off and allow the work to proceed. By Mr Sinclair’s directions the dam was built and the log extracted piecemeal, although at considerable risk, on account of the great weight of water over the men at work. The weight of the water, although well stayed, has bent the angle irons, and the rods of the grating are twisted in all manner of ways. This being done, the log was cleared and the tunnel opened on Thursday night. The water is all down and the work is now started again, although it has caused the delay of a week.