The Accident to the Wainui-o-mata Dam – Official Visit to the Works
Pursuant to a resolution adopted at a meeting of the Public Works Committee on Monday evening, several members of the City Council proceeded to Wainuio-mata yesterday for the purpose of inspecting the damage done to the waterworks by the recent flooding of the river. The party was composed of the Mayor, Councillors Richardson, FitzGerald, Miller, Danks, and Wilson, the City Engineer (Mr Baird), a few prominent citizens, and the representative of the Evening Post. It included also a visitor to this city in the person of Mr Shaw, a member of one of the principal suburban Councils in the neighbourhood of Sydney, who was present at the invitation of Councillor Richardson. Three waggonettes served to convey the party to the spot, a start being effected from the Council Chamber at 9 a.m. After a very pleasant drive, the weather being simply magnificent – the site formerly occupied by Messrs Sinclair and Sons’ sawmills at Wainui-o-mata, which is as near to the waterworks dam as ordinary vehicles can get, was reached about noon. Here the visitors alighted, and some light refreshments having been partaken of in a neighbouring shed devoted to the storing cement, the party proceeded to perform the remainder of the journey on foot. There is a tramway from this spot to the dam, but owing to a landslip on the line it was found impracticable to make use of it on this occasion. A twenty minutes’ walk brought the visitors to the dam, where they were received by Mr G. H. Bayliss, contractor, and shown over the reservoir works. It was at Mr Bayliss’ solicitation that the Council paid the present visit, Mr Bayliss being desirous that Councillors should make themselves acquainted with the nature of the damage which had been sustained, thereby rendering themselves more competent to judge of the extension of time which it would be reasonable to concede for the completion of the contract than would otherwise be possible. The damage did not require to be pointed out. A large gap in the face-wall of the dam presented itself to view, this portion of the concrete wall having been washed down by the force of the water. The “filling-in” at the back of that portion of the dam over which it is proposed that the surplus water shall make its escape has been washed clean out. As previously explained, at the time of the flood this filling-in only required to be coated over with boulders set in cement, and had this been done in time the damage indicated could not, of course, have happened. Men are now employed in replacing the filling-in, a task which, owing to the small number of hands that can be set upon it at one time, must occupy at least a month. So great was the force of water at this spot that after the filling-in had disappeared a hole several feet deep was washed out of the solid rock at the bottom. The nature of the damage, however, is such that it need not necessarily interfere with the laying of the water supply to town, though whether, in view of the present plentiful supply by means of another source, it will be desirable to do this until the whole of the works are completed is another question. The only thing, in fact, which prevents the immediate laying on of the water is the absence of a safety-valve at Petone. This is being supplied, and will be finished in a few days. Its object is to stop the water at Petone in the event of any pipe bursting along the Hutt road, an occurrence which might otherwise result in the flooding of the Government railway line and landing the civic authorities into legal trouble. The apparatus to be used for the safety valve is of a self-acting character. When the velocity of the water reaches a certain mean rate the valve will instantly close, the apparatus being described as wonderful in its simplicity. As a matter of fact the whole of the pipes have already been charged from both ends, and one or two “bursts” have taken place. A pipe in the long tunnel cracked, but the crack has been healed by means of indiarubber fastened down with iron bands. Another pipe burst on the smaller bridge over the river, and a third along the Wainui-o-mata road. In each case they were easily capable of repair. The party returned to town about 5 o’clock in the afternoon and the proposed extension of time will present itself for consideration at the Council in due course.
Tags: Newspaper Waterworks
