22 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



On the completion of the lev^elling and lining, the diver proceeded to 

 wedge up the ways and bolt them together, the wedges being inserted between 

 the top of the pile and the lower side of the sleeper. After the piles were 

 dispensed with, a longitudinal timber was laid on the ground, and the wedges 

 inserted between this timber and the sleeper. The ground surface was, of 

 course, not exactly of the same gradient as the ways^ and to ascertain the 

 depth of filling or height of columns required below the rail, the iron frame 

 used for the pile guide was placed on the carriage, projecting over some 18 ft. 

 or 20 ft., and the cairiage being lowered quite out to the end of the Avays the 

 diver marked the distance between the ground surface and the iron frame on 

 a gauge given him for the purpose. The exact height was thus ascertained, 

 and the thickness of the wedges reduced to the smallest limits. The traveller 

 was dispensed with when the water became sufficiently deep to allow a punt 

 to float over the carriage and lift the section of ways to be placed in position. 



Concrete was filled in, covering the whole of the timber to a depth of 

 several inches, thus protecting the timber from the action of the worm, and 

 giving a solid bearing over the whole surface of the ground under the ways to 

 a width of nearly 40 ft. The concrete was mixed in a punt and shot down 

 through a tube to the divei-. To the bottom of the tube a length of canvas 

 hose was fixed to enable the diver to direct the concrete to any place required 

 within a small radius, the diver ramming the concrete closely in under the 

 bottom of the sleepers, and the pimt being shifted from time to time as 

 directed by the diver. It was found that very little cement was lost in this 

 way, the water being scarcely discoloured. It was also found that a southerly 

 wind set such a strong current round the shore of the harbour as frequently 

 to prevent the progress of the work, the current being sufiiciently strong to 

 lift the diver off his legs. 



The engine-house is built of brick, and is 4.5 ft. by 35 ft., at head of the 

 ways. It was necessary to build the back and side walls extra strong, they 

 being required to form a retaining wall to the sides of the cutting, which is 

 here upwards of 30 ft. in dejjth and very rotten in places. The side walls are 

 built with a batter to give extra strength, the thickness of the wall at the foot 

 being 2 ft. 6 in., reduced by sets-off" to 1 ft. 6 in. at the top ; the front wall is 

 2 ft. thick for the lower half, and 1 ft. G in. at the up))er half ; the back wall 

 is circular, and built of a uniform thickness of 18 in. ; the walls are 22 ft. in 

 height. The roof is a span of 40 ft., built with six principals, and is covered 

 with corrugated iron. A louvre, 15 ft. x 8 ft., is built in the roof to lio-ht and 

 ventilate the building. All inequalities between the back of the wall and the 

 bank were filled in with concrete ; there is, however, after heavy rain, a 

 considerable leakage through the walls. 



The steam engines are bedded on a totara timber frame, the timber bein^ 



