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lef Resident Engineer had not had proper information before designed his bridges, and ought to have more fully informed himself. He had not made proper provision for the distribution of weight on the foundations when the earthwork was completed up to the bridges in question. The foundations ought to have all been level and not several (sinking unequally) and should have been carried well under the Bank. This especially applied to No. 4 which was "entirely wrong". No. 6 was "even worse" as part of it floated and part was on rock. There was nothing to be said in excuse. It showed a lack of the rudiments of Engineering knowledge and a lack of common-sense as well.
We had only probed instead of making systematic borings and had therefore decided to float his bridges on insufficient information. He had not calculated the extra weight and the disturbance due to the Bank. In any case if he floated why had he made wings? He had in fact largely, perhaps from motives of economy, "muddled the whole thing" and he had admitted his errors.
On Monday 25th January I went with Mr. Barry accompanied by the Chief Resident Engineer, the Colonial Secretary, the Director of Public Works over the whole of the #Railway up to and including the South end of the Tunnel. We discussed the Station Site, Wharves and Piers and Sidings, the Workshop Site, Leigh and Orange's Contract and other matters on the ground, and saw the Bridges and Tunnel with a view to thoroughly acquainting ourselves with the actual position on the ground and hearing from the Director of Public Works and the Chief Resident Engineer any points for and against each proposal. Having thoroughly seen everything I arranged for a meeting on Wednesday 27th at 9.45 a.m. (except lunch).
We assembled as arranged and sat till 4.45 discussing the Station Site. After exhaustive discussion we unanimously agreed, subject to a careful verification of estimated cost, that the best scheme is to resume Lot 1140 at once and