CO129-336 - Governor Nathan & Public Offices - 1906 [11-12] — Page 490

forecast with accuracy the cost of such a work. Mr Bruce, in his total estimate for Railway No. 1 amounting to 485

$4,470,500 assumes that the tunnel will have to be lined

throughout with brick in cement and that the total cost

will be $1,833,200 $749 or say £75 per yard He, however,

suggests that it may be found necessary only to line the

roof of the tunnel, and his estimate for construction on

this basis is $1,071,540 or $435, say £44 per yard. We

certainly think, notwithstanding that it may be unnecessary

to line the tunnel throughout, that the higher figure, viz

£75 per yard, Lust be looked forward to, owing to the

considerable length of the tunnel and to the configuration

of the hills above, which will probably render it

necessary to carry out the entire work from the two end

faces without the assistance of intermediate shafta.

Though we think the total cost of the tunnel should not

exceed Kr Bruce's estimate of $1,333,200, yet difficulties

from water bearing strata, very hard rock or disintegrated material, or other causes at present unforeseen, may of course be met with, and, in considering the financial arrangements in connection with the Railway, we think these possibilities should be borne in mind.

In regard to the time for completion of the tunnel, Mr Bruce estimates that it will take 2 years, which we note that His Excellency considers too low

We quite concur with His Excellency in this view, and working day and night, we fear that the work will take at least 3k years to complete. This may seem an unduly long time, but, as we pointed out above, the work will probably have to be executed entirely from each end, meeting in the middle, end of course the further into the hill the work proceeds the

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slower