Overview
Sun. Feb. 19.
My 13th visit to Mangahao hydro-electric works. Left Woodside in gig at 8:50 a.m. with Brown who walked up from Central Development Farm. ¼ pl[ate] photo (1) of a toi-toi swamp alongside Main Rd near Shannon. Left gig at site of permanent powerhouse at 10:50 + ascended pipe-line. ½ pl photo (2) of permanent powerhouse site, Honeymoon Farm +c [etc] + new course of Managore Stm [Stream] being concreted, +c +c, from top of bottom gradient of pipe-line. At the top of the pipe-line a good deal of progress has been made since my visit of Apr. 3 – 1921. In the excavation which I then wrongly took to be the site of the Surge Chamber an engine-house with hauling machinery to operate trucks on the high-grade tram-line which ascends the pipe-line bed has been erected + a
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tunnel has been driven in the eastern side of the excavation. The Surge Chamber site is 4 chns [chains] further east + 30 or 40 ft above and excavations – a pit-like hole – have [sic] been sunk to the tunnel below, the debris being carried out through the tunnel + dumped beside the top of the pipe-line. Above this again is the workmen's camp consisting of a large cookhouse + dining room, 5 whares + 6 tents. A small-gauge tramline leads up from the top of the pipe-line to the cookhouse, the trucks being operated by a smaller, hydraulic hauler. ¼ pl[ate] (3) buildings, dump +c at top of pipe-line from tramline leading to cookhouse. We reached the cookhouse at 12 noon + lunched, obtaining water from taps laid-on – the place was deserted on acc. [account] of the tunnellers strike + the day being Sunday. From the cookhouse we crossed the spur + descended to the track leading north-east from the top of the pipe-line. Here we found a small smithy + an adit 2½ chains in length, leading NW to the line of Tunnel No.2. At the inner end of the adit we found that the tunnel had been excavated (at right angles to adit for some distance each way but having no candles we were unable to ascertain how far. ¼ pl. (4) Entrance
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of adit with Brown + Smithy from end of dump. Returned to the Surge Chamber site + took ½pl photo (5) of preliminary excavation +c. The Surge Chamber site is a hummock[?] of the spur + there is very little side support but with heavy concreting this will probably not be necessary. Left top at 1:10, reached gig at 1:40 + home at 4:45. In evening successfully developed todays + last Sundays photos.