TONG BONG CROSSING.
Though Mr. Lawson, the shire engineer, had made every effort to have the new culvert over Tong Bong Creek completed in time for the race meeting on Saturday fate was against him. The flood waters caused by the terrific fall of rain last week over the watershed which feeds the creek came along and washed the approaches clean away before it had a chance of being completed. The job itself is a substantial one but in the opinion of old residents another pipe on each side would have eliminated danger of a washawaV by heavy flood1 .
T0NG BONG CREEK
The approaches to Tong Bong Creek near Rylstone. recently constructed at a cost of £600 has been washed away. The damage estimated at 700 pounds. All traffic has been held up and a temporary crossing will be made as soon as possible2 .
A TRAGEDY
TONG BONG. CREEK CROSSING
Tong Bong Creek, ever since local government came into operation, has been a constant source of worry to the Rylstone Shire, by reason of regular requests for a crossing. The creek, as every one acquainted with its source knows, is a very dangerous stream in flood time, the force of the current making it absolutely unfordable, and though instances are on record of it being crossed by reckless men. it is regarded by the district as impassible when in flood. The subject of providing a crossing over Tong Bong Creek came up for discussion when Mr, J. R. Fletcher presided over the council. The council engineer then was Mr Hope, who was one of the best engineers the shire ever had, and is now engineer to tbe Moree Shire council, Mr. Hogfe Was asked to report on the possibility of providing (a suitable crossing and he went exhaustively into, the matter. His report, which should be available to anyone desirous of seeing it in the Shire office, positively condemned any other method of lifting- traffic over the stream than by a one span bridge, Mr Hope had no knowledge of the fierce nature of the current that flowed along the creek after storms. He simply reported from an engineering standpoint that it was quite impracticable to do anything else than bridge the creek. As the council would not finance the matter, there it stopped and for years between storm periods the travelling public have been able to cross the creek with out any seroius inoonvience. The late council, in an endeavour to improve matters called for a report on the possibility of crossing the creek by other, means than a. bridge, and plans of a low level pipe were put in with suitable approaches on either side, and this was agreed to at an estimated cost of from four to five hundred pounds. No consideration was paid to Mr. Hope's report despite the fact that he was a senior engineer, and possessed every certificate, that an engineer could hold. The council went blindly into tlie matter, and built what was virtually, in such a stream, a dam aoross the creek, when any old settler could have told them that the first rush of water would wash it out of position. As it was nearly half of it was washed away by a storm before it was completed and it cost eighty pounds to replace. Now the - second storm,. I admit, has completed the dam leaving the pipes lying bare in tbe centre, a mournful monument to remind ratepavers of the loss of £580, and the crossing is worse than it has ever been. It is easy to be wise after any event, but when men take up the responsibility of shire trust they should be guided by mature opinion in respect to any Iarge expenditure of public funds. The tragedy of Tong Bong would appear to have been brought about by a want of knowledge of the great force that gathers in storm time along the creek and the apparent disregard of expert advice on the matter3 .
TONG BONG
NOTORIOUS NAME
The name is becoming quite notorious. With the washing away of the late council's ideas, the new council is faced with a -problem as to whether it will complete the wreck by blowing the whole concern down the creek, and replacing it with a bridge, or effect a save by attaching to get-aways, one on either side of the pipes that are now in the creek crossing. It is recognised that no time can be lost in coming to a decision, as to the form the reconstruction will take, as the heavy traffic from Bylong in the busy season just about doubles the normal load, so that whilst a temporary crossing may meet the demand it is desirable, if possible, to havc the bridge completed fqr the wool season4 .
HIGH LEVELS
TONG BONG WATERSHED
A surveyor from the Main Roads has been busy during the week surveying the watershed of Tong Bong Creek. The survey reveals the fact that TongBong Mt. is 1,015 feet above the Rylstone level, which is something over 2,000 above sea level. The force which gathers when the waters meet in the creek can be readily understood and provides an all sutficient answer why the cement wall and pipes would not take the flow5 .
Tong Bong Crossing
CONCRETE CAUSEWAY COMPLETED.
The new concrete causeway at the Tong Bong crossing was completed arid opened to traffic during the week. It is believed that the crossing will now cease to give the trouble to traffic which has been so pronounced in flood time for very many years6 .