Decorating firm founder dies
The death occurred yesterday, in his seventieth year, of Mr James Wren, the founder and head of the painting and decorating firm of Messrs J. Wren and Co in Princes street South.
Mr Wren passed away at the residence of one of his sons, Mr Percy Wren, Norfolk street, St Clair. Mr Wren arrived at Port Chalmers in the ship James Nicol Fleming in 1874. His father, who was a wheel wright and coachbuilder, remained for about 20 years in Dunedin before joining the railway staff at Invercargill.
Mr James Wren remained in Dunedin, and became foreman to Mr H.S. Fish, later becoming manager of the firm, and serving in that capacity for 14 years. Finally he went into business on his own account. Mr Wren, besides being a justice of the peace was a member of the Orphans Club and an Oddfellow. He leaves a widow and a family of seven.
Access to be ramped up
Dunedin is to have a new overbridge. With the extension of the Harbour Board’s wharves, it has become more and more of a problem to deal with the huge volume of traffic to and from the harbour side, which, up till the present is practically confined to two routes — Rattray street or the old overbridge which crosses the railway tracks from Vogel street.
In consequence of the Harbour Board’s decision to extend its berthing accommodation from Victoria Wharf towards the cement works, the Railways Department has decided to construct an overbridge which in time, it is hoped, will relieve the congestion which now exists in Rattray street.
The new bridge will also obviate the necessity for level crossings at the foot of Hanover and Frederick streets.
The bridge will be a handsome and substantial structure. It will have concrete abutments, a reinforced concrete deck and superstructure, and a span of 80 feet, with a width of 60ft between the parapets. The roadway will carry two 8ft footpaths.
The overbridge will be approached from the town side from Frederick and Hanover streets by ramps with a grade of one in 20, and similarly graded roadways will lead in the direction of the harbourside towards Wickliffe street and Halsey street.
The ramp will have concrete sidewalls. Two main lines and two sidings will pass under the new bridge.
The new system of sidings which the Harbour Board proposes to construct will also be served, so that, when the bridge is finally opened for traffic, a great portion of the stream of vehicles to and from the wharves, now forced to travel by way of Rattray street, will utilise the new route. — ODT, 8.6.1926
