THE WHARF THAT SANK.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 519, 28 May 1909, Page 8

THE WHARF THAT SANK.

I : ■■■' ' '. J : • ' ' ! REPORT BY MR. MARCHBANKS. i COST OF RAILWAY CONNECTION. ' 3 The Potone Wharf, which' lately attention' by' the sinking of a P 0^l0 » under a heavy, load of timber, was of a 1 report-presented to tho A\ elluigton . Harbour Board yesterday afternoon by the , recontly-apDointea engineor, Mr. James J Marehbaaiks. The report was the outcome_of' 7 tho Petono Borough Council's rcquost for f railway facilities on the wharf, and-. Mr. . Marchbahks estimated that such could only | bo adequately provided, at a cost approxij mating £9800. It is interesting to rccall that s tho first cost of the wharf, which was only completed a few months ago, was £J4IA i; exclusive of the site, which was given by the . Petono Borough Council.' . - Mr. Marchbarilcs's report was as followa U I have inspected tho Petono Wiia-rfana , have tho honour to report on the approximate 3 cost of making it available for light.railway . traffic. . • . . ' "The outer end of this wharf, for, some I 80 foot, which sank somo time ago under, a heavy load of timber, is still in I the' samo condition, and has moved further. I endeavoured to' ascertain tho depth, of ; tho soft material into which the piles are driven by driving a piln at the outer end of the r wharf 61 feet below high-water. There is 8 24 feet at high water, and it was found that " after driving 37 feot below the bottom the, I pilo was still in such soft ground' that it 1 took only fivo blows of the monkey, with a 5 4ft. drop to drivo it 12 inches. The ground • up to this depth is therefore unsuitable for ' heavy bearing. , s . "To adapt the wharf for railway traffic, it • will be necessary to .drivo' intermediate piles t in each bay, malting the'hays 10 feet, apart, - instoad of. 20 feot as at present. Theso piles • would ho cradlod to-' increase their bearing. ■ Tho cost of this work would bo heavy. The | approach on the eastern side will requiro ' .widening to enable a 5 chain radius course ' to bo obtained. ' ■ - > "I have'provided for a standing siding.and f a shunting road on tho Hutt Park railway, > This will entail a littlo filling and formation; "On the wharf proper I havo allowed for t a road oh each'side with a single lino.connect- ' ing to tho siding or railway. Tho dock on tho - wharf would bo planked level with tho top 3 of tho rails, but I do not think it will bo • necessary to plank iilio'whole of the approach, 5. and I havo estimated for planking tho portions J leading to the' cart,crossing-place and the ■ landward end only. t "I estimate tho total approximate cost at J £9800. - . • , : I "I would suggest that tho portion of Hi« I whirl' which lias sunk bo lovcllod up by . paelryig on corbels, whether or not it is del cided to mako the wharf suitable for railwav i traffic." , , i Copiloration oftliereport was deferred.