COSTLY COLLAPSE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 739, 11 February 1910, Page 5

COSTLY COLLAPSE.

HARBOUR WALL BURSTS. | DAMAGE DONE, 425,000. . ' (By Tclesranb.-Fress Association.! Auckland, February 10, ~ Some .£25,000 worth of tho Auckland harbour Board's property disappeared into tho sea at about 1.80 this morning' ■ lor nearly three years tho Harbour Hoard has been engaged upon tho work' of roclainiiLg between seven and eight." acres of the water frontage in Freeman's ' Bay, at tho rear of Victoria Park, and running tho whole length of Fanshawi - Street. Tho work of closing in tho area ' ' has J . not lon 8 teen completed. Various ' ' contraotors/have been 1 engaged - "on v th"«'.: ■ wo.rk.v.butcthe waU which- collapsed' this^' : morning was constructed under the 's'uper-' : i''s vision of rthe board's own 1 officers. 1 '-•''• >■'■ ;! " K from thejear; of is projected; for a : of 1«0> feet* out to:sea. i s ™}i having!been: constructed'by Mr.' A: ■ ;: ■' T.,,Julian,; the contractor : for that'-par- -;'' nf° il n J " W -°l k P m - "wk'-Unk- at: the/sSi'-i °| I ? s f. ni ? hft accident ran- from the 'end of - ; -'JulianV.,wall> towards-the- otherVarnV ! » ; projecting, outwards;/from'; the; shbre'-on 1;-'V-therwestern:side,' and,so .mado i'up/ : the'-Ss I nor;hern face.of'the'..rednmatibn* I *£a '■ T m \< ot ' fi ß in B' eni closed by,; these .three:.'- walls •'; has; : I steadily, progressing.: ■'At'.'.thß ,| Fanshawe' Street end., the.-spoil, from various ;ex-:-.'; cavations that, part'of the;city)has' S been while at ,the northern- 1 .^ 1 ! face .suction; dredges "have been' at .work*. I ', pouring, their, spoil:, /within:: the' r pound; /.Ine harbour.-dredge,: itt ( .? ar V ln g' on work:in.:variouß.:-;:v parts, of the^harbour,-and 1 then emptying n* lts-load.at, the base of. the^-'.reclamation :S wall; with tho -result .that the pipes have, been drawing :- it up,.and "S emptying it into .the'area which theboard " ! is .desirous.of,winning from the , Julians wall' on .the. east : n, solidv'- ! C9ncrete wall,.with a base which is suffi.'S' PJJjt.wenabtar'iUo .-resist, the. strain either, side.: Ihe northern-face, however,y 11 ! ; where the accident occurred, was-built 1 on'' !' 5 a different plan. With the.idea of its be-i 1 ing: utilised ns a wharf; ■• ferro-concreU'- ; V; : piles.were driven down, and concrete are held-in position by the piles oh eitheri''-* side.:'.lhere, is'rit'-.estra strength-;ot': the';.;;* base,; and/it is surmised that .the-, of earth and .water inside.was so'great I .V* that when- the tide -receded this' mbrninß .-•' the wall; gave ■: way,- and 'for a- distance M'-i-fc 350 feet' collapsed .into"the sea; "The dam-' ,3 . age is. estimated : : to be. at .least .^25,000,:W and the .wall has collapsed from: the", ta'd'.r of Julian's wall- for ,350 feet to .the "west.-;.:' ■ ward, and ferro-concrete. piles and cori-':' crete,:slabs: have; gone 'clean over,'! under>' : theweight of the spoU. 1 ,,-':::';,-:/.'J ;:.,;': -.:--,:;.,;■ a -An, engineer who is corivcifsant with the: 1 ". work whichhas been goirigv on ; at: thß; ; i| northern; face ; of:' the reclamation"" areas'-", stated; to-day■ that■ "six■":.'weeks -'ago;'a ; '?; brbkenlbond,was noticeable at th'o-corner ''■'■'■ .w.here;the' northern'-face; joins "Juliaa's l ':'. wall, and this increased untiLthe cap was ;. : : big enotigh to put: one's hand through; ■: ; Tho whole of ;the norttir-ii' face was "a""-' weak link,/and a backing: of blue,metal, ".-i or something to. strengthen, the.basei was '" an absolute necessity..- Any. amount' I '. ":bf :•>} people who.know what.was going :6n:felt'.■; :: sure.that the wall would-nevef:stand strain when it came to' the test.":;'; " i::-'- : Sr^