AUCKLAND HARBOUR INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 759, 7 March 1910, Page 8

AUCKLAND HARBOUR INQUIRY.

NOVEL STYLE OF PILE DEWING. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.} • '-.. . 'March.s. ■.; Somo amazing evidence is being given at the inquiry being held by the Auckland Harbour (Board into the recent collapse of the big ferro-concrete reclamation wall at IVeeman's Hay. James Owsley, pile-driver, who had been engaged in driving the piles,.stated that some of the piles were driven uito the rock, and some were not The reason why some were not driven in was because they were too short, and so they were msrbly driven as far as they would go. There wore at least, a dozen of .these. To' Mr. Smeetoh: When ho left, off driving, some, of them were still going down a foot,.a blow.' ■- ■ ' •■■■ - To Sir. B'asley: ; These piles were spliced. afterwards, but were not driven in further. . .-.,-■■•

To Mr.' Napier:-He realised at the time that the piles could not have been safe, but he did not tell- the engineer of the fact ■ Mi , . Hewson was in charge, and saw it. ■ . ' :

To Mr. Heather: One pile was placed in position and left there without.the monKey being placed on if. ... To Mr. Hamor: The pile in-question was simply left against the wall. Hβ could not say whether Mr. Gaundin was informed of that fact. The.:pile was tied up to - the suction dredge' pipes with a rope to keep it from falling. David Glarkson, another piie-driTer, engaged in driving the pike on the collapsed portion of the wall, said that about twenty piles were going a foot to .the blow, and on the western corner some of the piles- were going 15 inches to the blow when driving was left off. There would be at least fourteen of these in the portion that, collapsed. . To Mi/ Earner: Ho had to watch how far the piles -were travelling per blow; that was his duty. He could swear that one pile, placed near Julian's wall, never had the monkey on it. ; . To Mr. Napier: He did not drear anyone's attention to these facts, but; Mr. Hewson had an ' opportunity of seeing them. ■ . The inquiry has been adjourned.