GREYMOUTH

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2159, 27 May 1914, Page 16

GREYMOUTH

WESTLAND'S SHIPPING CENTRE/ " Thirty years ago only the very smallostclass of steam'ami sailing vessels could work tho Grey River bar. To-day tliojargest vessels trading oil the Coast can* enter and leave tho port without hindrance, except when a flood or hoary westerly, weather causes a* temporary obstruction. Tho port is now the outlet for a large area of country, and tho three branches.of the Vestland railways pour down to its wharves a heavy stream of "coal and timber wngons and general produce. Prior to 1872 the port was worked by small schooners at risk, but i'n that year the late Mr. (J.'.Y! O'Connor was,appointed engineer for tho district. ■Under his supervision' the small existing wharves,'.which"liacl been built by the Dorough Council, were taken over; by tho Government and strengthened, and

somo protective work was dono. In 1874 Jlr. Morinrtv, C.E., of New South. Wales, reported on tho formation oF a harbour, and drew up plans for an internal training wall-and a breakwater on the south sido of tho river. These plans woro a year or two later modified by iMr. Camithers,'C.E., who proposed to add'a training wall on the north side. In 1878 .tho entrance was so bad-that shippers put on men in order to cut,a channel to sea. Towards the oml of that year Sir John Coode, at tho'roquest of tho Government, visited Greymouth 1 and reported favourably on.'-tile formation of a harbour. The following year work was bogun by the Public Works Department in accordance with his plans. Except for slight modifications these wero almost identical wiih those of Mr. Moriarty. In 1831 tho Groymouth Harbour Board was constituted by Act of Parliament, and given largo powers and ample revenue from endowments'. Tho work of harbour construction was at once taken over aud carried on by that body. The original plans have to somo extent been modified by tho advice- of Mr. Napier Bell and the board's own engineers. ■

Tho. Grey River has an area of 1600, miles, the,northern portion of which attains an elevation of from 4000 to 6500 feet above tho sea, and consequently largo quantities of shingle and other detritus 'sro brougjit down to tile- entrance and heaped up in spits or banks. Tho river does not carry the ■ sanvo immense volume of water as tho Buller, and' consequently the residents pf the Grey have had a more- difficult problem before them in building up the port. .Tho works proposed by Sir John Coode were a south breakwater, 3000 feet in length and estimated "£o cost £105,120; a north breakwater," 1280 feet in length and costing £40,530; a north training bank, IC7O feet in length costing £8060. With an allowance of £8330 for' dredging, -tho total cost of tho- works wa>s estimated at £162,040. It-was estimated in tho report of 1879 that this scheme of harbour improvement would give a'depth in the'centre of' tho entrance channel of ft) feet at low water spring tides and of 18 feet af high- water spring tides. -In concluding his report; Sir John Coode recommended > that when the development of tho port made it necessary the breakwaters should, each bo extended 300 feet. Ho considered that' these : bxten-" sions would, after -a time, result in the formation of, a.channel with-a-depth of 13.feet.at low water:and 21 feet at high water, of. spring .tides. ■ . . .- \ ..-. Tho works, hare been carried out on a more extensive \scale than contem-

plated m tho report. The south break'water has a length of 3542 feet, and the north breakwater has lately been extended by 12a feet, making its total length 1250 feet. A long length of internal training walls has been constructed,, and mud dredging has boon done. Iho result of these works is that there is-now a depth of 22 feet on tlie bar at' high water spring tides, and an average depth of 20 feet. It is proposed eventually to bring the north mole flush with the end of the southern one, but this work will bo. deferred until it is seen exactly what effect the present-ox-' tension iof the north breakwater is having. ,- The experience- to date is '. most favourable, and indicates that the lengthening of tho'wall has produced a aioro uniform depth tin the bar.

n .As in the case of the sister port of >Vestport-, the Greymouth Boar.<T was uiven substantial endowments to enable it to, carry out tho extensive programme of work before it. The .board, for instance, receives the rents 'and royalties from 15,000 acres of. coalbeariiiß landj.on .which are the principal coal mines in the district, it aiso receives tho net revenue from the GreyBrunncr railway (eight;-miles), together with wharfage on all goods over tho wharf.. In addition, it has the revenue, from land, reserves at Cobden and Blakutowu, and, lastly, tho proceeds from a. rate of 3d. per ton on-all coal shipped. Last year tho total .revenue- of the board was £30,282, of which amount the receipts from the Grey-Brunner railway and tho wharfage accounted for £25,676, and tho coal resurvo and timber royalties for £2531. Tho total net indebtedness of the board at tho present time is just about £300.000. ;

Tho principal work on hand at tho present time is the construction of a lagoon dock on the south sido of tho rif or. It is • proposed to concentrate the timber traffic.in this dock ovontually, leaving tho wharf free for coal and general merchandise. The dock wharf has already been completed for'a length of 1000 ft. The scheme has cost £73,259 to date, including £22,136 for tho purchaso of land. ■Tho total berth age accommodation at tho port amounts to 3229 feet, and sufficient space is availablo for vessels 2SO feet in length and drawing 18 feet to swing in the. river. Three hydranlicoranes arc ■ availablo for lotfding coal, and a fourth has recently been ordered. In addition, there are two stearacraiies. Colliers are loaded at the ! rate of 200 tons per, hour. , Last year • 627 steamers, about two for every working day, entered the port, their' tonnago amounting. to 296,939. Twenty-one sailing-ships also crossed f.ho bar. The imports amounted to 37.001 tons of general cargo, and the exports were as follow:— Coal (tons) 28-1,993 Coke (tons) 2,653 Timber (superficial feet) 41,319,000 Bricks'(tons") .• 894 Wool (bales) 1,812 Flax (tons) 2,457 Tlio coal export was contributed to bv tho various mines as follows:— Blackpool, 129,200 tons; State. 107,30?! tons; Paparoa, 26,6% tons; Brunnor, 111.770 tons: -North Brunner, 7153 tons; RVeflon. 819' tons. \ ' , : ', The present members of tho -Harbour .Board are:—'Messrs. Felix Campbell (chairman), J. A. Murdoch, E. J.. Scan-