OUR HARBOUR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 84, 3 January 1920, Page 7

OUR HARBOUR

WORKS FOR THE FUTURE IMPORTANT IJII'ROVEMENTS In llie. Year Book of the Wellington .Harbour Hoard appears the following detailed reference to works which the board proposes to carry out in Iho future:— 1. I'ipitoa Wharf .Slird. —The board intends In construct in llie near future a large shed for the new I'ipitcn Wharf, 'l'lio dimensions will lie "(ifl feet ionj:, 107 fe.et wide, and 24 feet high from the deck of the wharf to the tie-beams of the roof. The large import cargoes which are intended to be handled in this shed will 1)0 dealt with ins'de by means of electric overhead travelling cranes, while outside tho shed it is proposed to use acini-portal hydraulic cranes. Two lines of railway tracks will run down on either side of tho wharf, so that it may bo used for export purposes if found necessary. 2. To Aro Wharf—Tho board has in contemplation the construction of the Te Aro Wharf, to be built to tho eastward of tho Taranaki Street Whaii. it is to bo constructed of reinforced concrete and is to have a length of litil feel on the eastern side and 01)3 feel: on the western side, with a width of 123 feet. The berths arc to be dredged to 111 feet below loi water. Provision is being suado for shed accommodation to handle largo import cargoes. It is proposed to equip the wharf outside the shed with .semi-portal hydraulic cranes and inside the ?h«l with electric overhead cranes. 3. Jcrvois Quay Breastwork Widening. —The work of 'widening tho existing breastwork along Jcrvois Quay, removing sheds N. O. Q, and li, and erecting two largo sheds in their places, has been nppioved by the board, and the work will be nut in hand after tho berthage at present under construction is made availablo. Tho work consists of running a. concrete sea wall along tho whole length of the Jcrvois Quay staging, filling in the area at the back of the wall with solid material and constructing a reinforced concrete breastwork, 85 feet wkle, outside tho. wall, at which vessels could berth. When completed, a continuous berth, about 1295 feet long, will be provided which will permit of vessels drawing 2(i feet to be berthed at low walo.r. The two now sheds to bo 'eroded arc to be '100 feet and 390 feet long by 70 feet wide, with a clear height under the roof tierbeams of 21 feet. Provision i.-s made for overhead electric travelling cranes inside the shod, which will serve three loading docks in one, shod and four in tho other. Roller shutter doors are proposed on the Jcrvois Quay front, which will permit of vehicles being loaded with light cargo from the floor of tho shed. I.orrio? would not enter the shod txcept in the docks. Outside the shed semi-portal hydraulic travelling cranes will lie provided to servo tho vessels discharging at: these berths. •t. Completion of Concrete Jireashvorlc, Waterloo Quay.—lt is proposed, at an early date, to continue the reinforced concrete breastwork, at present running along the eastern front of tho "Waterloo Quay reclamation, so as to form a deep water berth for vessels on l:l\o ■ north front of Iht! existing reclamation. Tho length of the breastwork would be about DM foot long v and # feet wide with a d'.-pth of water alongside of 31! fool: bolow low water. This berth will eventually form part of the berth fronting the proposed Thorndon reclamation, descril)cd in the next paragraph, and, in the meantime, would provide a convenient berth for the handling of oil cargoes. 5. Thorndon Keclainali'on.—The (lovorniiient is proposing lo reclaim a largo area of land at Thorndon in connection willi llie general rearrangement of the Wellington railway station. It js proposed that the licard will acquiro a portion of this laud for the construction of storage sheds, breastworks, roads and approaches. The breastwork, which will be a continuation of that running along the northern front of the Waterloo Quay reclamation, and which is described ill llie preceding paragraph, will ho 40 foot wide and will have a depth of water available alongside of 3(1 led below low water. Tho total length of tho breastwork when completed will be about 2810 feet. At a later date, it is proposed to erect, a large coal storage and handling plant at the northernmost part of the reclamation; the plant will front on to the breastwork, and will occupy a length of about 1200 feel: on itProvision will bo mado for the discharge of coal directiv into railway trucks or into bins, and for the storage of bunker coal as required.