THE GRAVING DOCK, PORT CHALMERS.

Evening Star, Issue 2832, 16 March 1872, Page 2

THE GRAVING DOCK, PORT CHALMERS.

Although several vessels have had the advantage of the accommodation afforded by the Port Chalmers Graving Dock, the unlucky differences that occurred with the contractors delayed the formal recognition of its completion. But these having been satifactorily arranged, the Dock was formally opened and christened by his Honor the Superintendent yesterday. To commemorate the event, the Dock Trust invited the members of the Chamber of Commerce, the members of the Provincial Executive, the members of the Provincial Council; the Hon. D. M'Lean, the Defence Minister ; the commanders of the Luna and Nebraska, and other gentlemen to bo present. No special arrangements were made at the Port, and excepting the display of colors, the townspeople did not appear to know that any uncommon event was about to take place. Not even a platform was erected, so that his Honor, in speaking, found it necessary to take his stand upon a few logs of timber that fortunately lay near the Dock gates, and address a few words to the large number of persons who assembled. His Honor said : There is an old adage that “ hope deferred maketh the heart sickand another, that “ patience and perseverance overcome great difficulties.” 1 th’nk wo have excellent exemplifications of both those aphorisms in the case of the Otago Graving Dock. Nearly seven years since I, as member for Port Chalmers, in my place in the Provincial Council, moved the appointment of a Select Committee, to inquire into the best means of constructing a graving dock here. The result was the passing of the Otago Dock Trust Ordinance, 1865. Little did I think, at that time, that it would fall to my lot, as Superintendent of this Province, to wheel the first barrow full of day in commencement of that work, which I had the honor of doing on the 18th July, IS6S : and far less did I expect that it would fall to my lot formally to open the Graving Dock this day, 'owever, it would seem that Providence destined that I should be present both at the commencement and at the termination of the work. My only regret is that the work was not completed ten years ago. Had that been the case ho doubt, it would have been a fortune to this Province, equal, perhaps, to a small goldfield However, betfer late than never. I do not think mention of the difficulties of the undertaking would tend to edification. Suffice it to say that we possess the only

Zealand, and that the work, an aware, is in point of pnkl to anything of the kind in any *port pf |he world. There are, no doubt, docks of greater capacity, but I doubt if there We any-more s übstantially built. As regards' fts capacity I may say that it is large enough for all our requirements. It will accommodate two vessels as large as the Luna, which does not occupy more thau half the length of the Dock, and with the exception of the Galatea, any vessel of the British navy, on this station, could be accommodated. Moreover, the lirgo American steamers now encircling the globe, amongst which are the Nevada and Nebraska, could be docked be: e. I thiuk it , right to make this statement publ.cly, because assertions to the contrary ha-e been freely made. A Voice : Could the pad <les be admitted ?: His Honor : The sponsou beams would be 3ft. over the top of the Dock gates, and it would only require to remove one half the paddle-wheels. In connection with the sattemeut I made that the Nevada and the Nebra-ka could be accommodated here, I have good reason to believe that the existence of this Dock was one of the inducements to the proprietors of this line of steamers to agree to Port Chalmers being made the New Zealand tenninus of the line. The dimensions of the Dock are as follow : —Depth of water at dock sill—ordinary tides, 19ft. 6in.; do do, spring tides, 21ft.; do do, neap tides, 17ft. 6in.; length of Dock, 328 ft.; width above, 68ft ; do below, 41ft.; do where ship’s bilge would be 43ft. The actual cost of this truly magnificent Dock was L 56.069 2s lid, and it is very probable it would have been double that sum had we not had a quarry adjacent, from which the stones were literally dropped into the Dock.—(Applause.) Opening the Dock by letting the water into it seems like reversing the order of things, because being a dry Dock, it would be supposed that the proper thing would be to drive the water out of it. But, before opening the sluice, ! will ask you to give three hearty cheers for the contractors, and the workmen who havo so successfully carried out the work.

Thi ee hearty cheers having been given, His Ho'•or named the Dock “The Otago Graving Dock.” Three hearty cheers having been given for his Honor, ha raised one of the sluices at the Dock gates, and admitted a small quantity of water into the Dock. The party then adjourned to the Provincial Hotel, when an excellent cold luncheon was provided by Mr Dodson. Mr R, B. Martin, the chairman of the Dock Trust, presided. He was supported on the by His Honor the Superintendent, and Mr D. Reid, Provincial Secretary and Treasurer ; on the left by the Hon. J. D. M'Leau, Defence Minister, Mr W. H. Reynolds, M.H.R., and MrJ. B. Bradshaw, M. H.R., Mr. John Bathgate, M.H.E., officiated as croupier. The health of Her Majesty and the Governor having b;en drank, the cha’rman proposed His Honor the Superintendent, to whose efforts the construction of the dock which he had christened to-day, was due. The toast was drunk with applause. His Honor thanked the gentlemen present for the kind manner in wh ch they had responded to the toast of his health, and the chairman for the very flattering tezms in which he proposed it. The office he held was a somewhat anomalous one. The Superintendent was not omnipotent, but under authority like some of his neighborr. He must say, however, that the man wl o would not feel proud to occupy the position which he filled to day, would indeed be destitute of vanity. He did feel very proud, and really found it difficult to select words to adequately express what he felt. The work had taken seven years, not a small portion of a man’s life-time, to accomplish. But it must not be forgotten that they were greatly indebted to a gentleman now absent from the Colony—the Colonial Treasurer—-(applau-e)—and also to the Bank of New Zealand. Mr Beal was present, and it was right credit should be given where it is due. (Applause). Probably neither could have done much without the aid of the other, and he was very glad to have had the satistion of witnessing the thorough completion of this truly great work. He proposed “ Success to the Otago Graving Dock, and the health of the Dock Trust, coupled with tbe name of Mr Martin.”—(Applause). With them the work had been purely a labor of love. They had not received any honorarium.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) They had met frequantly ou the subject, and they themselves had borne their travelling expanses. He was sure the present was as proud a moment for them as it assuredly was for him.—(Applause. ) 1 be toast was drunk with applause. The Chairman : In acknowledging the compliment paid to the members of the Dock Trust, thanked his Honor sincerely. The work had truly been a labor of love. They had met pretty regularly, and worked cheerfully, and all that he now asked that in addition to good wishes all present should exercise all the influence they possessed to make the success of the dock as complete ,as possible. The Chairman proposed the health of Her Majesty’s Ministers in Hew Zealand, coupled with the name of the Hon. Mr. M‘Lean.—(Great applause). On rising to respond, The Hon. Mr M‘Lean was received with prolonged applause. He expressed his gratification at the evidence of public spirit not only in the construction of the Otago (•raving Dock, but in reference to most of the other institutions he had had the pleasure of inspecting in company with, his Honor the Superintendent. It would be well worth the while of any of the residents of the North Island to visit Otago, if only to see the really wonderfully progressive strides that had been made in this part of the Colony. Individually or collectively, there could be no doubt the institutions of Otago reflected very great emit upon the past and present administration of the Province. (Applause.) He accepted the toast not on political grounds, but he wished to offer his thanks on behalf of the Government for tbe co-opera-tion and assistance received from this part of the Colony fi’om time to time. Otago was instrumental in introducing a marine engineer, as well as a colonial geologist, and when they laboured under very c tnsiderable difficulties in connection witty the disturbances in the North Island, tbe Pi’ovince enabled the Government to inaugurate a system by which they were enabled to effect a change in the military organi a ion more suitable to the requirements of the country than the arrangement which immediately preceded it. He mentioned these facts to show that the Government were not unmindful of the very valuable assistance received in reference to various matters; and when ho returned to

the North Island, it would be his greatest pride and pleasure to make known to his friends there the existence of the public spirit which had been shown so unmistakeably in the construction of the Dock christened that day. Not even in Auckland, nor in any of the other Provinces of New Zealand, had so much public spirit been displayed. , Mr Bathgate proposed the Mayor and Corporation of Port Chalmers, which was acknowledged by tho Mayor, Mr Dench. He referred to his long residence in the Port, but complained that in examining tbe Crown Grants issued for water frontages around the Pott, the people were nearly fenced in. He considered this a hardship, as they were entitled to a way in and a way out. The Hou. D. M Lean proposed tbe irovincial Executive, which was briefly acknowledged by Mr D. Reid, Provincial Secretary and Treasurer, who proposed the health of Mr Oliver, aud success to the Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway. Mr Oliver replied in a few words. Mr Tayler, in justice to the contractors, proposed tne health of AJessrs Connor and M ‘Kay, for the honest way in which they had completed their contract. The toast was honored with expressions of approval, and the company rose.