OTAGO HARBOR BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 4205, 18 August 1876, Page 2

OTAGO HARBOR BOARD.

The fortnightly meeting of the Harbor Board was held yesterday; present—Messrs C. S. Beeves (in the chair), M‘Neil, M'Kinnon, Ritchie, H. Tewsley, and Gillies (secretary). ENGINEER FOR THE NEW DREDGE. It was resolved “ That the Board being of opinion that it would be very desirable to have an Inspector constantly on the spot to supervise the building of the dredge, the Engineer be requested, if possible, to provide such an Inspector out of the staff at present under him, and to report at next meeting.” THE ‘N. Z. PILOT.’ The Commissioner of Customs wrote, complaining that the proposed amendments in the ‘ New Zealand Pilot ’ had appeared in the Otago daily papers without having been sanctioned by the hydrographer of the Admiralty. Mr W. Seed, Secretary of Customs, also wrote by direction of the Commissioner of Customs acknowledging the receipt of the Board’s letter of the 27th ultimo, referring to the letter addressed to the department on the 23rd June last, enclosing a copy of proposed amendment of the ‘New Zealand Pilot,’ to which no reply had been forwarded. Tl;o delay arose from it j ha\ Lten mislaid during the time that inquiries were being made of the Harbor Master, Dunedin, as to the distance at which the gong at Tadaroa

Head could be beard. The only objection of importance to the notice being at once issued was the propriety of including in it the’sen* fence stating that “in foggy weather a gong is sounded every fifteen minutes.” The letter added that the Commissioner considered that the reference to the gong had better be omitted from notice, as its promulgation might (have tho effect of inspiring mariners with confidence, which might only lead them into danger. The minor alterations necessary are tho substitution of the letters T N, and P, in the list of signals for flags of Marryatt’s Code, and “ International” in place of “Commerce! Code of Signal Flags.” The part describing the intended improvements of the Harbor Board, in the paragraph relating to “Entrance to Harbor,” beginning with the words, “a deep-water channel,” and ending “ will bo able to reach Dunedin,” might be omitted, as it is advisable that notices to mariners should only describe things as they exist at the date of the notice.

Mr Seed, in a memo, addressed to the Commissioner, said :—“ On enquiry, I learned that this signal could only be heard for a distance of three-quarters of a mile in calm weather. This being the case, it appears to me that its existence, instead of being a benefit, will be positively mischievous. If it can only be heard the short distance of three-quarters of a mile in calm weather by persons on tho alert to catch tho sound, how is it likely that it can be heard on board ship within safe distance from the shore ? It will be seen from Captain Thomson’s telegram annexed that he is getting a larger gong. I feel convinced that no gong he can procure will be sufficiently effective as a fog signal. Recent experiments by scientific men show that in certain states of the atmosphere sound from powerful steam fog horns and whistles are inaudible at a distance of two miles. Nothing short of a gun or steam fog hom can be regarded as effestivo for fog signals. There can be no doubt, I think, that a pong at Tai;>roa Head woidd be a false promise, and that its existence had better therefore not be notified to mariners.” To this was added the following, by Capt. R. Johnson:—“Mr Seed, I quite concur with you that the gong is a questionable benefit. lam afraid shipmasters will place too much reliance on hearing it.—R. Johnson.” Captain Thomson forwarded a memo, to the following effect Seeing that the gong fog signal at Otago Heads has not met with approval at the Marine Department, Wellington, I would recommend that the signal be discontinued, and publicity given of such discontinuance, through the local Press, for the information of our coasting shipmasters. I do not agree with Mr Seed and Captain Johnson’s opinion as to this signal being ‘mischievous,’ and a ‘false promise’ to the mariner; there was nothing asked to be notified but what was true, and the masters of sailing vessels would at once say when they found that the gong could only be beard § of a mile off in calm weather, it Was no signal for them. My reason for recommending the present signal was for the accommodation of the small coasting steamers, that can venture with safety within an eighth of a miie of the Heads, and by catching the sound of the gong, they ' would at once pick up their position, and instead of hovering about outside for many hours, subjected to risk of collision with other vessels, they would be safe in the harbor. If the gong had been in use in October last year, it might have saved the steamer. Bruce from wreck'’.” Mr M'Kinnon believed that he was the mover of the motion to have a gong at Otago Heads. He had consulted Captain Edie, of. the Samson, and Captain Peterson, of the Beautifnl Star, both of whom gave instances of the benefits they had derived from the gong-

Mr Ritchie remembered seeing it reported in the ‘ Daily Times ’ that one vessel could not have come into the harbor without the gong. There is a gong used at the Harbor of Liverpool. After further discussion it was resolved that Captain Thomson with Mr M'Einnon be requested to draw up a memorandum on the advantages of the gong. THE BOARD’S ENDOWMENT. The following opinion was received from the Board’s solicitor re the resolution passed on the 17th July 1876, consenting to exclude from the Board s endowment the triangular Eiece of laud reclaimed by the Government, etWeen the Railway and Castle street:— The lands referred to having already by the Otago Harbor Board Empowering Act, 1875 (see section 4), become vested in the Board—though to enable the Board to «Wt with the lands it is necessary to have a conveyance from the Superintendent- lam of opinion that the Board has no power to divest itself of any part of the endowment in the manner proposed, without the sanction of an Act of Parliament. R. Stout.” ; RATTRAY STREET AND THE WHARF.

Captain Thomson wrote that the traffic to ; and from Rattray street Wharf with vessels at night imperatively demands that there shoold now be a light at the outer end of same, and recomjnended that the two lower lamps be erected (the outer to be colored ■ rod), in order that they may be leading lights to guide a vessel clear of the beacon.

The Under-Secrctary wrote re the approaches to Rattray street Wharf, that "the Government considers it completed its obligations when the street lines on the reclaimed land were formed to the satisfaction of the purchasers of the sections abutting on the wharf, and that as all the revenues accruing from the traffic and the rates to be levied go to the Harbor Board and the Corporation of Dunedin respectively, it is not called upon to contribute to the improvement of tho work in question.”—The Chairman intimated that the Works Committee of the Corporation have agreed to metal Rattray street as far as Mr Driver's stores. THE Board’s ENGINEER. The following letter was received from the. Engineer, with extracts from the ‘Daily Times’ of 26th April and 21st July DaDedl}£lß%A.ngast, 1876. Tea Chairman, Otago Harbor Boara.

Sir, —I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of a request from the Board that I should “ point out specifically the remarks referred to" in my communication of the 26th ultimo, and in reply I attach extracts from the ‘ Daily Times’ reports of meetings held on April 26th, May 3rd, and 20th July, of tins year, believing that I will best consult the good sense of the Board to determine whether or not, upon a careful analysis, expressions therein made use of by Messrs Ritchie and Tewsley were warranted, or are consistent with that respect due to the Board’s Engineer. I may add that personally I should not feel disposed to give insinuations of the nature objected to the slightest consideration ; but inasmuch as they misht have a tendency to engender feelings of disrespect in the minds of those with whom I am officially connected, I submit that it is only fair and reasonable to < xpect the Board to give expression to suoh anfunmistakeible opinion upon the subject of my previous letter of the 26th ult. as will prevent a'rocurronce of the like offensive and un-called-for remarks in future.—l have, Ac., D. L. Simpson, The letter was received. • THE RECLAIMED GROUND.

The Under-Secretary forwarded the following particulars of the quantity and cost of the materials deposited, in the reclamation of the land between Rattry street and the old jetty, viz. 51,008 cubic yards at 2s 6d, 1.6,376 ; quantity still required to re • claim up to new jetty,40,369 yards at 2s 6d, L 5.044 17s 6d— total. U1,420 17s 6d.

•it was mention 1.-.1 ih:vt the Board would not pay tue x mount until the ground has been properly conveyed £iom the Government to the Boafd.

the ocean beach bailway. The Board agreed to lend the Dunedin, Peninsula, and Ocean Beach Railway Company half-a-milo of rails and fastenings, on conditions that they return others of a similar quality within six months. TENDERS. Three tenders for the repair of the dredge and the p.a. Peninsula were opened and considered without a result being arrived at. John Edwards tender of L 25 for the timber for removal from the old jetty was accepted. One tenderer asked to l)e paid LI 6 to take the timber away. NOTICES OF MOTION. The following notices of motion for next meeting were given : By Mr Davie—“That his Honor the Superintendent ba asked to pass an Act through this session of the Assembly, vesting in his name in riust that triangular piece of ground as described in attached memo, and tracing, with a view of enabling the Government to carry out the arrangement they have entered into with the Corporation as to an exchange of areas, so as to provide playgrounds for the Normal and Albany street schools,” By Mr M'Klnnok—“That the Engineer be instructed- to bring up a report at next meeting on the most favorable means of deepening the outer and inner bars at Otago Heads, either by harrowing, dredging, or otherwise.