OTAGO HARBOUR

Evening Star, Issue 20132, 23 March 1929, Page 8

OTAGO HARBOUR

VIGTOBIA CHANNEL SATISFACTORY BOARD’S MONTHLY MEETING The Harbour Board met last night, first as a Standing Committee, and immediately afterwards in open board. Mr H. E. Mollev was in the chair, and the following members were present Captain C. M'Donald, Messrs W. Wilkinson, H. Larnach, J. Loudon, J. W. Munro, M.P., C. H. Hayward, H. F. H. Sharpe. T, Anderson, H. C. Campbell, A. Cable, and H. M. Driver. CORRESPONDENCE. The Otago Rowing Association applied for a donation towards its regatta funds. A similar request was made by the Portobello Regatta Committee, The Chairman said £5 had been given to, each of the other regatta committees. Next year (if he wore still a member) ho would move that the donations be reduced to £2 2s. The board decided to, grant £5 to each body.—lt was slated that the board had donated about £SO to aquatic funds this year. Messrs Mondy and Stephens wrote that the City Council had consented to the land transfer plan of the triangular area in the Highway. POLICE OX THE WHARVES. In company with Messrs Sharpe and Munro, the Chairman said he had waited on the superintendent of police in connection with police supervision on the wharves. Both Messrs Sharpe and Munro had placed the hoard’s claims strongly before the superintendent, and had impressed the department. He believed that the resultant improvement was satisfactory to all concerned. The supervision was now very good. The deputation had achieved all that the hoard sought. Air Munro; And without paying for it ? Mr Mollcr: Yes. Mr Sharpe said the deputation was received cordially, and, in justice to the department, it could he said the police had already moved in the matter. One officer had admitted that wharves had not received the attention they deserved. Two uniformed men and men in civil clothes would be on tbc wharves on the arrival and departure of steamers, the movements of the shipping being reported by the board to the police. The reports wore received. PORT CHALMERS BUILDINGS. Hie Chairman reported that the Railway Department bad agreed to lease the land on which tbc waterside workers’s building at the Port Chalmers wharves stood to the board for all time at a peppercorn rental. A letter was received from the Port Chalmers Fishermen’s Co-operative Fish Supply Company asking for eight principals from the old freezing works, together with an old tin shed at the back of the works for use in connection with the erection of a freezer at Port Chalmers. The feeling of the members was that the principals and the shed could he used for the company’s purposes, and the matter was left in the hands of the engineer - EXGIXEER’S REPORT.

The Engineer (Mr J. M‘G. Wilkie) reported that during the month nl' February Dredge 222 had dealt with 14,161 cubic yards of material, of which 7,497 cubic yards were deposited at the Heads, 1,666 cubic yards at the Kaik, and 4,998 cubic yards at the dredge Vulcan. During th« month the dredge steamed 311 miles and consumed 131 tons lOcwt of coal. The dredge Vulcan had pumper! 4,998 cubic yards of material into the Leith Estuary reclamation area, this having been received from 222. Three vessels had been docked during the month. .At the Mole the superstructure was completed up to and including hay 146, a total of three hays lor the. period of three weeks ended February 23, 1929; 2,56-3 cubic yards of stone were tipped on the Mole (pier 119 being reached). A start was made to drive a tunnel in the new quarry, sft being driven. Approximately six chains of the new railway lino had been cleared and Idled to level, and the sleepers placed in position; 376 cubic yards of spoil were used on this section of the line forming roads, etc. Dad weather interfered with the work on the superstructure and in the quarry. Work on the superstructure was dclaved further pending the arrival of the s.s. Poolta with timber. The hulk Broxton was raised and docked, and the hull scraped and tarred. The vessel was sunk again on the 9th inst. _ The parapet wall in the Leith Canal had been completed on the north side of the canal between Harbour terrace and the Highway bridge, and a start had been made to raise the canal walls on the south side over the same section. On the 16th inst. 32ft of wall had been finished. The timber foundation piles of T shed had been capped with concrete, and a start would be made with the erection of the foundation walls at an early date. Sand excavated from the formation of Jutland street was bcifig used to make up the ground to shed floor level. The work of repairing the dolphins marking the Vulcan’s channel had been completed. During the month little progress had been made with the reclamation of the Black Jack’s Point area, as the material dredged from the oil berth was unsuitable tor pumping ashore. This reclamation area, however, was fast filling up, and witliiii the next two years it might be necessary to commence the reclamation of the' south endowment area. As some of the sewers at , present discharging at Anderson’s flay road would have to be extended through tho :irca, it was advisable that llic question of extension should be taken up with the Drainage Board at an early date. Victoria wharf extension ; The decking was now being laid on the Victoria wharf (second 160 it), and it was proposed to drive the piles lor the third and last portion as soon as the timber came to hand. A temporary entrance had been provided in Akaroa street for the use of the Texas Oil Company. The report was adopted. HARBOUR MASTER'S REPORT. Mr F. J. Duncan (acting-harbour master) reported that the least water on the line of leads was 36tt at low water. From the Mole end to Poft Chalmers the least depth was 3011 and the narrowest place was oh Deborah Bay, 300 ft wide. From -Port Chalmers to Dunedin in the Victoria Channel the shallowest part was 2011 and the narrowest 136 ft wide. During the month of February the following number of vessels had arrived in Dunedin :—Coastal, 26 vessels, 16,733 tons; intercolonial, _4, 9,571; overseas, 8, 28,745; warships, 1. 1,200; total 39 vessels, 56,54*9 tons. The arrivals at Port Chalmers were: — Coastal, 2 vessels, 1,931 tons; intercolonial, 1, 3,525; overseas, 6, 34,514; total 9 vessels, 40,000 tons. Fifteen vessels had been piloted in and the same number out. Three had been removed, 'Clio total steaming time of the tug Dunedin was fifty-eight hours

forty-five minutes, and the total distance steamed 248 miles. The report was adopted. TENDERS. Authority was given to call for tenders for tho supply of 2,000 tout of coal. Tenders for supply of materials for the Victoria wharf extension ami tlm roof covering of R shed were opened ami referred to a committee for a report. The consideration of quotations for the purchase of tubular boilers from tiie 1 reeling works at Fort Chalmers was deferred till the next monthly, meeting.