STATE OF THE RIVER.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 322, 24 January 1902, Page 3

STATE OF THE RIVER.

•LAIM ON ACCOUNT OF DELAY.

At the meeting of the Harbor Board .yesterday the following letter to the Secretary was received from Messrs Huddurt, Parker, and Co., through their local agents, Messrs Common, Shelton and Co.:— “ Dear Sir, —We enclose claim in con-

nection with shipment of cargo to Elingamito last Saturday. Had the state of the river been known other arrangements foi shipping would have been made, but judging from statement made at your Board meeting last Thursday there should have been sufficient water to work at the time the lighters was ordered for.” The claim was for £2 Bs, wages paid to six men while awaiting the arrival of a lighter alongside the Elingamite through grounding in the river. The following letter from Captain Kennedy to Mr F. J. Shelton was enclosed : 11 At your request, I beg respectfully to

submit the following report with respect to tho detention of the lighter in getting alongside the Elingamite this morning (Jan. 18) :• —Having 900 sacks of maize to ship per Elingamite to day, it was put on board the lighters yesterday, and arrangements made for them to leave the wharf at 5 this morning. When about half, a chain from the wharf one of the lighters grounded, and it was found impossible to get her off, but the other managed to get out and alongside the ship, but considerably later than she would have done had there been a greater depth of water. At

6 a.iri. the Waihi left the wharf and tried to toiv the grounded lighter out, but after dragging her a little past the crane on the breakwater had to give up the task, with the result that the lighter had to remain where she then was till tho tide rose, and it was 9 a.m. before she got alongside the Elingamite, and should have been there a few minutes after 5 a.m. if all had gone well. The lighter which grounded, tho Feavnaughfc, only drew 6ft 6in of water, and I am quite sure tho channel is shallower than it has been for some time past. We had six men engaged at 2s an hour, and have to pay them from the time they were ordered to be at the wharf, viz., 5 a.m., and these men could have been douo without till 9 a.m., when the second lighter got alongside the ship, had we known what was to happen.”

Mr Matthewson : If we have to control ,be tides it is a big contract. The Chairman : If anyone should know

the river it is Captain Kennedy. He surely could have got these lighters awa.y before the tide was too low. I do not think the Board can entertain a claim of that kind. The Board is doing tho best they can to improve the place. This claim shows the necessity for the new dredge. There has been no dredging for some time where this boat grounded. Mr Siovwright : How did one ground while the other escaped ? The Chairman : It might iiavo got a little out of tho channel. Mr Sievwright : We ha\’6 not charge of the boats. Mr Clark said he did not think tho Board could entertain the claim, but he pointed out that the boat stuck after the satisfactory soundings of the river given at tho last meeting, whereat the Board had been much elated ; yet the vessel had stuck where according to the soundings there should have been plenty of water. Ho wouldlike to kuow how those sounding were taken. He always regarded these soundings as Member : Suspicious. Mr Clark : No, I will not say that. Member : Doubtful. Mr Clark said he would like to use a pleasanter word than that. Tho Chairman said tho vessel was admittedly drawing 6ft. 6in. On calculations being made it was reckoned that the vessel should have had sufficient water, but the question arose as to whether the vessel was in the channel.

In reply to the Chairman, Mr Clark said he thought it would he found that the vessol hud gone out at half tide.

On Mr Clark’s motion, it was decided not to entertain the claim, but to obtain information as to the soundings on the date of grounding. The discussion brought out a new point, the Engineer stating that as he had always contended the tide-gauge was found by the Penguin survey party to be too high. He thought when finally adjusted the gauge would bo adjusted to 15 inches below the present zero.

In regard to the survey being made by tho Penguin, the Engineer said it had been found there was 6} fathoms of water inside tho buoy close to the line of beacons.

Tho Chairman said that the survey was proceeding well, and .vas now nearly completed.