WATER AND DRAINAGE SCHEME.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, 5 February 1902, Page 3

WATER AND DRAINAGE SCHEME.

MR MESTAYER’S DEFENCE. REPLY TO MR LYSNAR. At the Borough Council meeting last nigh’, r. letter was received from Mr R. L. Mestayer, stating that his at•e.it'vti nad been called to t tree letlets p-.h filled by Mr W. D. Lysnar, on the 14th, and loth January. He had, lie .said, written to the press, pointing out a few errors in the letters, hut lie considered he should lay before the Council a full reply, “as although I give Mr Lysnar full credit foi an honest belief in their accuracy, they are actually :;o misleading and inaccurate that a false impression of the schemes will he created should I allow them to pass unchallenged.” He went on to say that he referred to the letters by the numbering adopted. T lie reply was as follows FIRSTLY This section is merely u summary of a portion of my pro-

jesals, and is substantially correct. SECONDLY The answers to Questens Nos 1 and 2, are not quite cor-if-ct, and are calculated to create an erroneous impression. They run thus :

'• No, I have made no provision, nor do I anticipate any will be required. 1 think the dam will be .sufficient. The ground may absorb a little water, but (thai; will be soon saturated. In that case I should find the break and rejoin with concrete.” '1 ne “that” enclosed in brackets, should he. omitted, as it evidently reicis to the ground. The last sentence has no connection with the questions that are quoted by Mr Lysnar, mit refers to another as to the course I snould pursue if on opening the ground for the foundations of the dam any unsound places were discovered. So far bom the rocks being anything from Id to 100 ft under ground, as stated by Mr Lysnar, the actual borings undertaken by Mr Winter and by Mr Drummond all showed solid rock at from 3to 13ft below the surface. Mr Lysnar disputes the possibility of the vVaihireie basin holding water without „iie formation of an artificial bottom oi puddle I consider that all the indications are in favor of the ground ,being water-tight, and my opinion is iouuded on over 35 years experience in wate works practice and with reservoirs in very different situations. In the Beetaloo Reservoir, which I designed for the South Australian Government, the water was 100 feet deep at the dam, and although the rock loaning the sides of the valley were so much laminated, and intersected with craci.s and fissures that no large inetks could be obtained for the work it has proved perfectly water-tight, without nuddling of any kind. Filtration : Mr Lysnar asks, “ Can anyone picture the fern acting as a filter to I,arily ti-.e water? What ratepayer would utilise fern and ti-tree to purify bis water with ? ” My report reads :

1 The v hole of the drainage area is uncultivated, / and covered with manuka, 'fan, and coarse grass. The water collected from it vvould there'll e be perfectly pure, thus satislying th v first essential condition of a town suui.lv. • ■ There are no indications o; sops, and the ground being covered with fern, etc., the water in times ot heavy rainfall would carry but little silt into the reservoir.” The obvious inferences being: (1) That purity of water is ensured by the absence of cultivation. (2) That the vegetation will protect the surface, and reduce the silt carried down by the rainfall, to a minimum. Thirdly. Mr Lysnar fears that the water washing against the and loose ” hill sides will cause them to slip, and fill the reservoir. Now the hill sides -in the Wailurere Basin are anything but rubbly and loo.e. The action of the water washn g ap:amsl the sides may possibly cause some of the ground to form Jifthe flatter slopes than at present hut the be aftected by the wash are already at creater portion of the sides which willsuch slopes as will he but little alteret*Fnurthlv •- The whole of Mr Lysnar’s criticism under this heading fails being founded on a complete misapprehension of the engineering principles involved. (1) He says that |’ n ST II i all attempts at gauging the stream made by Mr 1806 and bv Mr Drummond in • OT course I'do. Isolated gauging* of., a stream are of not the slightest value, as any engineer of experience n such matters well knows. To be oi any value simultaneous daily gauges of the stream and the rainfall must be made, and should extend over at least twelve months , failing such systematic observations the ramiaii alone is the best guide as amount of water which is probably to be obtained. (2) Mr Bysnar fl Mr Boy lan's gauging as being 4 square inches and Mr Drummond s as suuare inches.” He also states that Mr Whinray about three years ago visited the locality and “osculated the flow to be under If square in. There must be some mistake here, because no tng neer would record £ all S" ings fin square inches. Boylau lound nearly a quarter million gallons per day flowing down the Creek and l.ppn a supply main going oi WpU if the main were dependent upon EM St 1 ““e* a

t s urplu S in (io£| Zt SW 4U 5 ?r; » 2!iiat?«3 a watef supply for any town upon a series of ramfall comwfinams an°fl e if lßemember rightly, rrytfacceptecl them °, £ \' S e Ca whv a Mr n Lysnar should speak therefore, -why m „ nner that of them in the shghting manner i. as heingm estimate. of >260 million gallons M available “Pf l^l^ aUowfnce •while the water is standmg , f reservoir, and adds - earth will absorb water as soon as t fills It wil'. continue to absorb it whUe it is lying.” On the contrary it will ao nothing oi the sort, the earth may be taken to resemble a sponge lying on the top of the coc bottom, and when once saturated it will taxe up no more water. As tins saturation will be completed before I the dam is raised to its full height, no allowance for it is required in subsequent calculations. (To he continued.)

PRELIMINARY PREPARATIONS. In regard to the decision of the ratepayers tho Mayor said he did not think it would be ■wise to proceed further until they had advice that the result had been duly gazetted, but they might make enquiries as to the cost of completing the survey. They would require the pipe line, and he thought they should take the lower portion of the property, as advised by the Beautifying Association. Cr Hardin; urged that some forward step should be made. They had, ho said, lost Victoria through delay, and they should not tllow any risk this time by delay. Cr Jones said no doubt the ground would now te set down as of great value. The Mayor said it was practically valueless for otbir purposes, unleva .{or {he

little firewood on it. i Cr Lvsnar said they should no doubt i include the portion below the falls in the i area to be taken. Cr Jones said they might proceed a - little further in the matter than the Mayor suggested, and he would move that the Town Clerk be instructed to obtain the necessary information as to the survey, and that the Borough Solicitor be instructed to make preparations to take the Decessury steps for acquiring the land. Thus a good deal of time might be saved. Cr Harding seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. Cr Jones said there was another step they ndght take that night. A number of citizens had guaranteed the expenses of the poll, and now that it had been carried it would be only a graceful thing to return tbe guarantee to the guarantors, with thanks for their assistance. The Mayor approvod of the proposal. He said the guarantors would no doubt I be glad to be released, especially those who had opposed the scheme. (Laughter.) Ho was sure they would in time be pleased that they had been beaten. Cr Wbinray : I hope tiiey will have no cause to regret it. Cr Jones: AVe have done what wo believe to be for tho best. Cr AVhinray : Thero is a “ hope ” there

fir Lysnar said be desired to bo exi cepted from those who would be glad to be released from their guarantee. Ho would sooner have had to pay his £25, and would have been better pleased if the result of the poll had been different. Probably the fear of having to make good the guarantee had caused some to'vote for the scheme. The Mayor said he did not think that at all. Tbo proposal to return the guarantee was agreed to.