HARBOR BOARD

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 956, 31 July 1903, Page 4

HARBOR BOARD

The ordinary meeting of the Harbor Board was held yesterday afternoon. Present: Messrs Townley (Chairman), Hepburn, Matthewson, Harding, Whinray, Sievwright, and Capt. Tucker.

CORRESPONDENCE. The Marine Department notified the appointment of Messrs G. Matthewson, W. Sievwright and J. Clark as members of the Board.

The Marine Department wrote stating that they had no spare copies of charts of the Bay as resurveyed by the Penguin, but some would be obtained from Home. Members expressed surprise that copies of the charts could not be obtained in the colony. Mr Sievwright thought the charts in possession of the Board might be rectified. Mr G. Matthewson said that they would have the official charts from Home before a corrected one could be obtained from Wellington. The Napier Harbor Board wrote forwarding a scale of charges for the slip. The Auckland Board also forwarded their charges.—The matter was referred to a committee.

The District Surveyor wrote stating that the survey of the Harbor reserves ac Gisborne could be proceeded with, the Board to pay the cost. Capt. Tucker thought that some Jdea should be obtained as to the approximate cost. Mr Sievwright: It has to be done. •Mr Matthewson : It will cost a good deal. You will have to go right up the river. It was decided to obtain an estimate of the cost. The Auckland Harbor Board wrote asking the Board to join with them in obtaining statutory power to grant honorariums to chairmen. Mr Sievwright: It is a proper thing to do. Capt. Tucker : There is no harm in us having the power. The Chairman : The Lyttelton Harbor Board have decided against it. It was decided to fall in with the wishes of the Auckland Harbor Board.

The Lyttelton Harbor Board wrote in regard to a scheme to provide for the superannuation of all Harbor Board employees, somewhat on the lines of the existing railway scheme. It was proposed to introduce a Bill to the House if the Boards of the colony were favorable. Mr Sievwright said that the matter could not be dealt with that day. Nothing could be done during the present session. The matter was referred to the Finance Committee.

OVERSEER’S REPORT. The foreman (Mr D. A. McLeod) forwarded a lengthy report on the harbor works. He stated he had discharged half the men on the reclamation back of wharf extension,and discontinued dredging alongside the wharf. He had been getting the material from shallower parts of the river by dredging as opportunity offered. The work would be finished in a day or two. Dredging had been gomg on satisfactorily during the present month. He had the sand grab belonging to the Hercules crane altered to suit the double chain of the John Townley, and he had succeeded in making it cut the papa clay that neither of the other grabs would lift without blasting. He proposed getting a furrow skeleton plough, to be used by the John Townley when the weather is too rough to go outside. He felt sure that all the papa in the river from the Kaiti bridge to a point about a chain below • the slip was sufficiently soft to be ploughed and dredged without the use of explosives. The outer end of the coffer dam had been removed, and the entrance of the slip deepened to the level of the river channel. The small dredge had been on' the slip for repairs, and when the big iron pulley blocks for the wire rope comes to hand a few days will suffice to get the slip ready for taking up the John Townley. The building over the machinery of the slip would soon be finished, and two large tanks should be attached to the building for supplying the boiler with water. The foreman referred to the western groyne extension, and suggested having the work done by tender, as it was a work that required up-to-date appliances, of which they had none. The material for filling in the groyne would have to be conveyed to the site either by punts or by tram, laid along the groyne. The engine to be used for this work must be of sufficient power to drive the boring tool and a force pump at the same time. In conclusion, Mr McLeod referred to the good work done by Mr DeThierry. HARBORMASTER’S REPORT. Captain Gumming, Harbormaster, reported :—“ The lower part of the channel has silted up a little during the last week. We had a slight fresh and very high tides, which washed away a portion of the banks of the Waikanae creek. The banks should be protected, as all the stuff that comes away from there settles in the channel, and has to be picked'up by the dredge. The

tides lately have been running out very low, and I wish to state for the guidance of the local manager of the Union Company and others that the tides at low water vary and run out as much as 18in below zero, and are affected very much by the winds off shore. The channel from the

top part of the groyne to the new portion of the wharf has been improved very much lately, the dredge having done good work there. I beg to call the attention, of the Board to the necessity for getting the bank below the stock-yard dredged away as soon as possible, as it is a very difficult matter to get a long deep draught vessel like the Toroa to come round quickly enough to get to the wharf. The boarding and painting of the leading light towers are now finished, and are a great improvement. There should be no trouble now in making the anchorage day or night. Arrivals and departures since last meeting are as follows : : —Steamers—arrivals S 3, departures 33 ; sailing ships—arrivals 8, departures 8. Soundings in the channel with the gauge at zero are as follows : End of breakwater 12ft, second to fourth bollard from end 7ft 2in, Snark’s landing 7ft 6in, big crane 7ft 4in, Waikanae 7ft

6m, stockyard Bft, soundings along whari varying from 7ft to 9ft.” The report wee adopted. DREDGE MASTER’S REPORT. The dredgemaster (Captain Solvander) reported: “ I have the honor to report that the dredge John Townley has been in constant work since your last meeting, and the work done is as follows : Dredged 870yds rock at the slip, 905yds sand below stockyard, 120yds abreast Dalgety’s store, 410yds mud abreast of old wharf, 800yds rock abreast of the groyne, 260yds mud abreast of Harbor Board office ; in all, 3370 cubic yards ; also, 15 hours at the new wharf. It having been suggested that I might do with a less number of hands, I cannot see my way clear to do so, but when the vessel has been on the slip, with the improvements proposed to steering gear, etc., I may be able to do so, and by that time I hope to be able to lift all the hopperdoors by steam. I have to contrive that I can lift the two middle sets. Then we might manage to do with one man less. With regard to Mr Fraser’s rise of wages, I would like to ask the Board to give him their full consideration, as his duty is one of the hardest on board, and I always find him willing to help forward the work.”