THE HARBOR

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1805, 11 July 1906, Page 3

THE HARBOR

AN IMPORTANT MOVEMENT.

• v f r y l ar jS® deputation, representing the shipping and commercial urms in Gisborne, waited upon the Harbor Board yesterday morning in regard to matters affecting the port. The Chairman said it was vory pleasing to see such a largo deputation, which showed that the people of Gisborne wore taking an active in- i terost in the improvements of tho port, for which purpose tho Board had engaged the services of Mr Marchant to report upon tho best method by which 1 that may bo accomplished. Tho Board would be very pleased to hear what the deputation had to say, and to ro- I ceive any suggestions which it might Offer.

Mr J. W. Bright said ho had boon asked to introduce tho questions which the deputation d°sirod to lay before the Board Tho Board must recognise the importance of so many people waiting upon the Board, which showed that great interest was being taken in harbor matters. The present state of affairs was not satisfactory. The Board had soon that it was necossary to consult outside advice; they wore also not sat>>tied with tho existing State of things ho doput..ti>>n had no desire to ilictaso in any way hut simply wished to stronghten the Board’s hands. What they wished was that tho Board would not limit the scope of Mr Marchaut’s report to river improvement, but would give him a free band. '1 he place had grown, and was growing rapidly, the present winter’s traffic exceeding the summer traffic of several seasons back, ihe western groyne bad been completed and it was apparent that in rough weather the river was dangerous to shipping. The Tuatea had grounded in going out lately, and had to put back until there was a better tide. He wished that Mr Marchant be permitted to report what the cost of an outside harbor would be, and whether this expenditure would be within practicable bounds The development of the trade and competition made it imperative that they should have better shipping facilities here They wished Mr Marchant to report on tho best mode of improvement. If he had the conduct of affairs in his own hands what would he do and what would he recommend them to do ? Mr A. F. Kennedy endorsed the remarks passed by Mr Bright. At pre ■ sent the state of tho river made shipping both difficult and dangerous, and something was required to be done to remedy it. He wished to strengthen the hands of tho Board in the difficult position in which they were placed. Mr L. T. Symes said that all the other members of the deputation heartily endorsed the expressions of Messrs Bright and Kennedy. They had an informal meeting in which they briefly discussed the questions which the speakers had laid before the Board. Mr Cyril White said he did not jlaim to be an engineer, but suggested that in regard to. the range in the river Mr Marchant be asked that if, a ireak in the groyne with a fender run >ut would not lessen the range. The Chairman thanked the deputa;ion for their attendance. The Board yas desirous of rnakiog the navigation jf the river safe. It was Mr Slarchant’s first duty to report on this natter. He would also report on the lest method for making an enlarged laabor. He trusted the Board would lave their support in the work of improvement.

The deputation then withdrew. THE ENGINEER'S REPORT. Mr Marchant was then called in. and presented the following report:— In accordance with your Board’s resolution that l should report ‘ upon how best to improve the 'present hurbor entrance and its condition as to range, etc.’ 1 have inspected all plans and reports bearing on the harbor question here, and have the honor to advise you as follows : HARBOR ENTRANCE. “ The Turanganui river discharging into the deep indentation of Poverty Bay is regulated at its mouth by means of a breakwater on the weather side and by a training wall on the lee or western side. The clear width of channel between these structures is 250 feet. The breakwater is built of bonded concrete blockwork, and terminates in a depth of about 14 feet at low water. The training wall is of piling- and timber sheeting, filled with stone, with the exception of the outer end, which for a length of 130 feet is filled with concrete. “The lee side training wall projects 50 feet seaward of the end of the breakwater. “ The only heavy sea which reaches the breakwater is from almost exactly south magnetic. This makes an aDgle of about 55 degrees with the line of tfie breakwater, and runs inshore llong it. It thus occurs, that although the lee side wall is but £}Q feet seaward of fbe breakwater there is a length of oyer 200 feet of the training wall exposed to tfie free forpe of heavy pep, q,nd without any shelter whatever. “ The result, accordingly, is that a Bwift concentrated wave, more than double its original height, sweeps along the channel side of the training wall. Owing to the angle at which it strikes the wall it is reflected diagonally across the channel, strikes the smooth vertical channel side of tho breakwater, and is again reflected diagonally across the channel on to the training wall once more. The result of all this is, that a tremendous cross sea exists in. the narrow channel with every strong - swell from a southerly direction, and the current of the river is checked so that shoals accumulate

in it. k ijfoQ navigation of this channel -under the conditions described is cortainly difficult and unsafe,. as vessels yaw and stray very badly in it. “The good effect of the training •wall 'and the reason for its extension so far seawards, is to be found in the necessity which existed for shutting out the incursions of sand from the •westward into the entrance channel. “A very considerable wind-borne sand drift is swept into the channel also by every stfong north-west wind, a drift sometimes of such magnitude that the dredge could probably not remove it faster than it is deposited. This should bo stopped by planting fho beach with marram grass and -yellow lupin, the latter boing a very valuable plant for the purpose. “IMPROVEMENT of ENTRANCE “The obvious and certain solution of the defects at present existing at the harbor entrance is to extend the breakwater on the weather side by a length of 300 feet, and so completely shelter the training wall. Such an -extension need not be of the expensive yp’.ass of construction used in the Existing breakwater. It coiild .be Constructed of papa rubble, deposited /from timber staging up to low water y mark, and the rubble covered by heavy blocks. The cost of such an extension for 300 feet would be about SIO,OOO, including the purchase of the

nocessary materials and plant. The only difficulty there is in doing the work on the lines suggested, is that your Board has now no plant whatovor available for the purpose, aud there- ' fore tho necessary appliances must bo acquired wherever they can bo obtained, and so tboro might bo a good deal of dolay in gotting to work. “ Your overseer, Mr McLeod, has suggested a scheme who - oby such an extension could bo constructed without tho necessity for tho purchase of much plant, and it is quite possible that it would give satisfactory rosults. Thore is, however, a certain oloment of risk about it, and it would cost moro than tho plan suggested by me, but has the merit of enabling the work to bo quickly commoncod. “ It is pointed out to mo that from a navigator’s standpoint it is most undesirable that tho ontranco should bo loft in its present condition for a day longer than can bo helped, and that some immediate if temporary relief should bo afforded if possible. “A TEMPORARY EXPEDIENT. “Ithereforo offer the only expedient I can suggest for effecting sorno improvement in the entranco. It is obviously not tho proper remedy, such as an extension of the breakwator would be, but it would decrease tire danger which at present exists to vessels taking the port. ‘‘ The proposal is to construct a series of small wave traps along the channel sine of tho training wall for a distance of 300 foot from its sea end I hose would consist of timber piling and heavy planking, all strongly fastened together. Each one would be set at an angle of 45 degrees with tho training wall, pointing seawards, and j would stand 10 feet out into the entrance channel. Their effects would be these : 1 heir resistance to the wave which now sweeps along the training n all would break it up and prevent its reflection across the channel, or at any rate would almost entirely do so. They would cause something of a current to flow outward from the training wall, so decreasing the risk of a vessel overrunning the wall. Lastly, they would act as most efficient fenders to the wall. In the event of a vessel overrunning it or losing her steerage way here from any cause, the comparatively soft and yielding timber work would suffer instead of the vessel, b ueh a work as advised could be completed within a few weeks after the timber was obtained. They would probably cost about £3O each. Twenty of them would be required, and tho cost can be stated at about £OOO.

“ GENERAL CONDITIONS.

" ft is necessary, in order to present the case fairly, that a brief outline of the whole question of harbor accommodation hare sbonld be given, 11 The woiks constructed so far have no doubt been of value. But it is evident to me that you oannot possibly hope to give this fioe distriot the easy access to the outside world which it assuredly will one day demand, by any addition to or amendment of the existing works. 11 It is quits possible and easy to construct a breakwater harbor here to the eastward of tbe river entrance, so that the la-gfst vessels trading to the country could be loaded at wharves down to maximum draught. Such a barbor would not render tbe prosent woiks useless, but would supplement aid improve them, giving a ca'm entrance to tbe river port, which would continue to be used for the service of tbe numerous small oraft trading here. " Suoh a deep water harbor I bolievo to be well within the liaanoial resources of your distriot, and by isa construction tbe cost price of imports would be considerably reduced, and all exports relieved of charges in proportion ” (Continued on page 4.)