THE INNER HARBOR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2326, 20 October 1908, Page 2

THE INNER HARBOR.

SHALL IT BE IMPROVED?

SUGGESTION TO ERECT GAMS. A special adjourned meeting of the Gisborno Harbor Board was held yesterday to consider tho quostion of im- • proving, the condition of the Turangariui River. There were present Mr J. Townley (Chairman), Messrs W. Sievwright, W. D . Lysnar, J. Clark, D. Hepburn, E. Harris, J. Whinray, G. Matthewson and tho Hon. Captain Tucker. ' Captain Tucker, pursuant to notice of motion, moved: “That the Board shall take into consideration tho best and most practicable means of immediately improving the condition of the river.” In doing so, Captain Tucker said lie did not desire to say much in sitpport ‘of the motion, hut it was desirable that the river should not only 'be kept in its present state, and further,-, it was the duty of the Board to improve the channel and' increase the depth of water. Ho would not say that any modification of the present plant or any new plant was necessary, hut he asked the Board to first consider the motion with open minds, and consider the question of plant afterwards. •Mr .Sievwright seconded the motion. The Chairman read the following letter from tho Westport Coal Coy : “I notice by the “Gisborne Times that there is to be»a special meeting of the Board to consider the state oi the river. I sincerely trust the-. Board will decide to take immediate, steps to improve the river, which is urgently required to enable shipping to work the port with economy, lhe s.s. Regulus was built by my Company especially to work your port, and it will he a serious doss to. us it the present state of the river is not improved, as w© have at times to lighten the cargo before she can-come alongside the wharf, and I am apprehensive of the insurance risk being increased.” , Tho Chairman said the Board was anxious to do something to improve the river,- and ho had. asked Captain Cumming to go to Westport and inspect a dredge that might be useful in deepening the river. He did not think the dredge would cut the rock away, but with a good dredge in use the rock could be cheaply blasted and dredged out. . . Mr J. Whinray said it was accessary to improve the river, but he did not like the suggestion of blasting the rock, as the process was too slow. If a machine could be got to clicdge the rock he would be pleased to see the Board acquire one. He had been told bv a captain who visited the port that the river had shoaled two fathoms at the mouth during the past ten or twelve years. Mr Hepburn: I would rather see the river cleared first, and the basting of the rocks talked about afterwards. „ ~ Mr. Matthewson : I am quite satisfied that if a half-a-mi'llion of money' is spent the river won’t be improve© much. I am. 'against spending more money than is absolutely nec;-jsary. The Chairman : Let the Board have the money, and we "ill soon show a difference. . . iMi- Clark : There is no doubt something must be done t 0 improve the river; but the present system and blasting of the rooks is (far too expen- . giye. All the Board wants is to keep the river clear' of silt and . sand at as low a cost as possible. The cutting away of the rock could be considered when the silt was taken out. Mr Lysnar said he thought the Board should give consideration to Mr Leslie Reynolds’ suggestion to dam the river above the Kaiti bridge so as to catch the silt, and go- that tho water could Ojo let out with the flood tide. GYIr Sievwright: 'Let us dispose of the motion before we consider any scheme like that. . . . Mr (Matthewson: The motion is only the thin edge of the wedge to acciuire expensive plant. The motion wUs then put and carried. . (ATr (Sievwright. (to Mr. Lysnar): You go on now with your dam.. Air. Lysnar: I was only offering a suggestion. , . , ~ „ , Mr. ’Whinray: I think the .Board should try and get a dredge that would remove the silt- and. cut the rock. I am told there is improved machinery able to do that. •Mr. Clark: I don’t know of a machine in any <part of the world that will cut the rock in the river. The Overseer said he thought a dredge could' he ‘got to cut any rock that a pile could 'be driven through. Mr. Lysnar said the Board should consider the suggestion of constructing a dam at the junction of the river; and it was the only course he would (favor. A .sluice gate was the only way of (preventing the silt carried down by freshes from being deposited in the river channel. The cost was only estimated j at £6BOO, and wais much less than the cost of a dredge. A good dredge would'cost £40,000 or £50,000, and the sluice gates would carry away the silt by natural means. The river would then ho able to accommodate a boat drawing 14ft of water. Ho would not move any motion, hut if it did become necessary t<> do any work the Board should construct the sluice gates, as they would improve the'appearance of the town. Mr. "Whinray :How would the lighters get up the river ? (Mr. Lysnar : They only use the river about once a fortnight. Mr. Clark: They use the river every day in the mutton season. Mr. Lysnar: If locks were placed on the dam they could be erected for an extra £2OOO, or £BBOO in all. I always thought well of that scheme, and we could do it by an overdraft Without striking an extra rate, or .Groing for a loan. IVo could be careful with,'.our finances and make no further concession. . (Mr. (Sievwright: I am inclined to support the scheme that the river should be. dammed, but whether we should. also dredge the river is a subsequent question, and the Board should take some means to drive out the silt. The scheme to dam tho river is supported by an engineer. . . Tho Chairman: I am of oiunion that the dams would provo an absolute failure, that.the inrush of the tide is too great to allow the silt to ' flow out, and that the water would ’ merely bank up the/VVaikanae. lain ."ivin" -my own opinion that the small ' body ”of water from the rivers,would 1 he too weak-to wash silt out to. sea. The dam would he an inconvemenco to tho river traffic, .ancl would ho an 'entire failure. Other means yviU h*YQ

to be adopted to clear tho channel. Mr. Harris: Talso oppose the idea of the dams, and tliir.x they would ae a* dangerous experiment. "I agree vitli members that something should be done to keep tho river clear. Captain Tucker : Tho suggestion of darns is not new. It has already been considered and after due deliberation the conclusion mis that sluice gates would not be effective. The effect of the 'rush of water would be lost against the force of tho sea. ■Mr. Hepburn said he was also of opinion that the dams would be -useless. V ’ - • Captain Tucker : Mr. Napier, as tar back as 1900, said that both rivers would'have. t<> be locked, and added that he did not think the effect of the flood water gates would be much use, and that dredges would give more satisfaction.

Mr. Lysnar: That statement was not in Mr. Bell’s report. It was only in conversation at a meeting of tho Board. .Mr. Bell recommended a dredge, and said the river would be all right, but the river had not been all right. / • Captain Tucker: Could the dredge •John Townley be converted into a suction dredge^? Mr. Lysnar: Yes, »at a cost of £1750. ' (Mr. Clark: I would like to see the Board, even at ii (high cost, hire a dredge to clear the river. We know that locks havo been tried and found unsuccessful. J hope the harbor-

master will he able to give us scyne information about a dredge able to keep tbe river clear . Tho Chairman : I believe the. West-. port dredge would suit our purpose if we could hire it. ■Mr. Clark: Ilf we could get a good dredge on hire it would do. The Chairman: 'Then we are all agreed that it is necessary to take some (steps to improve the river. Grp tain Cummins will supply particulars of the Westport dredge, at the next .meetinsr of the Board. Mr. Lysnar: The dredge won tdo the work that the sluice gates will The 'Chairman: We don’t know what the locks will do. Mr. Harris: They would be of little use unless a body of water is stored up. _ ' , Mr. Lysnar: The quantity of water can bo regulated. The fact that the big floods clear the river proves that the sluice gates would not be a failure. Nature does more to dlear the river now than the dredge. The Chairman : A flood, would be sft higher than the dam and would come down the full width of the riy or. There is no comparison between a flood and an outrusli from a dam. The discussion was then adjourned until the ordinary meeting of the Board, to allow of further information being obtained,,and the Overseer was instructed to keep the river channel as clear as possible.