NEW BUILDINGS AT PORT.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1747, 25 September 1879, Page 3

NEW BUILDINGS AT PORT.

It is not an uncommon thing to hear an old resident of the port say of Lyttelton that "it is not the lively place it used to be," and it might be inferred from such expressions that the port had declined. Such, however, is well known to be contrary to fact, and the port, if not as "lively" as it once was, is a more attractive place in all that goes to make up the requirements of an important town. The progress made in respect to the class of buildings, both business establishments and private residences, at the port will be apparent at once to those who know Lyttleton as it is to-day and who remember it before the great fire of 1870. Under the existing condition of things a repetition of such a disaster as that is scarcely possible, a superior class of buildings being one of the best safeguards against such calamities. In considering the progress Lyttelton has made it Bhould not be overlooked that its growth has been stimulated greatly by the admirable management of its harbor works, and that its progress as a town may be said to be but the necessary outcome of those works. To the excellent administration of the harbor trust by the Lyttelton Harbor Board the port undoubtedly owes much of its present prosperity, and in that sense it will be admitted that the importance of Lyttelton has as yet not been initiated. It is true that Nature haa favored the place among the ports of the colony. Tho approaching vessel haß no fearful bar to cross in making the harbor. It is a port easy of access at all timeß, and affords fine shelter for shipping. But without the artificial improvements which have been made in establishing the inner harbor, Lyttelton could not claim to rank nearly so high among the safe and commodious harbors of the world.

With respect to the advancement that has been made in permanent buildings at the port, it may not be out of place to- advert to the contemplated public buildings. Among these latter there is the Harbor Board's building, to include the Board room and harbor offices. The construction of this is already determined on, and tenders will be called for the work in a few dayß. It is expected also that the Government will very shortly move'in the matter of a new Resident Magistrate's Court (not before it is needed), and the erection of new- Police Barracks is among the promised improvements. The inconveniences of the old building now used as a Council Chamber and town clerk's office, have been much commented upon, and it is only a question of a little time when substantial Municipal', offices shall be substituted. Of tho better class of structures to be found at the port, the Government buildings, including the Customs, Post Office, and Telegraph department, is perhaps the most valuable. There- are, however, the various buildings representing the railway departments, the depot or station, to which has been recently added a large engine shed, and one of the ponderous- American turn-tables to accommodate the largest sized locomotives. Did space permit, the progress made in the buildings- of tho town might also be woll illustrated by a comparison of its praßent hotels with those of former times. It will, however, be- sufficient here to refer to two building* of more than ordinary value and prominence, which have recently been erected. The first of these is the new Bank of New Zealand on the north Bide of Norwich quay and west of Messrs H. Hawkins and Co.'s establishment. An edifice of both beauty and utility, it is undoubtedly one of the most complete business structures in the town, and Messrs Sutton and Weastell, the contractors, are to ; be complimented for their workmanship upon it, not forgetting the efficient clerk of works,, ; Mr Weyburn. The design of the edifice was ' the work of Mr W. B. Avmson, architect, to whom very great credit is due. The contract was entered upon in August, 1878, and tho . work would have been completed some time ago but for the difficulties met with in making a satisfactory foundation, together with other circumstances beyond the oontrol of the contractors. The building as it stands is, both in appearance and finish, a perfect specimen of the type of New Zealand banking |establishments. The style is Italian, the plaster work in relief being very tastefully executed. The building, which is a two-storey one, is of brick, finished with stucco work, and ornamented on the front and west side elevations with figures in relief and columns terminated by lonio caps. Its dimensions are 35ft. frontage to Norwioh quay by 51ft. deep. The lower floor is divided between the public banking ohamber, the manager's room, the strong room, and in the back part into two or three rooms, forming a portion of the houße accommodation for the occupation of the manager. The banking chamber is well lighted, lofty, and substantially fitted. The woodwork portion of the fittings consists of a prettily dosigned counter in concave form, made of highly polished cedar. Upon either side are the rails, or partitions, which divide that part of the room to be occupied by the Bank officers from that reserved for the public. The wood used for these divisions i 3 also cedar, and the workmanship of a very uniqne and delicate order. The rest of the woodwork in this room is finished in oak, the graining being excellently done. It is said that in this room alone upwards of £2OO. worth of oedar has been used. In the baok part of the room there iB a doorway opening directly into the strong room, a wonderfully substantial department, lift. 9in. by 6ft. 9in., and divided in the centre by an iron railing. To the right of the strong room a passage leads o£E connecting with the side door or private entrance to the Bank. On the opposite side is the manager's room. It is nicely pannelled and stained, its dimensions being 12ft. by 13ft. The measurements of the banking chamber are 32ft. by 25ft., affording|a very spacious department' for the transaction of public business. Its height is the same as that of the whole of the lower portion of the building, namely 15ft. There are also tho stationery room and tho lavatory on this floor. The whole of the upstairs portion of the structure is devoted to house accommodation for the manager. There is a drawing-room 18ft. by 14ft, a dining-room 13ft, by 18ft., and four very large bedrooms, besides ante-rooms and Dathrooma. The (whole connect with * good wide corridor and staircase with the first floor. The floors io the upper; storey are all thoroughly

deadened with hair and mortar, and the necessity fvr very much use of the staircase has been obviated by introducing a rather formidable Jilt or elevator from the floor below to the upper tfne. Everywhere throughout th* building the evidence of ! good workmanship may be seen j not tho ■ least so in reference to the painting work, the whole of which was performed by Messrs W. B. Allwright and Bros. The* edifice, as it stands, rests upon a foundation wall 18i». thick, and 27ft. Bin. in depth on the west side. The wall is of concrete,, built with cement and rubble to level with the- ground, and for IBin. above with stone. The kind of workmanship put into the Building must be satisfactory to the bank, and a decided sourco of comfort as- compared with the old shanty which has done service in' tho past. The brickwork of the new building waff done by Mr J. Stinson, a local builder. The preliminary movement into the building was made on Tuesday, so that tho public may expect to transact business- there within a day or two at most. Almost directly opposito another largo and well finished building has- been> erected, namely, an immense warehouse for Messrs P. Cunningham and Ob. This establishment has a frontago to Norwich quay of 267 ft. It was started, that is the foundation, in November last. This latter was made unusually heavy, namely, 12ft. deep by 2ft. in thickness, a retaining wall of 14ft. by 3ft requiring to be built for the frontage to Norwich quay. During the pressure of the wool and grain season, this firm, with their two large iron warehouses, had-experienced such repeated inconvenience unaccommodating the annual increase of business, as-to render the erection of a structure such as they have just built an absolute necessity. In place of having it constructed of corrugated iron, it was determined to make a more permanent as well as a much stronger- structure,- and, to this end, the solid brick warehouse has- been finished. As a more certain means of securing the best workmanship, and having the building more faithfully put together,, the firm divided tho work, doing it as nearly as practicable on the prinoiple of day labor. The same builder that executed the brickwork of the Bank, Mr J. Stinson, was entrusted to perform the same part in this work, Messrs Sutton i and Weastell doing the carpentering portion of the building, the whole being diaoctly under the superintendenceand direction of Mr Thomas Thornley.. The result of their efforts is that a building has been put together adapted in all its details for the purposes for which it is to be used. The great desiderata were abundance of room for storage purposes, and immense strength to correspond, and there can be no doubt that these are fully attained in the new warehouse. The stylo is plain .but solid. On the Norwich Quay side the frontage is one storey, thus giving' two full storeys at the back, which fronts the railway track, and whieh is in reality the business front of the building. As has been stated the whole length of the warehouse is 267 ft., .width 60ft., height of lower storey 16ft., upper storey 12ft. These measurements afford a storage capacity of quite 100,000 sacks of grain for instance, sufficient to load several big ships. The lower or ground floor is formed of concrete, into which blocks of stone 3ft. square are let, forming the supports for the storey- posts, which are iron bark : 12rn. by 12in. The upper floor is of l)£in. kauri, and the storey posts on this floor correspond in size and number to those below. ; The sills and cap pieces are iron bark 12in. by 12in., no flaw being overlooked in the fasten- ' ings. The walls are 18in. thick for the first ! storey up,, and 14m. above, the brick being of the best clay from the Valley, : supplied by Messrs Koyse, Stead and Co. Included within the.' building, and at thewestern end, are two very commodious- and well-finished offices—one for transacting the business of the establishment, andiono-forthe use of the captains whose vessels areconßigned or chartered by tho firm. In the former, an alphabetical telegraph apparatus is fitted,, besides one of- Edison's latest improved telephones. These are in constant use,, communicating with the head office in Christchurch. The captains' office is in process of finishing. The labor-saving appliances for transferring the grain or merchandize from the railway trucks have not yob been fitted into position, but-the principal one,, called a patent elevator, will be readying few days. It is being made in Christchurch at Messrs Anderson's foundry, and will, it is- said, when completed, he the-most perfect elevator in the colony, working with immense power and great rapidity. It will probably be worked with a gas engine. The clearing and fanning machines are also to be added at once, and two weighbridges. In the upper storey eight windows, with stone facings,, provide the necessary light, and in the lower storey the ventilators and doorways afford all the necessary air and light. The warehouse, as a whole, reflects mnch credit upon the builders, and is an the enterprise of the firm by whom it is. owned. As one of the permanent buildings- at the Port it is decidedly among the most superior in finish, and is-undoubtedly the largest in point of size.