LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1995, 16 July 1880, Page 4

LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

The regular fortnightly meeting of the liyttelton Harbor Board was held yesterday afternoon. Present —Mr R. J. S. Harman (in the chair), Messrs B. Allan, Sawtell, Murray-Aynsley, P. Cunningham, Oraig and Turner. The Chairman made the following statement : The following sums have been paid into the Board's credit since our last meeting—Wharfage, £1130; interest on fixed deposits, £450 ; fines, £ll ; towage, warps and cent, £ll7 17s 6i; total, £I7OB 17s 6d. Our chairman advised from Wellington that, on his making further enquiries as to the delay in the refund to the Board of the sum of £4300 sterling paid by them on account of the Government for reclaiming land belonging to them, be was informed that a voucher would be at once made out for it, and sent on for payment. You will recollect that the treasurer was instructed to hold the cheque due to the Government for erection of telephone line till this was done. A letter will be read from Dr. liemon on the subject. Mr Biohardson also advises that the proclamation re closing roads at Naval Point will be signed by his Exoellency the Governor to-day. Messrs Ware and Jones, the contractors for the graving dock, have sent in an offer to lengthen it 50ft, so as to make it 450 ft in all. Our engineer, Mr Napier Bell, furnishes a very full report on the question, as well as upon Messrs Ware and Jones' offer. Under existing circumstances I think the Board would be wise to decide at once on adding additional length to the dook. The only question in my mind is whether the proposed extra 50ft will suffice, looking to the rapidly growing tendency to establish direct steam communication with the colonies by vessels of a very large class, such as the lately built steamer Orient, whose length is stated to be 460 ft. Whatever the Board decides upon will have to be submitted to Wellington for approval, and very great care must be taken in drawing •op the oontract for the extension, so as to avoid all question as between the Board and the contractors. A number of accounts for payment will be laid before you to-day, but none of them call for any speoial remark. Correspondence will be read in reference to a modification required by the Government of their plans for the timber breastwork to the east of the screw pile jetty. The amended plans have been returned to Wellington. _ I will ask the Board to approve of the action taken in the matter. A letter will be read from Messrs Bell and Miller, advising that tenders have been called for the pumping machinery for the dock. I will ask you to authorise the establishment of the necessary credit to meet progress payments in London. The harbor improvement committee will bring up a report on the subjects referred to thorn at our last meeting. A letter will be read from Mr T. Madden, atating that ballast has been discharged out of lighters into the harbor. The harbormaster's report on the subject will also be rend. ' Ho also furnishes a report on the question of ■ the romoval and disposal of rubbish from vessels when lying at the wharves. I will ask you to decide on the question of cementing the time-ball tower, as recommended by Mr Strout's in his report sect in to the Board on the day of their last ineeting. Mr Richardson has sent down from Wellington a printed copy of Colonel Scratchley's report. The report is on the table. This morning I received u letter from the liyttelton Borough Council, asking the Board to join them in taking the Attorney-General's opinion on the question of rating the Gladstone sheds. In the face of the very distinot advioe given to the Board on the subject by Messrs Harper, Harper and Scott, I do not think they would be justified in addirig to tho cxnonse already incurred simply for the purpose of obtaining further advice, when the Board are already perfeotly satisfied with the correotnefs of the opinion tbey have already got. I am sure the Board's action is not consequent upon any antagonism towards the Borough Council, but rests on tho general bearings of the case and on the very [explicit opinion they obtained from the counsel employed by them. I think it is very probable, if tho Board furnished tho Borough Council with a

copy of Messrs Harper, Harper and Soott s opinion, they would aee fit to modify their views npon the question, and I would therefore suggest that a copy of it he sent to them, but that the Board could not agree to incur further expense in a matter whore they see no necessity for it. Messrs Ware and Jones offered to make the extension of dock and excavation of hill for £6541. They submitted a detailed statement of their estimates.

The engineer reported as follows : Complying with instructions received through the secretary, I beg to submit plan of the Jjyttelton graving dock, extended to a length ot 450tt. on the floor, showing also the extent to which I should recommend that the overhanging hill be cut down, also the lines of rail which may be laid down for aicess to the dock and to the breakwater. . I have read the correspondence on this subject between the chairman and MrCunningham, but I need not refer to the question of the expediency of lengthening the dock to 450 ft., as in this case it is not so much an engineering question as one of finance, and I have no means of judging whether the largest class of steamers are likely to frequent this port. The principal cost to a small ship which this lengthening would cause arises from the interest on the capital expended. The cost to pump out the extra quantity of water in the extension is trifliDg when the fires are lighted and steam up, it would cost very little more t o run the engines half an honr longer. As regards the risk to the rest of the work, the fact of lengthen'ng this dock does not increase the risk of any kind, as long as the coffer dam is not erected, which it will not be until the excavation is taken out at the upper end. The extension of the dock to 450ffc. does not affect the level of the floor. I submit an estimate of the cost to lengthen the dock, from which it will bo Been that nearly half of the cost arises from the extra cutting of the hill at the top end of dock. I would urge the necessity of taking all the material required to complete the reclaimed land between tho dock and Peacock's wharf, from the hill at the head of the dock, notwithstanding that greater expense would be incurred by doing ro, and that earth might be obtained cheaper elsewhere. By taking all earth from the hill at the head of the dock abundant room is given for any future extension, as well as for a road and railway to get round the head of the same. The danger of blasting rock near the dock should more room be required in future is thus avoided. These improvements are combined with the useful appropriation of the material to make np new land, which will have a considerable value before long. The limits of excavation shown on plan will complete the reclaimed land, giving an area of three acres, exclusive of the original embankment, at a cost of £I6OO per acre. If the dock is not lengthened at present, but the finished head broken out, lengthened, and re-built at some future period, the cost would probably exceed the present cost by, say, £350 or £IOO, being the cost of breaking up and removing the concrete and stone, and this would be exclusive of the loss of the concrete, which, when broken up, would only have the value of so much broken stone or shingle. If the dock is to be lengthened at all, either now or at some'future time, I would recommend the hill to be cut down at once, as it would be imprudent to fire heavy blasts close to the finished work.

I am, &c, C. N. Bell, Engineer. Estimate of Cost of Lengthening the Dock 50ft. Excavation, 4510 cubic yards, at 5s ... 1125 Concrete, 875 cubic yards, at 36s 1575 Masonry, 7830 cubic feet, at 4s 6d ... 1773 Keel blocks, £ll 110 Pumping "50 Clearing site 30

£1863 Profit, 10 per cent 486 Contingencies, 5 per cent 243 Use of plant 200 Interest on retention mon9y and contractor's deposit, £ll,lOO, at 8 per cent. for five months 366

£6158 Excavation of hill with average lead of 1100 feet, cubic, 32,000 at 3s £4BOO Extra time allowed, five months. He explained that he differed with Messrs Ware and Jones mainly on matters of opinion. It was rare for persons to mako a like estimate, and he did not oonsider their price exorbitant.

The chairman understood that the contract would include cutting down the hill and making reclamation. Mr Cunningham thought it unnecessary to prolong discussion, as he believed the members had made up their minds that an extension ot the dock was advisable, and he therefore proposed—" (1) That the Board approve of lengthening of the graving dock so as to make it 450 ft. in length on the floor, including the excavation of the hill, as suggested by the engineer. (2) That a plan of the proposed, addition to the dock be sent to Wellington for the Governor's approval. (3) That a copy of Mr Bell's estimate of cost of extra 50ft. and excavation of the hill bo furnished to Messrs Ware and Jones without prejudice to existing contract, and they be asked whether they will modify their offer in accordance therewith. (4) That the solicitor be requested to advise whether, provided the contractors and the Board are mutually agreeable to make an alteration in the original contract, this extra work can be legally added to the contractors' work for the total sum, including the the whole work, without any claim for breach of contraot arising on either side." Mr Allan seconded the motion pro forma. The motion, after discussion was carried. The report of the harbor improvement committee, as follows, was adopted :

Tour committee beg leave to report:—l. That they proceeded into Lyttelton shortly after the Board's last meeting, and in company with the engineer and Harbor-master inspected the several existing slips and slip sites, and after considering the whole bearings of the question they came to the conclusion that it would be most advisable to call for tenders for slipping the tug, dredge, and barges, say at leaßt twice during the ensuing eighteen months, and thus to offer an inducement to slipowners to alter their slips so as to meet present requirements. Tour committee therefore recommend the Board to approve of this course being followed. 2. In reference to the question of providing a ballast depositing ground, and also as to the removal of No. 1 store from its present site near Peacock's Wharf, your committee are of opinion that the proposed ballast ground site i 3 ono which would meet the immediate wants of the port, but to make it available the shed in question would have to be at once removed, so as to_ give room for the extension of the railway lines. Your committee, therefore, gave directions that the shed should be advertised for sale and immediate removal. The Railway authorities have now received instructions to carry out the necessary rail extension to connect with the proposed ballast deposit ground and with dock contractor's line to the west of Peacock's wharf. Tour committee are informed that the railway haulage on ship's ballast will not exceed Is per ton. Tour committee understand that the dock contractors will make an offer for extending the graving dock fifty feet in length, so as to increase its length to 450 feet. R. J. S. Harman, For the Chairman Harbor Improvement Committee. Accounts to the amount of £233 17s 4d were passed for payment. A letter was read from Mr J. Madden, Lyttelton, charging Messrs. Cameron Bros, with discharging ballast in the harbor. A report thereon from the harbor master was also read, and it was resolved that no further action be taken in the matter.

A report wss received from the harbor master with reference to means of disposing of ships' rubbish, and consideration was deferred.

In reply to a letter from the Borough Council, it was resolved that a copy of Messrs. Harper, Harper, and Scott's letter re liability of Board to pay borough rate on the Gladstone sheds be furnished to tho Borough Council, and they bo informed that the Harbor Board see no reason for obtaining the opinion of the Attorney-General on the subject. Tenders received for tho removal of No. 1 shed, Peacock's Wharf, were : —W. Badcliffe, £26 10s ; Ware and Jones, £63. The engineer's estimate was £67. On the motion of Mr Turner, seconded by Mr Murray-Aynsley, the tender of Messrs. Ware and Jones was accepted. The Board approved of the action taken as to tho amendment of tho plans of timber breastwork recommended in a letter from the Marine Department. Consideration of a letter from Messrs. Bell and Miller re dock machinery and establishing a credit in London was deferred. The Board then adjourned until August 2nd.