LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2646, 29 September 1882, Page 4

LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD

A portion of the r port of the meeting of thi» Board was givsn iu our issue of yesterday. The folio ring were the proceedings after we we-1t) p.-ers . The Harbor Improvomenta Committee reported a* follows : Your committee submit a plan showing the proposed arrangement of sites on the reclaimed land between Leacock’s wharf and the gravisg dock, and the rail arrange uenta for working them, as prepared by Mr Lowe, railway engineer, and subsequently slightly modified in accordance with suggestions made by the harbor improvement committee, and concurred in by war engineer, Mr Napier Bell. Tour committee recommend the Board to approve of the plan, feeling assured that it is one '■-•hich wifi meet the future, as well as the proseat, requirements of the trade and shipping, mil-sing to tho beat advantage the reclaimed l-.r.d at the Board’s disposal. Tho matter :o nting to tho terms and oonditians for lelting the cites is a subject upon which your committee require farther time to consider before bringing down their report. This, however, they propose to do at as early a date as possible after the plan now submitted has been approved by Government, and adopted or otherwise by the Board. Six months having o apsed since your committee last reported on the subject of tho harbor works, which, in their opinion, it was necessary to put in hand, they have again taken the matter under their most careful consideration, end beg to make the following recommendations thereon Your committee recommend the withdrawal of the proposal to build two sheds on tho Gladstone pier, as they consider that they are not now required. As soon as the 248 feet of breastwork to the westward of Leacock's jetty, tenders for which have just been sent in, is completed, the committee recommend that the reclamation and timber breastwork from the tunnel wharf to Peacock’s jetty be preoeeded with, and that plana for the same be prepared and tenders called for as soon as possible. The Board’s engineer having reported that the present Peacock jetty is barely safa_ for traffic, the committee recommend that it be polled down as soon as tho 248 feet of low level breastwork to the westward of it is Tho plans new about to be submitted- for approval of Government do not contemplate the rebuilding of the Peacock jetty at present, the estimated cost of which was .£7OOO. The only two portions of the lino of the timber breastwork between Peacock’s jetty and the dock whi.-h the committee have recommended to he done at present, are the 243 feet to the west of Peacock’s Wharf and a portion of the ship’s berth, of 450 feet long, near the dock, together with the triangular piece of reclamation at its base, as indicated on the attached plan, and the pile or concrete basement for shearleg', to lift heavy machinery, &a., out of vessels Tenders for the former work have been sent in ; and the Board having approved of the plans for the latter, tenders will, as directed, be advertised for as soon as the Government have signified their approval of the plan. The engineer has now also completed the plans for a slip to take up vessels up to 450 tons, and when they are approved bv tha Government, tenders will ba invited. Estimated cost about .£SOOO. As the construction of tho timber breastwork between the Tunnel jetty and Peacock jetty will necessarily shorten the Tunnel jetty some 100 feet, your committee therefore recommend the lengthening of this jetty by 200 feet; this work should be done before the breastwork just mentioned is put in hand. The Tunnel jetty would then be some 420 feet in length. Onr engineer, after conferring with the harbor master on the subject of additional boat landings required, reported to the Board, and-the committee now consider that ihe present requirements will be met by the erection of another boat landing at the inner end of the short jetty to the east of the present boat landings, and orders have been given to have the work carried out, the Beard having already approved of it. With regard to a new boat stage year committee have deferred dealing with this matter antil it becomes necessary to remove the present stage from near the Tunnel jetty, but-in the meantime they recommend that £ 000 be allotted for this purpose. Ur Alin right said he was surprised that this work had not been put in hand Borne time •go, aa bad been agreed at a previous meeting. Tho minutes of the meeting were looked np. It appeared that the exaot site of (the boat jetty had only recently been fixed by the harbor master. Ur Allwright said for his part he was by so means satisfied with the position assigned by the committee for the stage. Concrete floor for {new export grain shed, .21500 -Tenders are now advertised tor this work aa directed by-the Board in March last. Your committee recommend that the following sums be allotted for tha following purposes and works: X, Plant for electric .lighting of the harbor ... ... ... .£3OOO 0 -0 2. Lengthening tho dredge to enable her to dredge to a depth of 25ft 1000 0 0 3. Grant towards building a sailors’ home in Lyttelton, a similar amount having been contributed by private subscriptions 1000 0 0 4. New boat stage ... 1000 0 0 The clause respecting -the electric lighting was first taken, and Mr Wright said the committee, be thought, might apply to the liyttelton Gas Company to find if they would undertake the lighting of the harbor before going in for the electric light. Chesterfield, lighted with electricity, had paid at the rate of £BOO per annum of loss. He wished for more reliable data than was before the Board. At Chesterfield, just referred to, a gentleman there, and a member of Parliament, had stated that tha light had been a complete failure. Mr Turner remarked that the answer, as

regarded the proposal to go to the Gas Com»—pany, was that the Board was paying 14s 6d per 1000 ft, and if they waited for the Gas Company’s redaction they would never get the harbor sufficiently lighted. Mr Wright had a lamp which was exhibited at the late Exhibition brought into the Board room for members to look at. It was for gat, and be said had been highly commended. The Chairman said the fact that one of

the largest docks in the world at: London had [ Just been lighted with electricity he thought was a sufficient assurance that the step was a right one. The estimate of Mr Meddings was that for the cost now paid for gas the Board would secure five times more light, Mr Cunningham did not think it cuite fair of Mr Wright to refer to Chesterfield, It was not in any way a parallel case. Mr Allan said that it would coct the Board : ££0O0 to secure such a light as this with gas. Mr Turner thought the electric light.woald increase the business of Lyttelton os a shipping port immeasurably. The Chairman gave an example of the value of the light. Mr AUwright put no faith in Mr Meddings' figures, nor wes he prepared to support the adoption of the light in its present infancy.: He hoped the Board would decide finally the matter, as a good deal of money had, he considered, been wasted in getting information, giving trials and experiments with the light already. The Hon. E. Richardson had no doubt but the estimate supplied by Messrs Siemen Bros, would not be exceeded. He did not consider the Board need entertain any fear that Messrs Siemen Bros, would not do justice to any order the Board might see fit to place in their bauds, Mr Cunningham said it was duo to Mr Meddings to state that his estimate? fasdi been quite borne out by the experiments he! had given with the light. The item, £3OOO for electric light, was then : passed, as were all the other clauses of the report. The . following tenders for the breastwork were opened ;—Geo, Ware and Co., 348 i', £2586 0s 8d; J, Stinson, 130 ft, £1234 9s 8d ; J. Stinson, 2481 c, £2191 6s 101 ; W, Williams, 248 ft, £1944 9s I'd ; W. Williams, 130 ft, £llßl 8j .- M. Brown and Co., 248 ft, £1990 3s ; M. Brown and 00., 130 ft. £995 Is 5d , Andrew Swar.ston, 130 ft, £1314 12* lOi; and for the extra 116 ft, £1352 4j ; Thomas H. Downes, 84Sft, £199118i 2d j Thomas H. Downes, 130 ft, £lOsl lls Bd. The Hon. J. T. Peacock entered the Board room while the tenders were being opened. W. Williams’ tender waa accepted for £1944 9s 7d. The following tenders for concreting the new export shed were opened :—Stocks and Clark, £ll9O 10a ,6J ; T. H. Downes. £1243 3s 3d j J. Stinson, £1363 8s j J. Findlay, £1240 j Thomas Downes, £1256 12s; W. M. 1 Ogilvie, £1260 4i 8d ; M. Brown and Oo., ! 21273 18s; J. Tait, £1475; Hollis and Williams, £1270 16s; A. 8 wans ton, £1394. The tender of Messrs Slocks and Clark was accepted for £ll9O 10s 61. The appointment of dookmaster, the Chairman said, should be considered. The caisson would be finished in October, and the dock be ready for opening a month later. Ho appointment was made, the question going to the harbor improvement oqmruittee, who would look up the matter of duties of fee petition, and report th«?QQ (g fee Sggpd,

The Hon. J. T. Peacock thought the Board should have decided ai to upon whom the responsibility of docking should rest. The harbor master was granted an extension of time to pay a visit to Melbourne. The Chairman stated that Captain MoLellsn had while at Wellington taken the opportunity of passing the Marine Board, and' thereby getting his certificate of competency. Pilot Eeid, in the absence of the harbor master, was appointed a qualified person to pass masters for exemption certificates. The City of Perth Company wrote enclosing £650 for the services of the tug, and asking that a rebate be made to the company. The Hon, E. Richardson moved that £SO bo allowed.

The motion was carried —Messrs Richardson, Macphereon, Cunnningham and the chairman voting for it, and Messrs Peacock, Turner snd Allwright against it. An application from the Lyttelton Borough Council for permission to lay pipes for a swimming bath and to remove some olay was granted. Tho question of calling tender* for the Sailors’ Home, suggested by Mr P. Cunningham, was left for a committee to report upon. Tho Board adjeurnod to November 3ad, at 2 p.m , to meet at Lyttelton.